Why Service History Goes Missing
Missing records are common and usually not suspicious on their own. In most cases, service history is lost because paperwork was misplaced, ownership changed hands multiple times, or servicing was split across different garages.
- Paper service book lost or damaged: often during a move, sale, or handover.
- Independent garage servicing: records exist, but only in each garage's local system.
- Dealer network changes: merged or rebranded dealers can make record retrieval less obvious.
- Recently serviced vehicles: entries may not have been digitised yet.
Step-by-Step Recovery Plan
Work through these steps in order. This sequence usually gives the fastest route to the strongest evidence.