Are service records now all digital?

My son purchased an 18 plate VW last month. It didn’t come with a service handbook as I expected. It’s all digital I was told, no dealer stamping any longer. Ok if you continue to have it serviced with a VW dealership but what if you go to an independent garage? How is information on the car’s history stored and combined with its VW history? What happens when you sell the car ? How are you able to pass the full information onto a perspective buyer except by keeping the paperwork?

Asked on 20 March 2024 by Colin Tennant

Answered by David Ross

It is increasingly common for cars to have a digital rather than a paper service record, which does ensure that the record cannot be lost but also encourages owners to keep the cars within the dealer network. If you choose to go to an independent garage it is vital to retain paper copies of any work carried out as a supplement to the digital service record, particularly when it comes to selling the vehicle. You can request a written copy of the digital service record from the dealer, but not all dealers are complying with these requests.

Tags: dealers service history digital service history

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