You must ensure the vehicle is serviced at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals, and fixed any time there’s a fault. You also need to make sure tyre pressures, oil, coolant and antifreeze levels (or similar) are maintained to the manufacturer’s specifications at all times.

You must also ensure that the vehicle has a valid MOT certificate at all times. If you’re not sure of the MOT expiry date, please check online. The vehicle must not be driven without a valid MOT certificate as it is not insured.

Arval Total Care provides an insured leased vehicle. All other customers must arrange comprehensive car insurance (third-party fire and theft cover is not sufficient). If you’d like to discuss the Arval Total Care option, please call our team on 0345 266 5221 - we’re open from 9am to 5.15pm from Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Modern vehicles tell you when a service is due - often with a dashboard warning light in the shape of a spanner. Service intervals can vary depending on your make and model so, if you want to find out when your next service is due, check your manufacturer handbook.

Find out more about booking a service or MOT here.

We’d recommend getting any problems checked out by a main dealership in the first instance. You can check your manufacturer handbook to find out what’s covered under the manufacturer warranty, or find out more about booking repairs here.

Please refer to your vehicle handbook for instructions (this should be in the glovebox and it may also be available online). If you’re still experiencing issues after checking the handbook, contact your local dealership or book your vehicle into a garage.

AdBlue is a non-toxic, non-flammable, biodegradable additive that is made from 32.5% high purity urea, mixed with 67.5% ionised water.

Improving air quality is a priority for the UK and Europe. Since September 2015, when the EU’s Euro 6 emissions legislation came into effect, the majority of new diesel cars and LCVs have featured technology called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). This uses a liquid called AdBlue to help reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from the exhaust.

Your vehicle handbook will confirm whether or not your vehicle needs AdBlue. If your vehicle does have an AdBlue tank it will typically be filled during routine servicing, but top-ups might also be required. If this is the case, Arval recommends visiting your local dealer or an approved Service Centre where it can be filled for you. Any charges will be billed to you afterwards.

DPFs remove harmful soot particles from exhaust gases before they enter the atmosphere. Once a predetermined particulate level is reached, the DPF will promptly clean itself by heating up and burning off the accumulated soot particles. This is known as DPF regeneration.

Most modern diesel vehicles are fitted with a DPF. To regenerate, the DPF needs to reach and maintain a higher exhaust temperature than normal. Under most conditions, your car can do this unaided. However, in some circumstances it can’t reach the required temperature (usually due to frequent short journeys or stop-start driving) - when this happens, the driver is normally alerted by a warning light and/or a message appearing in the instrument panel (depending on the make and model of the vehicle).

Do not ignore it. If the light has come on, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a fault. It’s simply telling you the DPF on your car needs help with regeneration. This means you need to drive in a way that increases the exhaust temperature - please refer to the vehicle handbook or contact your local dealer for specific guidelines for your vehicle. If you do nothing, the cost to repair the vehicle could run into several thousand pounds - it could even be irreparable. If costs are incurred as a result of the driver ignoring the warning lights or messages, these will not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty or the Maintenance package and will be billed to you.

If the DPF is unable to regenerate, you may experience a reduction in power or even a complete DPF blockage. If this happens, the only way to remove the particles is to take the filter out of the vehicle and have it professionally cleaned, or to replace the filter altogether. This is likely to be extremely expensive as replacement DPF units can cost thousands of pounds. If replacement is required as a result of the driver ignoring the warning lights or messages, the cost will not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty or the Maintenance package and will be billed to you.