Car maintenance log: what to write down

Every line of a car maintenance log needs three things: the date, the odometer reading in miles, and what was done in plain words. Who did it and what it cost are worth adding but optional. A line like "Mar 3, 48,100 mi, oil and filter change" is a complete entry.

This is for a car you want to keep a record of, in a notebook, a spreadsheet or an app. It can't fill in the past for you, and it isn't a schedule: the log says what happened, and your owner's manual says how often it should.

An example log

A filled-in sample with made-up entries, so you can see what a good line looks like.

Why those columns

The dates and miles are what make it useful. Everything in the last two columns is a bonus, and you can leave them out when you're in a hurry. A line with a date, a mileage and three words beats a beautiful log you stopped keeping.

What goes on each line

1. Date. The day the work was done, not the day you got the bill.
2. Miles. The odometer at the time. If you forget to look, use the number on the receipt, which shops usually print.
3. What was done. Plain words: "replaced front brake pads", not "brakes". If a part matters, name it.
4. Who did it. A shop name or "me". It helps when you have a question later.
5. Cost or note. What it cost, or anything you'd want to remember, like an oil grade or a part number. Costs are optional and you can leave them out.

What else is worth writing

• Repairs, not just scheduled jobs. A brake job after a squeal or a battery after a bad morning is often the line a next owner reads first.
• Jobs you did yourself, with the same three facts.
• Tire changes and rotations, since they're easy to forget when you last did them.
• What a mechanic found, even if you didn't act on it: "Rear tires near wear limit, told to watch." It's a dated fact.
• Oil grade and filter part number in the note, if you'll want to buy the same one again.

What to leave off

• A guess about the past. "About last year" isn't a date. Leave the job blank and start from the next one you do.
• Things you meant to do. "Brakes need doing" is a reminder, and belongs somewhere else. The log records what happened.
• A gap you'd rather hide. If something was done and it doesn't look great, leave it in. A buyer reads gaps, and a full log with a repair on it is easier to trust than a tidy one.
• Anything about you: your address, account numbers, your VIN plate. The car's record doesn't need them.

Where to keep it

Keep the receipts, and photograph each one the day you get it. A photo in a folder titled with the car's name is enough. The log is the summary, and the receipt is the proof.

A notebook works if it lives in the glove box. A spreadsheet works if you open it. What doesn't work is a log in two places, because one of them goes stale. Pick one, and update it the same day as the job. Ten seconds at the counter beats an evening of reconstruction.

Questions people ask

Where the Companion fits

Vehicle Maintenance Companion keeps each service with its date, mileage, who did it, an optional cost and a note, grouped by year with the newest first. You can log a service that was never a tracked job, such as a repair. Draftpace doesn't sell a blank log template: the Service record printout is made from what you've entered, and there's no export or photo upload, so keep the receipts wherever you already do.