V8 Vantage missed services
Discussion
Hi folks - I know this can be quite a subjective topic, but I'm looking for some collective wisdom here. Currently considering a V8V with an unusual service history. Its first 7 annual services were completed as expected...but then a gap of just over 4 years before being serviced at the back end of 2022.
That 4 year period did include the Covid years and there is a wider explanation as to why it wasn't being used. The car only did around 2.5k miles in that interval.
My current thinking is either:
1. (Most likely right now) run a mile...or
2. Get the MOT details to understand how that 2.5k miles were completed during the 4 year gap - for example, were they all in the first 6 months and then the car sat for the best part of 4 years. Get the invoices from the end-2022 service to understand what work was completed at that time etc etc. Perhaps ask the seller to get a service done now at AM and insist on a full vehicle healthcheck/PPI? So, do whatever digging I can to try and reassure myself this one isn't a time-bomb.
Views?
That 4 year period did include the Covid years and there is a wider explanation as to why it wasn't being used. The car only did around 2.5k miles in that interval.
My current thinking is either:
1. (Most likely right now) run a mile...or
2. Get the MOT details to understand how that 2.5k miles were completed during the 4 year gap - for example, were they all in the first 6 months and then the car sat for the best part of 4 years. Get the invoices from the end-2022 service to understand what work was completed at that time etc etc. Perhaps ask the seller to get a service done now at AM and insist on a full vehicle healthcheck/PPI? So, do whatever digging I can to try and reassure myself this one isn't a time-bomb.
Views?
I wouldnt be too concerned with a 2.5k mile gap between services, but would be interested to see the MOT history. During covid im sure many people stretched out service intervals, I know I did. Check it out, speak with the owner if you can, look at the rest of the history what it has had since.
sirmarcus said:
2. Get the MOT details to understand how ...
Views?
Views?
Your wording possibly suggests, that you are not familiar with free instant access to MoT histories.
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
Just need the vehicle registration mark.
At the next page, click on, MoT history Show.
4 years is extreme, although look how buyers pay huge prices for 5 or 7 year old Aston Martins, with 50 miles on the 'clock'.
EDIT. You might find the MoT was also stretched during the pandemic.
Depending on the past MoT timing, the 6 month extension period might have moved the MoT date forward into winter hibernation. Under those circumstances, no MoT was needed for quite a long time.
Edited by Jon39 on Tuesday 4th April 08:41
Personally I would avoid, even if you're confident that the car is mechanically sound (which likely it is)when you decide to move it on you'll find it a lot more difficult.
I had a V8VS during Covid and it was serviced on the button even though mileage was down. When I sold it was easy to trade with a full main dealer service history.
If it was a very rare and desirable model/spec I'd consider it, if it's a regular V8V then there are plenty more out there. Great cars, enjoy it when you do get one!
I had a V8VS during Covid and it was serviced on the button even though mileage was down. When I sold it was easy to trade with a full main dealer service history.
If it was a very rare and desirable model/spec I'd consider it, if it's a regular V8V then there are plenty more out there. Great cars, enjoy it when you do get one!
Jon39 said:
Your wording possibly suggests, that you are not familiar with free instant access to MoT histories.
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
Just need the vehicle registration mark.
At the next page, click on, MoT history Show.
4 years is extreme, although look how buyers pay huge prices for 5 or 7 year old Aston Martins, with 50 miles on the 'clock'.
EDIT. You might find the MoT was also stretched during the pandemic.
Depending on the past MoT timing, the 6 month extension period might have moved the MoT date forward into winter hibernation. Under those circumstances, no MoT was needed for quite a long time.
Edited by Jon39 on Tuesday 4th April 08:41
I would also avoid it, 4 years is a huge gap and smacks of a period of ownership with one person who was minded to not bother for whatever reason.
In my mind I would be questioning what else they did on a shoestring to it: Almost certainly ran it on budget 95 petrol; probably too tight to buy a house with a garage to keep it in; possibly even fixed issues with egg cartons and sticky backed plastic?
There are plenty of others out there to choose from so why take a risk, not to mention you are absolutely going to get bottom buck when its time to sell, so you wont gain anything by buying it cheap now either.
keep looking....
In my mind I would be questioning what else they did on a shoestring to it: Almost certainly ran it on budget 95 petrol; probably too tight to buy a house with a garage to keep it in; possibly even fixed issues with egg cartons and sticky backed plastic?
