Major service and APK (MOT) together: what does it cost and what do you save?

You can have your car’s major service and its APK, the compulsory Dutch vehicle inspection, done on the same day. In this article you can read what the combination costs, what you save, where the service and the inspection overlap and how to plan it around your APK date. This guide comes from the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, an RDW-approved APK station and garage for all makes in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 4 November 2026

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The short answer

Combining a major service and the APK means your car is serviced and receives its legal inspection in a single visit. At Autobedrijf Willemsbrug the APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla, and this also applies to a van up to 3,500 kg. You then only pay for the major service, and you receive a quote for it in advance. If the service falls in the 2 months before your APK expiry date, you can have the inspection done at the same time without your APK date changing, according to the RDW.

What does combining a major service and the APK mean?

Combining them means your car receives both the major service and the APK on one day. You bring the car in once, and the mechanic and the inspector (in Dutch: keurmeester) work on your car on the same day. That saves you an extra trip to the garage and an extra day without your car.

They are still two different things. The APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) is a legal inspection. The ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, calls it a compulsory safety inspection. The major service is maintenance according to the manufacturer’s schedule. During the service we replace the oil, the filters and the wearing parts that are due according to that schedule. According to the ANWB, a car that has passed the APK can still be in poor technical condition. The service and the inspection therefore complement each other.

Everything that happens during a major service is explained in detail in our article major service: what is included and what it costs (in Dutch). This article is about combining it with the APK.

What does a major service with an APK cost?

At our garage you only pay for the major service when you combine the two. The APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla, and this also applies to a van up to 3,500 kg. You receive a quote for the major service in advance, based on your registration number. There is no national price for a major service. According to the ANWB, the price of a major service often runs to several hundred euros and in some cases can go well above € 1,000 (checked on 5 November 2026). The difference comes from what the manufacturer’s schedule prescribes for your car at this service.

Cost item When you combine them at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug
Major service You receive a quote in advance, based on your registration number
APK Free with a major service, except for a Tesla
Registering the result with the RDW Included
Repair of a rejection point Only with your approval, with a quote in advance
Retest after a rejection point If we repair the items that failed, we will also arrange the retest. We will tell you the cost of the repairs and the retest in advance.

How Autobedrijf Willemsbrug handles a major service combined with the APK.

If you only have the APK done, it costs € 50 at our garage for a petrol car, a petrol hybrid or an electric car. For a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF (diesel particulate filter) it is € 60, including the particle counter test. For an LPG car or another diesel, you hear the price in advance. A van registered as a commercial vehicle (grey number plate) up to 3,500 kg costs € 125 on its own. An overview of all APK prices and extra costs is in our article what an APK costs in the Netherlands.

What do you save by combining the major service and the APK?

You mainly save money, time and a second visit. These are the benefits at a glance.

  • No APK cost: at our garage the APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla. That saves the € 50 or € 60 the inspection costs on its own, or € 125 for a van up to 3,500 kg.
  • One visit: you drop the car off once and collect it once. You only need to arrange other transport for one day.
  • Rejection points fixed straight away: if the inspector finds a rejection point, such as a bulb that does not work or a tyre with too little tread, the mechanic can fix it on the spot. We only do this with your approval.
  • Retest arranged: if we repair the items that failed, we will also arrange the retest. We will tell you the cost of the repairs and the retest in advance.
  • One overview: you get one explanation of the condition of your car. You hear the advisory points from the APK and the findings from the service in one conversation.

At our garage the APK is free with the major service. With a minor service you pay for the APK separately. What a minor service includes is explained in minor service: what is included and what it costs (in Dutch).

What does the major service do and what does the APK inspect?

The major service and the APK overlap on a few points, but they have a different purpose. The APK checks whether the car meets the legal requirements on the day of the inspection. According to the Dutch government (Rijksoverheid), the inspector checks road safety, the environment and the registration of the car. The major service replaces parts and fluids before they cause problems.

Part Major service APK
Engine oil and oil filter Oil changed and filter replaced Inspected for excessive leakage (a reason to fail on cars first registered after 31 December 2017)
Brakes Thoroughly checked for wear Inspected
Tyres Tread, damage and pressure checked Inspected
Suspension, shock absorbers and steering Checked for play and wear Inspected
Lights Checked Inspected
Emissions, catalytic converter and particulate filter Not the purpose of the service Emissions inspected, presence of catalytic converter and particulate filter checked
Mileage, vehicle identification number and fuel Not the purpose of the service Checked

APK column: Rijksoverheid, what is inspected at the APK, and RDW APK manual, fluid leakage (article 5.2.11a). What is replaced at the major service depends on the manufacturer’s schedule for your car.

