How Much Does It Cost To Maintain Your Car?
With Singapore’s increasing Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices, and the recent price hike for 3 out of 5 vehicle categories in the latest bidding exercise in April 2023, owning a car and getting it serviced regularly is getting pretty expensive. This means that it will probably take more effort for car owners to manage the costs of car servicing nowadays. From regular inspections to replacement of car parts and accessories, how much does it really cost to service your car every year?
Let’s find out and see if it makes more sense for you to go to an authorised dealership workshop or a third-party shop for your regular car servicing.
Comparing Car Servicing Cost in Singapore
| Authorised Dealer Workshop | Estimated cost for min. 10,000 km (SGD) | Maintenance/Servicing Packages |
|---|---|---|
| Kah Motor (Honda) | From $331 | 1 type of package available (usually customised) |
| Autosaver (Toyota & Honda) | From $231 | 1 type of package available (usually customised) |
| Borneo Motors (Toyota, Lexus) | From $258 | 4 categories of packages available |
| Autolution Industrial (Nissan) | From $231 | 2 categories of packages available |
| Cycle & Carriage (Mitsubishi, Kia, Mercedes Benz) | From $414 | Over 7 types of packages available |
| Motor Image (Subaru) | From $155 | 3 categories of packages available |
| Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen and Skoda) | From $324 | Over 4 categories of packages available |
| *The estimated cost figures are based on values of the cheapest servicing prices for the smallest models in the respective car dealers’ range, at the time of writing on 5 May 2023. For the latest rates, please refer to the respective websites of the authorised car dealers listed above. Note that the above prices will vary depending on the model and are subject to changes at the authorised car dealers’ discretion without any prior notice. |
Is Dealership Car Servicing Or Third-party Better?
Depending on your car’s make and model, and your mileage needs, servicing your car at a car dealer workshop may be better than a third-party service, and vice versa. Here are some factors to consider before deciding on one of them.
Level of service
If you value high-quality service, dealership workshops will most likely offer that level of high-quality service you’re looking for. Their servicing packages with maintenance schedules will be designed specifically for your car model, and you wouldn’t have to worry if they lack the car parts you need, unlike at third-party workshops where they may not supply the suitable car parts and accessories that your car needs.
Price difference
As with high-quality service provided, dealership workshops tend to charge higher than third party workshops. However, if in-depth research is done to a certain extent that is enough for you, you may actually be fortunate enough to find high-quality service at cheaper rates.
Reliability and convenience
With servicing packages which can be tailored to your needs and the frequency that your car needs servicing, dealership workshops offer much greater convenience for you, unlike the off-the-shelves standard packages which are usually the typical choices available at third-party workshops.
Moreover, many third-party workshops may not publish quotes for servicing on their websites, which requires time for you to call or make a visit there just to get a package quotation. It’ll also take longer for your car parts to be replaced at smaller workshops in the event that they don't have a part you need at the time of servicing or enquiry, and need a grace period to order it.
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Car Maintenance Checklist
How Often Should I Service My Car?
Depending on the make and model of your car, the frequency will vary. However, the standard rule will be either every 10,000 km or 6 months.
Other factors which affect how frequent you should be servicing your car include:
- Total mileage of your car
- Age of your car
- Past records of servicing of your car
- Emergency breakdown or faults which happened to your car in the past
The longer the distance your car covers each day, the more visits to the workshop should be made for servicing in order to upkeep the condition of the car.
Benefits of Regular Car Servicing
Likelihood of lower insurance premium
The more you stick to the necessary regular servicing for your car, the more it may help to lower your car insurance premium during renewal as insurance companies tend to charge higher premiums for vehicles which do not go for regular servicing with maintenance schedules.
This is because such vehicles may age faster and be more likely to break down, get into an accident or have faults often, which results in more servicing and maintenance in the end.
Ensuring fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is essentially how much energy (which is fuel) your car will convert into kinetic energy to clock the mileage you need. So in simpler terms, it is how far your car can travel with a certain amount of fuel.
Making sure that your car’s engine is working well can result in greater fuel efficiency which can help you save fuel costs and reduce carbon footprint.
Avoiding fines by LTA
According to the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA), all vehicles including privately owned cars need to undergo annual inspections, so as to ensure all vehicles in Singapore maintain roadworthiness and adhere to healthy emission standards.
These inspections are often reminders to car owners to send their cars for car servicing because if they don’t, the condition of their car may deteriorate and fail to meet LTA’s inspection standards and they’ll be slapped with fines.
By servicing your car whenever necessary can help you to avoid fines and the hassle of having your vehicle inspected more frequently.
