Wartungsheft
Selling a used car: how a full service book helps
In Switzerland, around 750'000 used cars change hands every year (TCS). If you sell your car, you are competing with many similar listings. A properly kept service book (Serviceheft or Servicebuch) is one of the few arguments a buyer can actually check.
What the service book does for the sale
AMAG told SRF «Espresso» that cars with a complete and properly kept service book fetch higher prices when sold (SRF). The TCS calls the book an important trump card for trade-ins and resale and the proof for warranty claims (TCS).
There is no reliable percentage for Switzerland of how much more a car with a service book fetches. Figures circulating online mostly come from providers without a source. What is certain: the AutoScout24 purchase contract explicitly asks whether the service book is present and correctly kept up to date (contract template). If it is missing, the seller has to tick «no», and the buyer negotiates accordingly.
Have these documents ready
AutoScout24 recommends the following for a sale (guide):
- Vehicle registration document (Fahrzeugausweis)
- Service book (printed or an extract from the manufacturer's digital service book)
- Report from the last MFK (the periodic vehicle inspection)
- Exhaust document
- Owner's manuals
- Invoices for servicing and repairs
The service history also belongs in the listing: according to AutoScout24, details of the equipment and the service history are good selling points. Have the buyer sign a receipt for the documents handed over, and only hand over the car once it has been paid in full.
Purchase contract and warranty
Legally, a receipt is sufficient when selling a used car, but the TCS still recommends a written purchase contract and offers a template (TCS). As a private individual, you usually exclude the warranty. You must still disclose known accident damage; the exclusion does not cover it (AutoScout24).
Record the mileage in the contract. That protects both sides.
«Fresh from the MFK» is not a seal of quality
A fresh inspection helps with the sale, and AutoScout24 explicitly recommends it. The TCS makes clear, however: «ab MFK» only confirms that the car met the minimum legal requirements on the day of the inspection and says nothing about the condition of the engine or gearbox (TCS). Passenger cars must go for their first inspection after 5 years, then after 3 years and every 2 years after that (ch.ch).
If you want to offer your buyer more, have a used car test done. The TCS also checks the documents, that is the service book, vehicle registration document and exhaust document (TCS used car test).
Invoices prove the mileage
Buyers fear a clocked odometer. The Swiss motor trade association AGVS explained in 20 Minuten how to spot it: the service book and repair invoices record the mileage. If a later reading is suddenly lower, it has been tampered with (20 Minuten). The MFK inspection reports also contain the odometer reading (Streetlife).
For you as the seller, this means: every invoice with a date and mileage is proof that your odometer is correct. A complete series of them answers the buyer's most important question before they ask it.
In short
- Gather the service book, invoices and MFK report before you place the listing.
- Mention the service history in the listing.
- Record the mileage and the warranty exclusion in the purchase contract, disclose accident damage.
- Hand over the documents against a receipt, and the car only after payment.
If you no longer have the book, the guide Lost your service book: how to rebuild the history will help.