The advantage of the overlap is that the mechanic already has the car on the lift. For the brakes, the mechanic measures the thickness of the brake pads and discs. For the suspension, the mechanic looks for play in the ball joints and for damaged rubber boots. The inspector also looks at these points. If the mechanic sees something that would be a rejection point at the APK, you hear about it before anything is replaced. All the points the inspector checks are on our page about the APK for all makes.

When should you plan the major service and the APK together?

Plan the combination in the 2 months before your APK expiry date. According to the RDW, your APK date then stays the same. The new expiry date becomes the old expiry date plus 1 or 2 years, depending on your car. If you have the car inspected more than 2 months before the expiry date, it gets a new APK date, according to the RDW. You then lose part of the period.

Your situation Our advice
The major service falls in the 2 months before your APK date Combine them. You do not lose a day of your APK period.
The major service is due well before your APK date Have the service done on time. If you have the APK done at the same visit, you get a new APK date according to the RDW and lose part of the period. On the other hand, the APK is free, except for a Tesla. Call us and we will weigh it up together.
Your APK expires soon, but the service is not due until later Have the APK done on time. You can bring the service forward, but the manufacturer’s schedule is what counts.
Your APK has already expired Book the inspection as soon as possible. According to the RDW, you may then only drive from where the car is kept to the inspection around the time of your appointment, carrying the appointment confirmation and with the car insured.

Rule on inspecting early: RDW, about the Periodic Technical Inspection (the RDW’s English name for the APK).

You can find your APK date with the RDW registration number check or on the report from your previous APK. You can see when the major service is due from the service reminder on the dashboard or in the service book. According to the ANWB, a car usually has a major service after about 30,000 km or 2 years, but the manufacturer’s schedule is what counts. When your car is due for its APK is explained in when your car needs an APK.

Do not wait until the last day before the expiry date. If the inspector finds a rejection point, you want time to have it repaired. According to the RDW, the APK cannot be postponed.

How does the combination work at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug?

We carry out the combination Monday to Friday, by appointment. This is how it works, step by step.

  1. Make an appointment: call +31 10 479 00 00 and say you would like the major service and the APK done together. Have your registration number and the mileage to hand.
  2. Quote: we check which parts are due according to the schedule. You receive a quote for the major service in advance. The APK is then free, except for a Tesla.
  3. Drop off the car: bring the car on the agreed weekday between 8.00 and 8.30 am. Bring your service book if you have one.
  4. Service and inspection: the mechanic carries out the major service and the inspector inspects the car. If we find something that is not in the quote, we call you first. We only carry out extra work with your approval.
  5. Registering the result: if the car passes, we register the result with the RDW. That is included.
  6. Collect the car: you leave the car with us and can use a free loan bike, as long as one is available. We call you as soon as the car is ready. You then collect it.

Would you like an APK without a service? Then you can also book your APK online. More about our services, also for your make, is on our page car service in Rotterdam.

Autobedrijf Willemsbrug has been a family business since 1979, at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to De Kuip. We are an RDW-approved APK station and our mechanics hold the GMTO certificate (the Dutch qualification for working on high-voltage systems) for hybrid and electric cars.

Frequently asked questions

Is the APK free with a minor service?

No. At our garage the APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla. With a minor service you pay for the APK separately: € 50 for petrol, petrol hybrid and electric, and € 60 for a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF.

On which days can I have the major service and the APK done together?

Monday to Friday, by appointment. You bring the car on the agreed day between 8.00 and 8.30 am.

Can I wait while the major service and the APK are carried out?

No. You leave the car with us. You can use a free loan bike, as long as one is available. We call you as soon as the car is ready.

What happens if my car fails during the combination?

We tell you which point failed and what the repair costs. We only repair with your approval. If we repair the items that failed, we will also arrange the retest. We will tell you the cost of the repairs and the retest in advance.

Do I lose APK time if I have the inspection done early with the service?

No, not if you have the car inspected in the 2 months before the expiry date. According to the RDW, the new date is then the old expiry date plus 1 or 2 years. If you have it inspected earlier, the car gets a new APK date.

Can I book the major service and the APK online?

No. You book the combination by phone on +31 10 479 00 00, because we first prepare a quote for the major service based on your registration number. Only an APK on its own can be booked online.

Is a car that passes the APK also well maintained?

No, not necessarily. The APK checks whether the car meets the legal safety and environmental requirements at that moment. According to the ANWB, a car that has passed can still be in poor technical condition. Maintenance according to the schedule keeps the car in good condition.

Major service and APK in one go?

Call +31 10 479 00 00 with your registration number and the mileage. You receive a quote for the major service in advance, and the APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.

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