Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history

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Thu 28 Jul 2016 10:14
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - FoxyJukebox

Looking at private and trade sales ads, seeing FSH always looks good.

I would be interested in readers comments of just which of the following four (seen in recent ads) would make them think they were buying a well maintained car.

1) Full service history available
2) Full manufacturers service history since new.
3) All service/ maintenance history fully documented since new.
4) FSH- past invoices available.

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Thu 28 Jul 2016 11:00
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - RobJP
3 or 4. At least that way you can see what jobs have actually been done, and whether or not the expensive 'extra' jobs (thinking gearbox fluid and filter on DSG, for example) have been done.
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Thu 28 Jul 2016 11:08
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - craig-pd130
If it's a private sale or from an independent dealer, I'd want 3) or 4), as a stamped service book means nothing in this context.

If I was buying from a main dealer (and assuming the car is not part of the manufacturer's 'approved used' scheme), I would be prepared to accept a stamped service book, but I would insist the dealer wrote 'full main dealer service history to the manufacturer's specifications' or similar in the sale documentation, otherwise I would walk away.
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Thu 28 Jul 2016 13:03
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - RichT54
The service book for my 2014 A3 doesn't have anywhere to stamp for the the services. Audi say the information is held in a database. I assume only Audi dealers can access the database. However, you do get some paperwork/invoices describing what work has been done. Are other manufacturers doing the same?
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Thu 28 Jul 2016 13:27
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - RT
The service book for my 2014 A3 doesn't have anywhere to stamp for the the services. Audi say the information is held in a database. I assume only Audi dealers can access the database. However, you do get some paperwork/invoices describing what work has been done. Are other manufacturers doing the same?

Same for VW - but allegedly (as I haven't had a service yet) an invoice is produced for the customer showing the work done - at zero cost if a pre-paid fixed-price servicing deal is in place.

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Thu 28 Jul 2016 13:58
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - Cyd

I’d want 3 or 4.

However, the term Full Service History or FSH for short, is meaningless really.

I would want to be able to see all service history documented and would ask about this on the phone before even going to look at the car. No documentation and I won’t waste my time or petrol. I also insist on seeing all documentation (V5 MoTs service ownership invoice) BEFORE looking at the car itself.


Some people try to justify having no invoices by saying they have to go in a company's books (true if you’re self employed or run a ltd company as I do), however I always then ask if they’ve ever heard of a new invention called a ‘photocopier’. I will accept scanned document files, preferably pdf.

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Thu 28 Jul 2016 14:43
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - RT

Being something of an anorak, I've kept a file of invoices detailing all work done for each car over several decades - but being an anorak I like to keep those files myself! Each car I've sold has been advertised as FSH as the service books were always stamped - no-one has ever asked if invoices were available.

When buying second hand cars my concerns have been whether it has enough documentation to continue the warranty, ask the maker/importer not the dealer and more importantly, the condition of the car.

Personally, I don't think it makes any difference whether FSH is fully documented or just stamped - and I do know how easy it is to get fraudulent stamps.

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Thu 28 Jul 2016 15:22
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - Ian_SW
It would depend on how old the car was.

Most cars are serviced so rarely now that there isn't much in the way of history. For example a three year old Audi with 35k on the clock serviced to Audi spec would have only seen a garage once in its life. Chances are that even then all that was done was the owner was charged an extortionate sum of money for an oil change and some stewed coffee.

I do find it amusing though when cars with a few thousand miles on the clock are described as having a full manufacturers service history. What they mean is it hasn't been serviced yet but the service isn't due for quite a while yet....
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Thu 28 Jul 2016 15:35
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - RichT54
It depends which service schedule the car is on. My A3 is on the Fixed Service schedule, it has done 23K and has had 2 services.
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Thu 28 Jul 2016 15:47
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - madf

I remember looking at buying a Cireoen Xantai HDI with FSH AND all invoices.

I actually read the invoices : the prior owner had spent on average £650 a year in service and repairs. I walked away.. - far too expensive to run.

So sometimes invoices can be a bad thing..
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Thu 28 Jul 2016 20:27
Audi A3 - Selling with full maintenance history - bathtub tom
I'd use:

Full main dealer service history with all receipts and invoices.

That way there can be no doubt.
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