There are plenty of others out there to choose from so why take a risk, not to mention you are absolutely going to get bottom buck when its time to sell, so you wont gain anything by buying it cheap now either.
keep looking....
4 years does seem a long time between servicing.
You can use covid as an excuse for maybe 1-2 years, but not 4.
For info, during covid and now that my 2006 vantage is on 72k miles, I have started to do some of my own servicing, but I buy the service kit from Aston and the correct oil, then fully document the service with photos.
So it might not have a fully stamped AM book, but from my point of view it still has a valid service history.
Maybe you can use the 4 years of non servicing to negotiate a better price and then get an inspection ?
Although, I am sure you will find some similar models for sale with FSH and not even consider this one.
You can use covid as an excuse for maybe 1-2 years, but not 4.
For info, during covid and now that my 2006 vantage is on 72k miles, I have started to do some of my own servicing, but I buy the service kit from Aston and the correct oil, then fully document the service with photos.
So it might not have a fully stamped AM book, but from my point of view it still has a valid service history.
Maybe you can use the 4 years of non servicing to negotiate a better price and then get an inspection ?
Although, I am sure you will find some similar models for sale with FSH and not even consider this one.
I personally would be sanguine about this and not be immediately put off. Many on here are a pretty risk averse bunch, but if the car in question otherwise is of interest to you (spec, price, mileage, colour etc) you will probably already be well aware there usually aren’t that many really good ones to choose from.
This amount of time between official ‘services’ (just fluid changes) on any modern car would not, taken in isolation, concern me much, and it would concern me even less when combined with the fact that the car has only covered 2500miles between the services, by far the more pertinent fact.
I would, however, need to get comfortable that the car has not stood without moving for extended periods of time within the four year period, as you already correctly suggest. Anything significantly in excess of 6 months. The MOT history and any records for any work done should be able to go some way to confirm. If the car has stood outside under UV for that period it is likely to be obvious from the general condition of paint and wheel lacquer, tyres and trims etc, I would hope that would be unlikely.
As ever, ask lots of questions, and buy on condition. If the car is perfect other than the ‘official’ service gap, I would consider it over something with an oil change stamp in the book every year that had also had every identified developing problem ignored.
This amount of time between official ‘services’ (just fluid changes) on any modern car would not, taken in isolation, concern me much, and it would concern me even less when combined with the fact that the car has only covered 2500miles between the services, by far the more pertinent fact.
I would, however, need to get comfortable that the car has not stood without moving for extended periods of time within the four year period, as you already correctly suggest. Anything significantly in excess of 6 months. The MOT history and any records for any work done should be able to go some way to confirm. If the car has stood outside under UV for that period it is likely to be obvious from the general condition of paint and wheel lacquer, tyres and trims etc, I would hope that would be unlikely.
As ever, ask lots of questions, and buy on condition. If the car is perfect other than the ‘official’ service gap, I would consider it over something with an oil change stamp in the book every year that had also had every identified developing problem ignored.
I think your strategy of looking up the MOT history is a sound first step. I'd be more concerned about a car that's sat unused for 4 years rather than one that had had low but regular usage; these cars prefer being used as it stops things like seals drying out.
If you go ahead then I'd recommend checking what service actions were done in 2022 as there are fluids that need to be changed on time rather than usage (brake fluid comes to mind), and may have been missed if the 2002 service was just done to the normal time/mileage schedule.
If you go ahead then I'd recommend checking what service actions were done in 2022 as there are fluids that need to be changed on time rather than usage (brake fluid comes to mind), and may have been missed if the 2002 service was just done to the normal time/mileage schedule.
I was surprised at how few Vantages had full service history when we were buying last year. A lot claimed to be but that was based on every 10k miles, conveniently forgetting the "or 12 months" element
If it drives well and is going to be a long term keep then I would not worry about it too much
If it drives well and is going to be a long term keep then I would not worry about it too much
Edited by Andy665 on Tuesday 4th April 11:49
This thread has done precisely what I thought it would - some of you telling me to run away and some of you telling me to buy on condition etc - exactly the dilemma I started with!
I started by leaning more towards "run away" as I suspect I would never be comfortable with the car, and I am still more in that camp I think...
I started by leaning more towards "run away" as I suspect I would never be comfortable with the car, and I am still more in that camp I think...
