What is a Vehicle Health Check?
A vehicle health check is a visual inspection that helps you to understand more about your vehicle's overall condition. They're completed alongside any routine maintenance you have completed through one of our centres, but you can also book one separately for free.
Why do we complete health checks?
During a car health check, one of our technicians will be looking for any wear and tear that could become a safety issue in the future, and will let you know if anything requires urgent attention.
We do this to help you maximise your vehicle's safety, protecting both you and other road users, whilst ensuring your vehicle remains road legal.
A health check report also helps you to understand any maintenance that may be required in the future, allowing you to budget more effectively.
What does a Vehicle Health Check include?
During a health check, one of our technicians will check the following on your vehicle and grade them using a colour system:
- Brakes
- Tyres
- Exhaust
- Steering
- Suspension
- Lights
- Fluid levels
Alongside the colour system our technicians use during a vehicle health check, they'll also create a video that's sent straight to your chosen email address or phone number.
This is done so you have complete transparency when deciding on whether you should have recommended work carried out.
A Vehicle Health Check in Five Steps
Check
Your technician on the day will complete a vehicle health check and create a video report that identifies any issues noted as red or amber.
Notification
You'll be directed to a web page containing your vehicle's video health check report, where you'll be able to review and authorise any recommended work.
Review and Authorisation
You'll be directed to a web page containing your vehicle's video health check report, where you'll be able to review and authorise any recommended work.
Handover
If any work is recommended in the future, then we'll contact you to rearrange a recheck, should you want it.
Amber Promise
If any work is recommended in the future, then we'll contact you to rearrange a recheck, should you want it.
What do the colours mean on my health check report?
The colours on your health check report is a way of helping you understand the condition of the components we check on your car.
Red
The component is showing excessive signs of wear or is not operating to its full potential. We advise repairing or servicing the part that's been highlighted.
Amber
The component is showing signs of wear, but remains safe to use. We recommend having the part rechecked on an agreed date in the future.
Green
The component is in good working order and doesn't require any attention.
Our Amber Promise
The amber colour on your health check report means there's a component on your vehicle that's showing signs of wear, but is still safe.
Although the part doesn't require replacement at the moment, it may require reinspection or replacement before your next scheduled visit to one of our dealers.
Our dealers will be more than happy to arrange a reinspection in the future to check the part over again, since excessively worn consumables (e.g. tyres and brakes) can have an impact on stopping distances if left for too long.
As part of our promise to keep you safe on the roads, you can expect the following from our dealers:
- We'll contact you in the future to book a free recheck
- Technicians will inspect the components labelled as 'amber' on your last report during your next health check
- We'll take into account your annual mileage and vehicle usage when agreeing on a date to contact you, since everyone uses their vehicle differently
Spread the cost of maintenance with 0% APR Representative finance
Spreading the cost of any necessary repairs or preventative maintenance is made easier thanks to the 0% APR Representative finance we offer on aftersales invoices.
Speak to one of our associates at your nearest CarStore Centre to learn more about this offering, and how it could benefit you.
You can also book a free vehicle health check at the same time, making this a great opportunity to learn about your car's condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
A vehicle health check is a free service offered by our centres, and is also completed alongside a service when your car is with us for routine maintenance.
A vehicle health check takes approximately 20 to 25 minutes to complete, depending on its size.
A vehicle health check is not the same as a regular service for your car. A service centres around replacing consumable items on your vehicle to maintain its performance and maximise its longevity, whereas a health check involves the visual inspection of components to monitor their health.
It's not mandatory for you to have work completed that's highlighted by our technicians. However, items noted under the 'red' colour mean there is a component that is excessively worn, which could impact safety or your vehicle's value, so we'd recommend rectifying it as soon as possible.
This will depend on the availability of courtesy cars at the centre you've visited. If one is available, then your service advisor will be able to sort one for you.
This will depend on the time of day your health check is completed, if the parts are in stock, and how much work needs completing. We will always aim to get you back on the road as soon as possible.
