Service history grades: what FSH, FDSH and 'partial' actually mean
How the four service-history grades are defined in UK car listings, what 'partial' is hiding, and why a £4,000 saving on a 'patchy' history car can become a £6,000 problem.
Good history today, less worry tomorrow.
- It moves the priceFull main dealer history is worth 20–25% over no history.
- It protects the warrantyApproved-used cover is voided without a documented history.
- Most of it is verifiablePost-2014 cars carry a digital record you can pull from the VIN.
- “Partial” means nothingIt is a red flag until you know which services were skipped.
- The cambelt decides itA full history with no cambelt entry is functionally partial.
What service history actually is
Documented proof that a car has been maintained on the manufacturer's schedule by people who actually opened the bonnet.
Manufacturers publish a recommended schedule for every car: typically a minor service every year or 9–12,000 miles, a major service every other year or 18–24,000 miles, and specific component replacements at fixed intervals: cambelt, brake fluid, transmission oil, coolant. The schedule is in the driver's handbook and on the manufacturer's website. The documentation comes in three forms.
The service book
A booklet stamped by the garage at each service. The classic format, increasingly rare on cars built after 2018.
The digital service record
The manufacturer's portal, where the dealer logs each service against the VIN. Most premium brands switched between 2014 and 2020.
Invoices and receipts
Printed proof of work done at any independent garage. The currency for cars serviced outside the dealer network.
Any of the three counts as history. The grade depends on who did the work and how complete the record is.
The grades, defined
Most UK listings sort service history into one of four buckets.
- FDSH / FMDSH
Full main dealer history
Every scheduled service since new done by a main dealer for that brand, stamped in the book or recorded in the digital record. No gaps in the timeline.
Highest grade
Retains the most resale value. Expected on premium brands kept under PCP or lease, and on cars still inside their warranty period.
- FSH
Full service history
Every scheduled service done on time, but not necessarily at a main dealer. A reputable independent that knows the brand counts. Documentation for every interval.
Very good
On out-of-warranty cars the premium for FDSH over FSH is usually 5–10%, not the 25%+ some sellers ask.
- PSH
Partial service history
Some services documented, some missing. The car was looked after for part of its life and not for another part.
Proceed with caution
The messiest grade, and where most buyer disputes happen. Ask the seller to define exactly what is missing and why.
- NSH
No service history
Either the schedule was not followed, or any documentation that existed has been lost. You are buying a car of unknown maintenance history.
Highest risk
Acceptable on a 15-year-old £1,500 runaround where the downside is bounded by the car's value. A serious problem on a £14,000 seven-year-old SUV.
What "partial" usually hides
There is no standard for “partial”. In practice it means one of these.
- The first three services at a main dealer; the last two done by the previous owner with no paperwork.
- Annual services were done, but the major service, the cambelt, was skipped.
- Services were done, but the receipts were lost during a move.
- The current keeper had an oil change “by my mate”, with no record of it.
Always ask the seller to define exactly what is missing and why. "Partial" is a red flag until you know which services were skipped.
What "full" should actually contain
To verify that “full” really is full, the documentation must show all six.
- 1
An entry for every annual service
Since first registration. A five-year-old car needs five entries minimum; a ten-year-old car needs ten.
- 2
Cambelt and water pump
If the car has reached the manufacturer's interval, typically 80,000–100,000 miles or 5–10 years, whichever comes first. Most timing-belt failures destroy the engine.
- 3
Brake fluid every two years
On most manufacturers' schedules.
- 4
Transmission oil at interval
Often skipped. Automatics typically every 60,000–80,000 miles, though some manufacturers controversially claim “lifetime” oil.
- 5
Engine oil and filter at every minor service
Receipts should specify an oil grade matching the manufacturer spec.
- 6
Other consumables
Air filter, cabin filter and spark plugs at their respective intervals.
If any of these are missing, the history is partial regardless of how the seller categorises it. A "full service history" with no cambelt entry on a 90,000-mile diesel is functionally a partial history.
The patterns that should worry you
Five recurring patterns worth stopping for.
- Service intervals stretching out near the end: annual services for five years, then a 26-month gap, then an oil change three months ago.
- Every stamp from one independent garage in the seller's own town. Not necessarily fake, but ask for invoices behind the stamps.
- A “complete” set of receipts for five services all dated within seven days of each other.
- The digital record shows fewer services than the service book. The digital record is authoritative; always pull it.
- Service book entries dated before the car was first registered.
How to verify a digital service record
For most cars built after 2014 you can verify the record without trusting the seller's word at all.
Volkswagen Group
VW, Audi, Skoda and SEAT. Any main dealer can print a Service Plan Activity Report from the VIN. Usually free, sometimes £15.
BMW / Mini
A similar service report from any BMW dealer, using the VIN.
Mercedes
The Mercedes Service Care portal, accessible via a dealer.
Ford
Most post-2017 models carry a digital record any Ford main dealer can print.
Toyota / Lexus
Full digital history accessible at a dealer.
Volvo
VIDA service history, dealer-accessible.
Spending £15 and an hour at a dealer to print the digital history is the cheapest insurance you can buy on a £15,000+ used car. Sellers who refuse to let you do this are telling you something.
How service history affects price
Rough premiums for a five-year-old mainstream car, against a no-history baseline of equivalent year and mileage.
- FDSH+20–25%
- FSH+15–20%
- PSH+5–10%
- NSHbaseline
For premium brands the spread is wider. A five-year-old BMW with FDSH retains roughly 60% of new; the same car with no history retains 35–40%. On a £30,000 car that is £18,000 against £11,000–£12,000, a gap of £6,000–£7,000.
Illustrative figures; check comparable listings for the model you are looking at.
Why the gap is rational
- A car with no history might have skipped the cambelt: about £1,800 to catch up and be safe.
- It might have run on the wrong oil grade, with premature wear visible only at a major service.
- The transmission might never have had its oil changed, reducing expected lifespan.
- Remaining manufacturer warranty (often valid up to seven years on some approved-used schemes) is voided without history.
Sellers offering "no history but the car drives perfectly" are asking you to absorb all of those risks for a discount that often does not cover them.
What to ask before buying
For any service-history claim above “none”.
- 1Can I see all the service records or stamps before viewing? A photo of the stamp pages, or a PDF of the digital record.
- 2Has the cambelt been done? When, and at what mileage?
- 3Has the transmission fluid been changed? Especially on automatics over 60,000 miles.
- 4Was the most recent service major or minor, and how long ago?
- 5Can I verify the digital record at a main dealer before I buy?
If any answer is evasive, or "I'll get back to you", you are being told the history is not as full as the listing claims.
Check history. Buy with confidence.
Service history is extracted from every listing as none, partial, full or full main dealer, and scored as a graded factor: 100 for full main dealer, 80 for full, 50 for partial with a warning that it needs verifying, and 25 for none or unknown. That component is then weighted against price, age and mileage in the overall value score.
- Service-history grade captured per listing
- “Partial” flagged as needing verification
- Weighted against price, age and mileage
- Compare similar cars side by side