Andy665 said:
I was surprised at how Vantages had full service history when we were buying last year. A lot claimed to be but that was based on every 10k miles, conveniently forgetting the "or 12 months" element
If it drives well and is going to be a long term keep then I would not worry about it too much
These individual takes on what constitutes FSH are very common unfortunately. The one in question here is currently listed as having FSH, which is towards the "flat out lying" end of "cheeky" I thought!!If it drives well and is going to be a long term keep then I would not worry about it too much
LTP said:
.. there are fluids that need to be changed on time rather than usage (brake fluid comes to mind) ..
Do Aston Martin engineers want brake fluid to be changed every 12 months ?
Engineers at Mercedes-Benz do not.
Thinking about service schedules, it would be very interesting for us to see one for the Valkyrie.
It has been rumoured that an engine rebuild forms part of the 30,000 mile (3 years?) service.
sirmarcus said:
That 4 year period did include the Covid years and there is a wider explanation as to why it wasn't being used. The car only did around 2.5k miles in that interval.
If there's a sensible explanation I wouldn't be concerned.The only time that sort of thing would bother me is if the car had been used every day, one mile each way to the station/shops/school or whatever. Which would seem a highly unlikely way to use an Aston - it's not exactly .
My dealer told me that I could stretch maintenance to every two years if there is little mileage between two services. I tend to do either yearly or 1.5 years for a yearly mileage of about 2,000.
4 years is a bit of a stretch really, even if there’s been little use. Why not buy on the condition that it gets a check up at a local Aston Martin dealership?
If buying private that’s what I would do.
Car isn’t necessarily bad if it has had little use over four years.
4 years is a bit of a stretch really, even if there’s been little use. Why not buy on the condition that it gets a check up at a local Aston Martin dealership?
If buying private that’s what I would do.
Car isn’t necessarily bad if it has had little use over four years.
Dewi 2 said:
Do Aston Martin engineers want brake fluid to be changed every 12 months ?
Engineers at Mercedes-Benz do not.
No, brake fluid is every 2 years. I assume the brake fluid AML specify is hygroscopic (I've not checked, but most is). Perhaps MB specify Dot 5?Engineers at Mercedes-Benz do not.
Also engine coolant change is recommended at 5 years - I believe the antifreeze/anti-corrosion component degrades with age
As always there is a huge amount of hand wringing over not a lot. This comes down to what are you being charged for the car. If your paying out of the wazoo for a "perfect" example then you should rightly tell them to poke it. Its irrelevant from an actual mechanical perspective but if your paying a premium you want a premium outcome.
If its well priced in the market i would not give a solitary f
k about lack of servicing in 2.5k miles. I would actually be more concerned about the lack of use rather than the lack of unnecessary servicing. LTP said:
Dewi 2 said:
Do Aston Martin engineers want brake fluid to be changed every 12 months ?
Engineers at Mercedes-Benz do not.
No, brake fluid is every 2 years. I assume the brake fluid AML specify is hygroscopic (I've not checked, but most is). Perhaps MB specify Dot 5?Engineers at Mercedes-Benz do not.
Also engine coolant change is recommended at 5 years - I believe the antifreeze/anti-corrosion component degrades with age
IainWhy said:
As always there is a huge amount of hand wringing over not a lot. This comes down to what are you being charged for the car. If your paying out of the wazoo for a "perfect" example then you should rightly tell them to poke it. Its irrelevant from an actual mechanical perspective but if your paying a premium you want a premium outcome.
If its well priced in the market i would not give a solitary fk about lack of servicing in 2.5k miles. I would actually be more concerned about the lack of use rather than the lack of unnecessary servicing.
Wise wordsIf its well priced in the market i would not give a solitary f
k about lack of servicing in 2.5k miles. I would actually be more concerned about the lack of use rather than the lack of unnecessary servicing. BiggaJ said:
LTP said:
Dewi 2 said:
Do Aston Martin engineers want brake fluid to be changed every 12 months ?
Engineers at Mercedes-Benz do not.
No, brake fluid is every 2 years. I assume the brake fluid AML specify is hygroscopic (I've not checked, but most is). Perhaps MB specify Dot 5?Engineers at Mercedes-Benz do not.
Also engine coolant change is recommended at 5 years - I believe the antifreeze/anti-corrosion component degrades with age
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