Different Types of Car Servicing Packages Available
| Standard Servicing Package | Express Servicing Package | Full/Comprehensive Servicing Package | Servicing specific components package | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended service interval | Usually for mileage travelled at:
| Usually only for mileage travelled at < 100,000km | Usually for mileage travelled at:
| Dependent on which component chosen for servicing |
| Cost | Mid range | Low - Mid range | High | Low |
| Engines | Replacement/top-up of:
| Only checking of:
This analytical scan and fault code scrutiny involves a sensor that plugs into your car's OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics) port, which scans your car's computer system for any error codes. Only checking of:
| ||
| Brakes and clutches | Checking/replacement of:
| Only checking of:
Similar to the Standard Servicing Package services but it includes a detailed analytical scan and fault code scrutiny. | Only checking of:
| |
| Chassis | Checking/lubrication of:
| Only checking of:
Similar to the Standard Servicing Package services but it includes a detailed analytical scan and fault code scrutiny. | Usually offer tyres only servicing. | |
| Electrical components | Checking/replacement of:
| Only checking of:
Similar to the Standard Servicing Package services but it includes a detailed analytical scan and fault code scrutiny. | Usually offer aircon servicing only/lightings servicing only/door hinges, locks, catches servicing only/battery terminals servicing only. | |
| Hybrid system | Checking of hybrid coolant level | Checking of hybrid coolant level | Similar to the Standard Servicing Package services but it includes a detailed analytical scan and fault code scrutiny. | N/A |
| *Disclaimer: The types of packages offered are quite similar among most workshops, however the services included in each type of package will vary from workshop to workshop. The above are just some of the common types of services included in each category of package. This data is not to be used as a standard benchmark for all workshops, as it is based on MoneySmart’s comparison and round-up of the services offered by popular dealer workshops in Singapore. |
3 Tips For Better Car Maintenance
Stick to a schedule
Having routine maintenance check-ups in place will help you keep track of your car’s health and efficiency. It gives you more convenience as you wouldn’t have to worry about missing the maintenance check-ups as the workshop will give you timely reminder calls before each check-up.
Following the optimum frequency of servicing can also enable your car to perform better and reduce chances of any faults and breakdowns.
Do frequent simple checks on your own
Things such as cleaning your car’s battery with a cleaning agent, changing your car’s air filters, checking the tyres and lights of your car, and changing the engine oil at regular intervals, can all be done on your own.
You can even refer to your car manufacturer’s manual to know what are the optimal oil change intervals so that you can better manage your car. Such basic maintenance can save you quite an amount of money over time and you can opt for a cheaper, and simpler car servicing package at the workshop since you’re already doing the basic maintenance work yourself.
Comparison of workshops
There’s only so much you can do on your own, so you’ll definitely need professionals to help you achieve the optimum level of maintenance for your ride and that’s when picking a suitable workshop matters a lot.
Having a trusted mechanic from a reliable workshop to handle your car can help your car stay in good condition for a long time, saving you more time and money in the long run.
Whether it is a dealer workshop or a third-party workshop, you can attempt servicing your car at both (for one or two times first) just to have an initial comparison of which one suits your car and needs best.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I service my car?
- As a car owner in Singapore, you have the choice to service your car at authorised dealer workshops or third-party workshops.
How often should I service my car?
- Depending on the make and model of your car, the frequency will vary. However, the general rule of thumb is either every 10,000 km or 6 months. Other factors which affect the frequency of servicing your car include total mileage of your car, age of your car, past records of servicing of your car and emergency breakdown or faults.
Is it better to service my car at a dealership car servicing workshop or third-party workshop?
Yes and no. This really depends on your car’s make and model, and your mileage needs. For example, servicing your car at a car dealer workshop may be better than a third-party service if you’re looking for high-quality and reliable services.
For car owners who need to keep within a budget and are looking for cheaper car servicing options, third-party workshops may be better as they tend to charge lower than dealer workshops. However, third-party workshops may lack the car parts you need as they may not supply the suitable car parts and accessories that your car needs. More time will be needed to order the parts to be installed in your car.
What types of car servicing packages are available?
While the types of packages offered are quite similar among most workshops, the services included in each type of package will vary from workshop to workshop. The usual types of packages offered include:
- Standard Servicing Package
- Express Servicing Package
- Full/Comprehensive Servicing Package
- Servicing specific components packag
Will I be fined if I do not send my car for servicing?
Yes and no. It depends on the condition of your car at the time of LTA’s mandatory yearly inspection for all cars.
According to LTA, all vehicles including privately owned cars need to undergo annual inspections, so as to ensure all vehicles in Singapore maintain roadworthiness and adhere to healthy emission standards.
If you do not send your car for regular servicing, the condition of your car may deteriorate and fail to meet LTA’s inspection standards. In that case, you may need to pay a fine. By servicing your car whenever necessary can help you to avoid fines and the hassle of having your vehicle inspected more frequently.