French Car Specialists |Garage, Services, MOTs in Finchley, North London

PROFESSIONAL FRENCH CAR SPECIALISTS IN LONDON

Over 30 years’ experience at the forefront of the industry All types of vehicles repaired

ABOUT US

FRENCH CAR SPECIALISTS

Welcome to French Car Specialists, your trusted destination for premium automotive care. With over three decades of dedicated services, we’ve honed our expertise, specializing in Citroen, Peugeot, and Renault models, while also extending our professional services to all makes and models. Our team isn’t just a group of mechanics; we’re passionate car enthusiasts who take pride in preserving the art and performance of your vehicles. We offer dealership-level diagnostics using cutting-edge tools like Diagbox and Clip Gen-4, ensuring precise fault identification and efficient solutions. Transparency is the cornerstone of our work ethics, and our competitive pricing reflects our commitment to providing exceptional value. Whether it’s routine servicing, complex repairs, MOT testing, or addressing French car-specific faults, we’re here to deliver quality services for our clients.

OUR SERVICES

OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Who We Are

French Car Specialists was founded in 1991 by Vincent Dubois, soon joined by Andy Loizou in 1995. Both owners share a profound passion for classic cars, making their venture a haven for automotive enthusiasts. With prior experience at Citroën, Vincent brings a wealth of knowledge, while Andy’s background in the transport industry complements the duo’s expertise. Their commitment to excellence has propelled the company as a leading French Car Specialists garage in London. With a foundation built on a love for classic automobiles and industry experience, Vincent Dubois and Andy Loizou continue to drive their business with enthusiasm and professionalism.

FAST, EFFICIENT SERVICING

At French Car Specialists, we offer repairs, services and MOTs on all makes of car. Certainly, with a specialist focus on Citroen, Peugeot and Renault models. With over 30 years of dedicated service, our combination of detailed knowledge and genuine passion for the industry has led to us building a large and loyal customer base. Moreover, we continue to provide the highest standard of work with prompt turnaround times to all.

OVER 30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE

Our team of friendly and helpful professionals are on hand to offer a personal service, carrying out industry standard servicing at competitive rates on both old and new cars. With a dedication to investing in the latest diagnostic software for all vehicles, you can be sure that you’re in the best possible hands with French Car Specialists, whatever the problem with your car. Our location close to central London makes us ideally placed for customers throughout the capital, so give us a call or drop by the garage today to see what we can do for you!

CITROEN SERVICING

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PEUGEOT SERVICING

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RENAULT SERVICING

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FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SERVICE MY CAR?

Our recommendation is that, irrespective of a low mileage, a vehicle should be looked at once a year; servicing frequency should increase if the mileage exceeds 20k per annum. Recent service schedules from most manufacturers recommend intervals of 15k or more. However, when servicing, we have many cars come to us out of warranty with small annual mileages but with fluid levels which are virtually empty and need topping up. Oil is a common culprit as the car’s level system may only flag the low amount when the engine is about to seize up!

HOW LONG SHOULD BRAKES LAST ON A FAMILY CAR/VAN?

This is always a difficult question to answer but, on average, a set of front pads will last up to 15k miles if driven under normal conditions. A lot more can be achieved in favourable circumstances – for example, if the vehicle only does long distances on motorways – and a lot less if the driver is not smooth, often brakes hard and late, or does a lot of short journeys. Rear brakes usually last 2.5 times longer than front ones, unless they are on a vehicle that is loaded with extra weight. Modern friction materials are very efficient and offer a high level of resistance but tend to wear the discs or drums a lot quicker. As a result, we often see the need to replace these for every other brake pad or shoe replacement.

I HAVE PUT THE WRONG FUEL IN MY CAR – WHAT DO I DO?

First of all, if you notice the mistake before you get back in the car, you shouldn’t even switch the ignition on, if possible! Turning the ignition on will circulate the wrong fuel through the low pressure system and make things worse.

If you happen to own a car which is still under warranty, you do not have to contact the manufacturer as there are alternatives out there which will often be notably cheaper but just as effective. We would recommend contacting the RAC or the AA who have a specific service for this occurrence. Alternatively, get your recovery service to tow you as soon as possible to your nearest understanding, friendly garage who should correct your problem – including approximately £10 worth of correct fuel – for around £200.

CAR FAILED MOT, CAN I STILL DRIVE IT?

You can still drive your car from an insurer’s perspective, providing the current MOT certificate is still valid and no ‘Dangerous’ faults have been reported. However, you could still be prosecuted by the police if you are pulled over for driving your car with known fault(s). For this reason, it is important to get your vehicle fixed as soon as possible if you fail an MOT.

WHEN SHOULD I REPLACE MY CAMBELT?

Age and mileage are very important factors in answering that question – if in doubt, contact a reputable garage who will be able to give you advice specific to your car. Mileage and age are equally important so if, for example, your vehicle has only covered 30k miles in an eight year period and the lifespan of the belt is 80k and seven years, then you are still overdue a replacement and should have this changed immediately. The opposite applies too, and so if the mileage limit is achieved before age limit is reached – which is often the case – you should also organise a replacement. A quick phone call to a friendly garage will answer any queries you may have.

WHAT IS A FAP FILTER?

FAP is a French acronym for filtre à particules – in English, a particulate filter. Simply put, it is there to capture the soot left behind from the combustion of diesel fuel in your engine. This filter is a fantastic piece of kit responsible for keeping the atmosphere clear of sooty particles which are detrimental to your health. The only downside of an FAP filter is that it can be relatively high maintenance; if it is neglected and abused, it can cause problems for your car, most of which are performance related.

IS AIR CONDITIONING IMPORTANT IN THE WINTER?

Yes it is! Next time you are in a car with working air conditioning in winter time, try demisting your windows with the air con turned off. You will find that even though you are using the hot setting, the fact that the air blown through is not conditioned, i.e. dried, means the process of eliminating condensation from your windows is almost impossible. Turn on the air con and – abracadabra – the windows demist in seconds.

DO I NEED A FUEL FILTER?

Yes, the fuel filter is very important. We have noticed that some other garages advertise cheap service prices which don’t include fuel filter replacements as these will increase the cost. On a diesel vehicle, it is vital to replace the fuel filter on at least every other service. A blocked fuel filter can result in a car breaking down for no apparent reason, even if it has just come out of a full service! You should, therefore, check whether a fuel filter replacement is included in your service.