Record each service — the date, the odometer, what was done, who did it, the cost and the parts — and give recurring jobs a repeat interval in miles, months or both. The log works out when each service is next due from your current odometer and today's date, flags anything overdue or coming up, totals what the vehicle has cost to maintain, and prints a service history you can hand to a buyer or a warranty claims desk.
The date, the odometer reading, exactly what was done ("oil and filter, 0W-20 full synthetic, 4.8 qt" beats "oil"), who did it, what it cost, and any part numbers. Keep the shop invoices too; the log is the index, the invoices are the proof.
Note things you check as well as things you replace — brake pad thickness, tire tread depth — so you can see wear coming instead of being surprised by it.
Most maintenance schedules give two limits: an interval in miles and one in months. A car that sits still still needs oil and brake fluid changed on time, because both age. Pick a service from the list and the log fills in a common starting interval; replace it with the figure in your owner's manual, which is the authority for your vehicle (many modern engines on synthetic oil run 7,500–10,000 miles between changes; severe-service schedules are shorter).
The "What's due next" panel uses the most recent record of each service, adds its interval, and compares the result with your current odometer and today's date.
A complete history supports a higher price when you sell, and it is your evidence if a warranty claim is questioned. Under federal law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, as the FTC explains it), a manufacturer generally can't void your warranty just because an independent shop or you did the maintenance — but you need records showing it was done on schedule.
Using the vehicle for work? Log the trips in the mileage log and the running costs in the expense tracker; a business fleet can keep its equipment in the equipment maintenance tracker.
For each service: the date, odometer reading, the work done, who did it, the cost and any parts used. Add the vehicle's year, make, model and VIN at the top.
Give a service a repeat interval in miles and/or months. The log adds it to the last time that service was done and compares it with your current odometer and today's date — overdue, due soon (within 500 miles or 30 days) or OK.
They are common starting points only. Your owner's manual gives the manufacturer's schedule; use its numbers, and the severe-service schedule if you tow, idle a lot or drive short trips.
Generally no — the FTC says a manufacturer can't void a warranty just because you or an independent shop did the work. Keep receipts and this log as proof it was done on time.
Export the CSV for each vehicle, then start a new log. The current log is saved in this browser.
These templates do the same job as an editable document you can fill in again and again.