Car history, can I trace this?

[jkeith]

I recently acquired a 1989 300 SE W126. The service book has lots of stamps from Vikings at Canterbury. Despite my polite requests to them for a copy of the detailed service history, I have not been able to get anything from them.

Vikings lost the MB franchise a few years ago and they referred me to MB Canterbury. They in turn, confirm that they have no records of my car. They also advised me to contact Vikings as the MB archiving requires records to be maintained (for 10 years?).

So, does anyone know what information is available and how to get copies? This includes details of previous owners, it looks from the DLA web site that this is available for a small fee.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[ukcodger]

DVLA will give you a history of the ownership for (I think) £5.
That will tell you each registered owner and I think previous addresses are also given.

Car's travelled a way then to Jesmond?

 

[jkeith]

Thanks ukcodger.

Yes, it's a long way from home now but I bought it in Northern Ireland. That's another story. It seems the original owner had the car for a long time but I'm a bit annoyed that Vikings won't release any details of the service history.

Obviously I am not likely to be a customer for their service department but I thought it would only take a few minutes for someone to retrieve the records and forward them on. After sales service? I even offered to cover any small admin charges but this did not even get a response.

I certainly don't want to start a campaign against them but hope someone might know if they have this information exclusively or perhaps a more sympathetic contact? It's not as if I'm looking for information held under data protection.

 

[JOB-BLACK-RAT]

If its any help to you, you can go to the MOT website and get a copy of all the old MOT and the fail/advice records too.

 

[grober]

The problem is possibly that back in 1989 there were no computerised records as such. When they say service records have to kept for 10 years does that mean 10 years from a car's first service or 10 years from its last? My guess VIKINGS had to pass all their computerised records to MB Canterbury after the "pogrom" and probably junked all their paperwork records in disgust. What date did the dealer change-over take place?

 

[jkeith]

It was 2002 when Vikings lost the franchise.

I understand the customer details were transferred but MB Canterbury insist they have no records and Vikings must still have them. I think it is an audit requirement.

It would be great to get this information but I don't hold much optomism.

Thanks