Maintenance is easier to afford when it's a monthly line in the budget rather than a surprise. This planner turns common service intervals into a yearly cost and a monthly amount to set aside, based on the miles you drive and the prices your shop charges.
How the planner works
For each item, the planner works out how many times a year it falls due at your mileage, counting whichever comes first: the mileage interval or the time interval. A cabin filter every 15,000 miles or 12 months comes due once a year at 12,000 miles a year, and 1.3 times a year at 20,000.
Yearly cost = times due per year × price, summed across the items you keep ticked. The monthly set-aside is that total divided by 12.
Making it match your car
- Open your owner's manual to the maintenance schedule. Note the normal or severe interval for each item.
- Get prices from your usual shop or a parts store if you do the work yourself.
- Untick items your car doesn't have (for example, spark plugs on an EV) and add your own using a similar line.
- Enter your odometer to see which items come up next by mileage.
Big-ticket items such as tires, brakes and batteries are irregular. Spreading them across the years you'll own the car is exactly what keeps them from becoming emergencies.
What isn't included
- Repairs for things that break (as opposed to scheduled wear items). Many owners add a buffer for these, larger for older cars.
- Recall work, which is free at a dealer. Check open recalls for your model on our recalls pages.
- Timing belt replacement, if your engine has one; see the timing belt interval guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I budget for car maintenance?
It depends on your car, mileage and local prices. Put your own intervals and prices into the planner and use the monthly figure as a savings target, plus a buffer for repairs.
Why does the planner count months as well as miles?
Fluids, rubber and batteries age even when a car isn't driven much. Most schedules say "or X months, whichever comes first" for that reason.
Are these the manufacturer's intervals?
No. They're general guidance for illustration. Your owner's manual lists your car's schedule, which can differ, sometimes a lot.
Can I get reminders?
A free CarManager garage keeps a maintenance schedule for each car, with reminders by miles and by date, and logs what you've done.
Results are estimates from the numbers you enter and, where noted, EPA ratings. Not financial advice. Page updated .