Like all cars, your Motability vehicle will need regular servicing to maintain its efficiency and safety, but you don’t need to worry about the cost – all servicing and wear-and-tear maintenance repairs are included in your Motability Scheme lease package.
Your vehicle’s servicing will be due either on a fixed date annually or when your vehicle has covered a certain number of miles - this will be pre-determined and take place during your lease agreement. There’s no need to panic about forgetting when a service is due as it will be clearly explained to you when you pick up your vehicle.
On top of this, the Motability Scheme operates an efficient reminder service that will notify you 28 days before your service is due, with either a text message or email and phone call. When your service is due, all you need to do is take your vehicle to your managing dealer who will carry out the service. As some services can take a while, it is important to think about whether you’ll need to arrange alternative transport while your vehicle is being worked on. If you are able to provide a few weeks’ notice the dealer should be able to offer you a courtesy vehicle to use while the work takes place, but if you have specific needs and require a certain type of vehicle make sure you let them know. The dealer may able to collect your vehicle from your home or place of work and then return it to you once the service is complete if that is more convenient.
Alternatively, you may prefer to wait with your vehicle at the dealership. Most car dealers today have smart customer lounges with tea and coffee on tap where you could watch TV, catch up on some work or read the newspaper.
So, what’s included in your service? It varies depending on the vehicle, the number miles it has covered and its age. Some manufacturers will highlight specific areas of the vehicle for the workshop technician to monitor, but most vehicle services would check and / or top up:
The technician could also check and / or replace other items during a service, like brake pads, the battery and the oil, fuel or pollen filters if it has been recommended by the manufacturer.
Almost all dealerships will also carry out a Vehicle Health Check (a complimentary visual and electronic health check of your vehicle) on your car when it enters the workshop, and most garages these days will also give your Motability car a free wash and vacuum before handing it back to you.
Many Motability vehicles are fitted with adaptations to support the needs of the driver or passenger, and if these require regular monitoring then the cost of this is also included in the overall Motability package.
When the service is complete, you will be given a record of the service (which may be digital) to prove that the work has been carried out on the vehicle. It is vital that you make sure all of your vehicle’s service records are stored in a safe place as these records are used to verify that regular servicing has been carried out.
If your vehicle is looked after properly and taken into the garage for regular servicing and maintenance, it could mean that you’ll receive the Motability Good Condition Bonus at the end of your lease. The current Good Condition Bonus is worth £600 for a car leased for 3 years and £900 for a vehicle leased for 5 years (usually a Wheelchair Access Vehicle). If your vehicle meets Motability’s criteria for the Good Condition Bonus payment you’ll receive a cheque in the post within 28 days of returning your vehicle to the dealership.
As a Motability customer, you are also entitled to free tyre repairs and replacements through Kwik Fit, who also offer a mobile service for customers who can’t get to their local Kwik Fit dealer or if the tyre you need is not in stock.
If your vehicle is not due for a service but you suspect that it does require a check and maybe a mechanical repair, then you should contact your managing dealer as soon as possible. If the problem is caused by everyday use then the repairs should be carried out free of charge as a part of your Motability lease agreement, but bear in mind that cosmetic repairs or repairs that are required because of neglect or improper use are unlikely to be covered in your Motability package.
