So what your looking for is a car with full service history!
For some reason this is vital too you so please bear in mind.
Well this makes sense, you obviously want a car that's been well looked after.
What strikes me as strange though is the amount of people who will buy a car with a "Full Service History" and then only pay a cursory glance and the papers their handed.
The whole point is surely
If its got a full service history of visiting the dealer every two weeks with major trouble, then the fact that the acronym "FSH" that accompanies it isn't worth a damn.
With newer cars with a service light the history may give you some indication of how hard, or gently the car has been driven dependant on the frequency of the servicing. But how can you tell? If the car tells the owner to have it serviced at between 7000 and 17000 miles, the light comes on at 7k but they leave it till 15k how would you know.
Bear in mind also that a car may have done 79,000 fully historied miles, but if the 80k service is a major one, it may cost a surprisingly large amount to have done at the main dealers, and if you cant afford it , your FSH car wont be any longer.
The real question though is what does Full Service History actually mean. There is no oxford English dictionary entry to define it, so relying on FSH as some kind of statement of condition is making a tenuous jump in perception indeed.
Many questions are raised, what is the meaning of FULL, does full pertain to the completeness of the paperwork, or the fact that the recommended schedule has been followed, in which case why isn't it called complete and correct service schedule?
Definition 1
FSH -- A record of time and place the vehicle has been serviced
Its still a full history, its just that the vehicle may have skipped some services.
Definition 2
FSH -- A list which shows the vehicle was serviced in accordance with the manufactures schedule
The vehicle has visited the garage at the manufactures recommended intervals
Definition 3
FSH -- A list which shows the vehicle was serviced in accordance with the manufactures schedule.
The vehicle has visited the garage at the manufactures recommended intervals and followed the recommended replacement schedule for parts, whether they were worn or not.
Definition 4
FSH -- A list which shows the vehicle was serviced in accordance with the manufactures schedule, and other visits for repairs.
The vehicle has visited the garage at the manufactures recommended intervals and followed the recommended replacement schedule for parts, whether they were worn or not, and also had replacement of some broken parts with other serviceable though not nescercarily new parts, though they may be newer in age or miles than those they replace.
Definition 5
FSH -- A list which shows the vehicle was serviced in accordance with the manufactures schedule, and other visits for repairs.
The vehicle has visited the garage at the manufactures recommended intervals and followed the recommended replacement schedule for parts, whether they were worn or not, and also had replacement of some broken parts with new parts.
Definition 6
FSH -- A record of time and place the vehicle has been serviced, and other visits for repairs.
The vehicle has visited the garage for servicing and also had replacement of some broken parts.
Definition 7
FSH -- A list which shows the vehicle was serviced in accordance with the manufactures schedule by a Manufactures main dealer outlet, and other visits for repairs too a Manufactures main dealer outlet.
The vehicle has visited the garage at the manufactures recommended intervals and followed the recommended replacement schedule for parts, whether they were worn or not, and also had replacement of some broken parts with new parts.
Def ......... and on and on and on
So which is your definition? which is a reasonable definition?
By rights FSH is just as it says a complete history of any servicing the car has received, only detailed examination of the service history can give aid to the cars value, and even then It is fairly wide open for interpretation.
Just as an example I have read of one bloke, whose car was main dealer serviced , but who at 100,000 miles stripped the engine of his car, changed the cam chain, etc etc , put it back together, then took it to the main dealer where they not knowing what work had been done, checked it over , changed the filters and stamped it up, "Main Dealer Full Service History"? you tell me
Of course that supposedly independant body the Trading Standards Office, have their own idea of what FSH means, trouble is like all these self serving quangos they wont actually put pen to paper and write out a set of standards which Dealers can comply with, instead prefering to take to court any dealer who has the temerity to use descriptions which dont quite match that which is hidden in their heads. which is why dealers apply their own descriptions which complicates matters further
Full Service History
Main Dealer Service History
Service History
Service Record
History
Good History
Well Maintained
etc etc
So there you go if you want a car with Full Service History, pay no attention to the fact it has a history of breaking down once every two weeks, so long as every little detail of its history is documented , preferably by its deep pocketed careful lady owner you will be fine.
NB: If its white the previous owner is called Liz Windsor, and it has holes in the roof its probably a collectors item not to be missed. and despite its interstellar Mileage has been serviced regularly by the finest mechanics in the land every two weeks. You can be guaranteed its never been thrashed, never done more than the speed limit, and wasn't really loaded up with a ton of gear and five 17stone ociffers.