Service History , what to look for ?

[neilcharlton]

Had a look at a 4200 today , and I had a bit of forum advice ringing in my head - if the S/H looks not quite right , walk away.

The car I looked at was a 2004 model , main dealer for the first few years then it got a bit messy.

1 x missing 31,000 mile major service
1 x missing 2012 annual service
then
2 other annual services were carried out at an american car specialist in essex,
1 service at a porsche specialist. So 3 non specialist services in total.

Its a ten year old car and I wasn't expecting it to be perfect but I was expecting to see good specialist stamps in the book.

In terms of service history , what's acceptable and what is not ?, i.e. a missing annual , one or two non specialist stamps ?
I take it these sorts of things really affect re sale value... ?

 

[Phil H]

Hi Neil

It depends to some extent on the detail in supporting docs such as invoices, and you would need a pre-purchase inspection by a marque specialist.

With the odd exception buying a car with a patchy history is never a problem, but selling it later might be as you rightly assume; if the car is a good one does the current asking price sufficiently reflect that risk?

PH

 

[neilcharlton]

Its wasn't a bargain so I wasn't really willing to take the full risk, I did have an inspection lined up , but I think I'll wait until a better car comes along.. Why anyone would go to their local garage to service this type of car is beyond me.

 

[Andyk]

If in doubt walk away.....go with you instinct especially if it's priced at the top end of the scale.....

 

[highlander]

post a link to the car, someone on here may know it and the history which will help you decide.

 

[dem maser]

Di put a link up so if anyone else is interested in it we can give them the heads up

 

[bigbob]

You will struggle to get any ten year old car with FSH. As cars get older, buying on condition (and inspection) is more important that stamps in a book which could mean very little. FWIW some parts replacement cycles recommended by Maserati are very prudent by industry standards and many owners/garages are aware of that.

 

[neilcharlton]

The car was on ebay but has since been taken down. Thanks for the advice. There was some fairly recent big bills in the from Giallo but my gut feeling wasn't good, I got the impression that some owners had really skimped on maintenance etc. The Maserati annual service is very similar to aircraft which may only have be used for 50 hrs a year ..

 

[zagatoes30]

If it doesn't feel right it probably isn't.

Service history is one of many pointers, including condition, mileage, specialist inspection etc. Probably not a show stopper on it's own but often you find a number of these areas all point to the same result.

 

[Smasher]

I looked at loads of these, and none of them were serviced every year, find one you like and get it inspected. If alls good,Then happy motoring. The ones that did have a fuller service history were the higher mileage ones.

 

[rossyl]

Taking the car to a Porsche specialist, or another "supercar" manufacturer, isn't worrying at all to me.

 

[mjheathcote]

Taking the car to a Porsche specialist, or another "supercar" manufacturer, isn't worrying at all to me.

Me neither.
Mine was owned by a dealer principle of a RalliArt dealer and was serviced by them for 8 years. No issues.
When I viewed the car I did question it, the salesman used to work in the workshop and he said they bought all the parts from Graypaul and borrowed the workshop manual, with them being local. Consequently no issue with an inspection by Graypaul before I bought the car.

 

[nfm]

Each to their own, it would worry me a tad.

Through choice I use Maserati specialists (going miles out of my way to do so) because they deal with our cars day in and day out. This means they build up and maintain a wealth of understanding about the cars, know the weakspots to check for, can diagnose quickly and accurately, know how to do repairs most effectively etc etc. For that reason I also prefer indis over certain main dealers, if the main dealers rarely deal with the older models.

In my view a fantastic mechanic with an owner's manual, but no knowledge of the cars at all, is unlikely to be a match for the equivalent who also knows the cars inside out.

Just another point of view, ultimately we pay our money and make our choice both when we buy and when we service.

 

[neilcharlton]

Thanks , that's good to know that I shouldn't be expecting perfection in terms of service record. Out of interest , lets say you only do 2000 miles in a year , would most people still take the car to a maserati indi for a annual service and inspection , or wait another year / few more miles before booking it in ?

 

[CatmanV2]

Thanks , that's good to know that I shouldn't be expecting perfection in terms of service record. Out of interest , lets say you only do 2000 miles in a year , would most people still take the car to a maserati indi for a annual service and inspection , or wait another year / few more miles before booking it in ?

Who's most? I don't take mine to a Maserati indy at all. I take it to a mechanic who I trust explicitly to tell me what he can and cannot do

C

 

[rossyl]

I think someone willing to spend a lot of money on the car shows its been taken care of well. A Porsche garage is not cheap. If anything as they are less used to Massers it costs the owner more.

If they'd taken it to Kwik fit or some other not so reputable garage, I'd be getting worried.

 

[davy83]

This to some extent is personal preference? An experienced Maserati specialist will pick up things in advance of them becoming an issue, and probably do a lot of jobs quicker because they have done them before. An independent (non dealer) will generally charge less per hour so the time does not help. These are cars at the end of the day and what you really don't want is work that needs done and been ignored, or work that has been bodged and either will fail quickly, or will make the car not run right. I think if you are planning to spend real money on a new-ish car then impeccable history and experienced repairs are pretty important. If its an older car and you are buying it because your heart wont let you walk away, then you know you will get some problems with the pleasure. An old super-car is very rarely a route to a cheap and peaceful life!!! I would agree with whoever asked whether it was priced to suit the condition? I am 140 miles from the nearest Maserati specialist so i never use specialist garages, but i have not avoided any work, and have maintained the car without compromise, however my specialist history is non-existent. I bought it without a strong service history and it had some issues for sure (you get what you pay for), but its still going great after 6 years!

 

[hodroyd]

A patchy service history should be reflected in the price asked, if not you can ask for a reduction on that basis..!! Indi's, or dealers are good if they have been in constant contact with the car over it's life, odd gaps are not vitally important, but not long mileage gaps. Steer away from "Joe Bloggs Garage", unless they are some sort of specialist in higher end vehicles, the average back street may have only done an oil change and hopefully with the right oil and not 20-50..?? As Davy says you get what you pay for, or you should, as always....Buyer Beware..!!

 

[mjheathcote]

The 'every year' or 'on mileage/2 year's debate is one that has split opinion.
Personally every couple of years for me, with low annual mileage. Did the same with my Elise, no issue.
The fact the newer ones are now every 2 years, what have they changed to now last 2 years? Nothing I bet!
Of course a dealer/indie will in most cases say every year, it's their income afterall!

 

[Grinzzz]

The fact the newer ones are now every 2 years, what have they changed to now last 2 years? Nothing I bet!

Finer manufacturing tolerances. Better materials. Improved quality on the assembly line.