Most modern cars in New Zealand are fine on a service every 10,000 to 15,000km, or once a year, whichever comes first, but the exact interval depends on the car, how it's driven, and what the manufacturer actually recommends. European makes like BMW, Audi, and VW often have shorter or condition-based intervals in practice, and tend to be less forgiving if you push past them, since the engines and electronics are more sensitive to worn oil and neglected components.
The other big factor is how the car is actually used. If most of your driving is short trips around town, stop-start traffic, or towing, that counts as "severe" use even though it doesn't feel extreme, and it wears out oil and components faster than the same distance on the open road. If that sounds like your driving, it's worth servicing on the shorter end of the interval rather than stretching it out, even if the dashboard hasn't flagged anything yet.
A WOF check and a proper service aren't the same thing, either. A WOF is a pass/fail safety check at a point in time, covering things like brakes, tyres, lights, and steering. A service goes deeper: oil and filter changes, checking belts and fluids, and picking up wear before it becomes a WOF failure or a breakdown. Cars that only ever get a WOF and nothing else tend to rack up avoidable repair bills, because small issues get caught late instead of early.
If you're not sure when your car is actually due, the simplest approach is to go by whichever comes first: the manufacturer's recommended interval, 12 months, or roughly 10,000-15,000km, and get it done a bit earlier if you do a lot of short trips or towing. Not sure where your car sits? Our WOF and general maintenance team can check your car's history and set you up with the right interval for how you actually drive. Call 07-846-2137 or book online.
