Back to Home

  1. Home
  2. Our Guides To Leasing
  3. Maintenance Guides
  4. MOT and Servicing

MOT and Servicing

You may have some questions about the servicing and upkeep of your new lease vehicle. Check out this guide and gain some understanding of what your responsibilities are when it comes to your new car or van.

When you take up a leasing contract, you are responsible for keeping it in good condition; whether you decide to take out a maintenance contract or not. This includes servicing your vehicle and ensuring the MOT is kept up to date. We’ve highlighted some helpful information like what a service is, how often you will need to service the vehicle and what exactly gets checked in a service.

What Is a Car Service?

To ensure your lease car is kept in the best possible condition and remains under manufacturer warranty, you are required to service it at regular intervals that are determined and advised by the manufacturer. Servicing is essential when it comes to your lease contract as cars that have not been serviced properly and to manufacturer standard throughout the agreement will incur charges at the end.

A car service or van service aims to go over parts (that are likely to wear down over time and use) and replace any that are not up to standard. Faulty items in the car can reduce the performance, efficiency, reliability or safety of the vehicle itself so these parts must be found and replaced as soon as possible.

What Is An MOT?

An MOT (or Ministry of Transport) test evaluates your vehicle to make sure it meets road safety and environmental standards. The first MOT for a vehicle is due on the third anniversary of its registration and then that date every year after. Majority of cases, people will have to organise an MOT when it comes to leasing unless they have decided to choose a two-year contract which means they will be exempt.

An MOT lasts for a year and the date it runs out will be printed on the MOT certificate and you can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out to keep the same renewal date. Another thing to note is that the legal maximum fee that MOT test stations can charge for a car is £54.85 and you do not pay VAT on the fee as well.

How Often Are Service Intervals?

On average, we recommend you conduct a service every 12 months or every 12,000 miles but it can depend on the vehicle and the manufacturer’s service schedule. We’ve provided the links to the appropriate manufacturer pages for servicing. Select your manufacturer below:

Where Can I Service My Lease Car?

When it is time to get your vehicle serviced (regardless of whether you have a maintenance plan or not), it is recommended that you go to your local main dealer to get your vehicle serviced. This will ensure that you keep your car up to the standards of the manufacturer’s warranty and the finance company. Some finance companies and funders have it written into the contract of your lease that your new vehicle must be serviced at a main manufacturer dealer to ensure the correct and authorised parts are used if necessary, so we always recommend taking it to the main dealer.

I Don’t Have Maintenance – What Do I Do About My Service?

While we offer maintenance quotes across our range of vehicles, we now also offer a service plan option. You can pay a monthly amount which will then cover you for any services you require during your lease term. Get in touch with our team about our service plans and we can get you a price sent over right away!

If you’d prefer not to partake in a maintenance plan or service plan with us, it will be up to you to cover the entire cost of any servicing or maintenance required for your lease vehicle.

What Gets Checked In A Service?

Multiple components of your lease vehicle are checked during a service. They are tested to make sure they are still completing their function correctly and efficiently. The parts that are checked during a full service are:

  • Air Filters
  • Brakes
  • Clutch
  • Coolant
  • Engine Oil
  • Exhaust
  • Lights
  • Steering and Suspension
  • Timing and Auxiliary Belts
  • Tyre Inflation and Condition
  • Wiper Blades

A service also checks the fluid levels of multiple parts of the car as well such as brake fluid or engine oil.

Any Questions?

If you have any more questions about MOT or Servicing, we will be happy to answer them. You can get in contact with us by calling 0345 350 3776, emailing us at enquiries@willowleasing.com or sending us a message via our live chat function!