A physical booklet provided by the manufacturer to track a vehicle's maintenance schedule and repair history over its lifespan. Mechanics stamp or sign specific pages when completing scheduled oil changes, timing belt replacements, and inspections. A fully stamped book significantly increases a used car's resale value by proving it was properly maintained.
The buyer walked away because the service book was completely blank after 30,000 miles.
Always check that the ink and stamps in a used car's service book vary slightly in color and alignment; perfectly uniform stamps suggest it was faked in a single sitting.
Also heard as
- maintenance log
Related terms
Oil change
The routine maintenance process of draining degraded engine lubricant and replacing it with fresh fluid.
Timing belt
A reinforced rubber belt that synchronizes the rotation of the crankshaft and the camshafts.
Odometer fraud
The illegal alteration of a vehicle's mileage reading to artificially inflate its resale value.