Car Service & Maintenance Tracker
Cars don't break because the parts are bad — they break because a £50 job became a £500 job while nobody was keeping track. Tell this tracker when you last did each job and it works out what's due next, by date and by mileage, then exports the lot to your phone calendar so you actually get told.
Everything is saved in your own browser on this device — no account, no email, nothing uploaded. Print it or export the calendar file if you want a copy you can keep.
Mileage lets the tracker work out when a job is due before its date — the usual reason people get caught out.
Your dashboard
Typical intervals are pre-filled as a starting point — check your handbook and adjust. Cars under warranty should follow the manufacturer's schedule exactly.
The two clocks running on every car
Every serviceable part on your car wears out on two clocks at once — calendar time and miles driven. Oil degrades whether or not you drive, which is why the handbook interval says "12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first". Brake fluid absorbs moisture sitting still. Filters clog faster on short, cold, stop-start journeys than on a motorway run, which is why a car doing 6,000 miles of Glasgow commuter traffic can need attention sooner than one doing 12,000 miles of dual carriageway.
That's the whole reason a servicing diary beats memory. The MOT is the only piece of car maintenance with a legal date attached to it, and it's the only one most drivers track — yet the MOT is a safety test, not a service. It tells you a component has reached the point of being dangerous or illegal, not that it's about to. A fresh MOT certificate is not a service, and a car that passes every year can still be running on 2016 brake fluid.
Put your real dates and mileages in above, export the calendar file, and the next time you need to decide whether to mention something to a garage you'll know whether it's due or overdue rather than guessing.
Tracker questions
How often should a car be serviced?
Most modern petrol cars are on a 12-month or 12,000-mile service interval, and many diesels stretch to 12 months or 20,000 miles, though a lot of garages recommend halving that for stop-start town driving. Your handbook is the authority for your car — the tracker just does the arithmetic once you know the interval, and short Glasgow commutes are the classic reason to service on the time interval rather than the mileage one.
Where is my data stored in this tracker?
Entirely in your own browser, using local storage on this device. Nothing is sent to us, there's no account and no server copy, which also means the data doesn't follow you to another phone, tablet or browser — and clearing your browser data will remove it. Use the print or calendar buttons if you want a copy you can keep or share.
How often does brake fluid need changing?
Every two years is the standard interval, and it's one of the most commonly skipped items because nothing feels different when it's overdue. Brake fluid is hygroscopic — it absorbs water from the air — and that water boils at high temperature under hard braking, which is when you need the brakes most. It's typically a £40-£60 job, far less than the brake components it protects.
When do tyres need replacing?
The UK legal minimum is 1.6mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre around its entire circumference, and below that you risk a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre. Wet grip falls off noticeably below 3mm, so that's the figure most tyre fitters and safety bodies recommend as the point to replace. Tyres over 10 years old should be inspected for cracking and perishing even if the tread looks fine.
Does this tracker replace the manufacturer's service schedule?
No — it's a memory aid, not a workshop manual. Manufacturer intervals vary widely by engine and model year, and some items on your car may be different, extra, or not present at all. Always check your handbook or ask your garage, then set the intervals in the tracker to match. Cars still under warranty in particular should follow the manufacturer's schedule exactly.