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.
Selling without a complete service book
Even without a complete book, you can give the buyer something solid:
| Measure | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| TCS used car test | Proves the condition and also checks the documents (TCS) | CHF 150–200 |
| Fresh service | «Ab Service» (freshly serviced) or «ab MFK» (freshly inspected) in the listing | depends on the scope |
| Present the invoices | Show what was done and prove the mileage | – |
| Present the MFK reports | Prove the mileage at the inspection date | – |
| Offer a warranty | Your own commitment, for example «3 months warranty» | – |
A check does not replace the service book, but it answers the question about the condition that the buyer would otherwise answer with a price reduction.
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, warranty and handover
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.
Warranty in a private sale
The exclusion of the warranty has limits: it is invalid if you have fraudulently concealed defects (Art. 199 CO). So write known damage into the contract, even if you sell «without warranty». Without an exclusion, the buyer's warranty claims become time-barred two years after delivery (Art. 210 CO). A service book with invoices helps here too: it records which work was done and makes the condition at handover traceable.
After the sale: registration document, number plates, deadline
After the handover, the vehicle registration document (Fahrzeugausweis) is still in your name. As the keeper, you must report to the road traffic office within 14 days any fact that requires the document to be changed or replaced; if you do not register another vehicle within 14 days, you must also return the number plates (Kontrollschilder) without delay (Art. 74 para. 5 VZV). So the plates stay with you: either you register another car with them within 14 days, or you hand them in at the road traffic office together with the vehicle registration document.
Deregistering costs nothing
Deregistering itself is free of charge in the canton of Zurich (Canton of Zurich). Fees apply if you deposit the plates and have them reserved for later: in Thurgau, extending the reservation of deposited plates costs 50 francs, and new number plates on request 30 francs (Road traffic office Thurgau). The fees are set by the cantons; ask your office before you deposit the plates.
«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.
- Report to the road traffic office within 14 days; register the number plates on another car or return them.
If you no longer have the book, the guide Lost service book or service record: how to rebuild the history will help.