Owning a new car is very convenient, because you don’t have to worry about breakdowns or ongoing repairs. However, there is one thing that keeps the owner of such a car sleeping. It is the manufacturer’s warranty. Warranty that can be lost if the car is not operated or serviced in accordance with the provisions of this warranty. For years, there was a conviction that a new car under warranty should be serviced at an authorized service station in order not to lose it. Meanwhile, the EU GVO directive abolished the monopoly of authorized services. Despite the directive, car manufacturers have certain options related to the requirements for car servicing.

Is there a GVO directive and what does it refer to

The EU GVO directive has existed since 2010 and has taken legal force since then. It regulates and thus removes the monopoly of car manufacturers as to imposing on them a company that performs service inspections. Despite this directive, there is a belief among drivers and car owners that the car should be serviced only at an authorized service center, so as not to lose the warranty. This is a misconception, however, when servicing the car on a site that is not an ASO, you should take care of the technical and financial documentation.

Servicing the car under warranty outside the authorized service station

A car manufacturer, like any other manufacturer, is able to void the warranty of a given vehicle if its use, maintenance and repair were not in accordance with the warranty, and moreover, the provisions accepted when buying the car were violated.

Therefore, when servicing a car during the warranty period, it is worth taking care of the basic rules related to carrying out the necessary repairs, maintenance and service elements. It is about:

• the use of spare parts only authorized and recognized by the manufacturer,
• writing down and proper documentation of the repairs carried out,
• collecting an appropriate invoice or bill for repairs,
• entering the necessary repairs and work performed.

With the documentation prepared in this way, we can service the car without major problems outside the authorized service station, and the car warranty will not be lost.