What does FSH mean on a car?

FSH stands for full service history. It means the car has been serviced at every interval in the manufacturer's schedule since new, and there's paperwork to show it — usually a stamped service book, invoices, or a manufacturer's digital record.

Does full service history have to be at a main dealer?

No. A car serviced on schedule by an independent garage still has a full service history. If every service was done by a franchised dealer, adverts often say full dealer service history (FDSH) or full manufacturer service history (FMSH) instead.

What does part service history mean?

Part service history (PSH) means some services are documented and some aren't — a missed service, a gap between owners, or paperwork that's been lost. It doesn't necessarily mean the car was neglected, only that the record doesn't show every service.

Is a car with one missed service still full service history?

Strictly, no — full service history means every scheduled service. In practice sellers and buyers judge gaps differently: a service a few weeks late is treated very differently from a missing year. The honest description for a car with a gap is part service history, with the gap explained.

What is full service history?

Full service history, usually shortened to FSH, means a car has been serviced at every interval its manufacturer’s schedule sets out, and that there’s paperwork to prove each one. It’s one of the most common phrases in a used car advert, and one of the most loosely used. Here’s what it should mean, how it differs from the other abbreviations you’ll see, and what to ask for.

What counts as a full service history

There’s no legal definition, but in common use a full service history has two parts:

Every scheduled service was done, at the mileage or time interval the manufacturer specifies — whichever comes first. The schedule is in the owner’s handbook or service book.
Each one is documented— a stamp in the service book, an itemised invoice, or an entry in the manufacturer’s digital service record.

A car that was serviced every year but has no paperwork for half of those years doesn’t have a full service history, however well it was looked after. That’s the frustrating part for owners: the history is only as good as what can be shown.

FSH, FDSH, FMSH and PSH

FSH — full service history. Every scheduled service done and documented, by any competent garage. Independent garages count.

FDSH — full dealer service history. Every service done by a franchised dealer for that make. Also written FMDSH (full main dealer service history) or FMSH (full manufacturer service history). More common, and more valued, on newer and premium cars.

Part dealer history. Dealer-serviced for some of its life, often while under warranty, then independent after that. Very common and not a warning sign on its own.

PSH — part service history. Some services documented, some not. Covered in more detail in selling with partial service history.

What full service history doesn’t tell you

FSH says the scheduled services happened. It doesn’t say what else did. A car can have a perfect run of stamps and still be due an expensive item that sits outside the annual service — a cambelt at a set age or mileage, brake fluid, a gearbox oil change. Those are usually listed separately in the schedule, and they’re the invoices worth looking for specifically. A stamp also doesn’t say which service was done: an interim oil change and a major service look the same in a book.

How to check a car really has full service history

Ask to see it before you view. A seller with a genuine history is usually glad to send it.

Count the services against the schedule. A car serviced annually should have roughly one entry per year of age. Note any gaps.

Look for invoices, not just stamps. Blank service books and stamps are easy to buy. An itemised invoice with the registration and mileage is much harder to fake.

Match the mileage to the MOT history. The mileage on each service should sit sensibly between the readings at the MOTs either side, which you can check free. The guide to checking a car’s service history goes further, including asking a dealer to look up the car.

Why it matters when you sell

Buyers pay more for a documented history and walk away from cars without one — see does full service history affect a car’s value. If you own the car now, the history you’ll be able to claim at sale is the history you keep today: every invoice, stored somewhere that isn’t the glovebox. The guide to keeping service history covers how.

Keep a history you can show

Look up your car by registration and add each service from a photo of the invoice, next to its MOT history.

Frequently asked questions

What does FSH mean on a car?: FSH stands for full service history. It means the car has been serviced at every interval in the manufacturer's schedule since new, and there's paperwork to show it — usually a stamped service book, invoices, or a manufacturer's digital record.
Does full service history have to be at a main dealer?: No. A car serviced on schedule by an independent garage still has a full service history. If every service was done by a franchised dealer, adverts often say full dealer service history (FDSH) or full manufacturer service history (FMSH) instead.
What does part service history mean?: Part service history (PSH) means some services are documented and some aren't — a missed service, a gap between owners, or paperwork that's been lost. It doesn't necessarily mean the car was neglected, only that the record doesn't show every service.
Is a car with one missed service still full service history?: Strictly, no — full service history means every scheduled service. In practice sellers and buyers judge gaps differently: a service a few weeks late is treated very differently from a missing year. The honest description for a car with a gap is part service history, with the gap explained.