Maintenance & Fuel · Free tool
Free Maintenance Schedule Generator
Enter your odometer reading and how far you drive a year. The generator lists every routine service, soonest first, with the mileage it falls due.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Runs in your browser
Your car
Or pick a milestone
The schedule uses typical intervals for gasoline cars. Your owner’s manual lists the exact ones for your engine, and it always wins.
Next service due
Engine oil and filter
Due now.
- Services due within 5,000 miles
- 3
- Services on the schedule
- 10
- Miles you drive a month
- 1,000
Time matters as well as distance. Oil, brake fluid and coolant age even when the car is not driven.
| Service | Typical interval | Next due at | Miles to go | At your mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil and filter | 5,000 to 10,000 miles | 45,000 mi | Due now | Now |
| Tire rotation | 5,000 to 8,000 miles | 45,000 mi | Due now | Now |
| Cabin air filter | 15,000 to 30,000 miles | 45,000 mi | Due now | Now |
| Engine air filter | 15,000 to 30,000 miles | 60,000 mi | 15,000 | In 15 months |
| Brake fluid | Every 2 years or 30,000 miles | 60,000 mi | 15,000 | In 15 months |
| Transmission fluid | 30,000 to 60,000 miles | 60,000 mi | 15,000 | In 15 months |
| Engine coolant | 30,000 to 60,000 miles | 60,000 mi | 15,000 | In 15 months |
| Drive belt inspection | 60,000 to 100,000 miles | 60,000 mi | 15,000 | In 15 months |
| Timing belt, if fitted | 60,000 to 100,000 miles | 90,000 mi | 45,000 | In 45 months |
| Spark plugs | 30,000 to 100,000 miles | 100,000 mi | 55,000 | In 55 months |
An estimate from the figures you enter, not a quote. Read the disclaimer. Updated .
02Your result
What your maintenance schedule means
The list is a plan, not a diagnosis. It tells you what is normally due at your mileage on a typical gasoline car.
- 01
Next service due
The service that comes round soonest, and how many miles remain before it does.
- 02
Next due at
The odometer reading for each service, counted in whole intervals from zero. It assumes earlier services were done on time.
- 03
At your mileage
Roughly when each service falls due, from the miles you drive a year. Use it to spread the cost.
What to do next
Work out the oil change exactly
Set the interval by oil type and count from the mileage of your last change.
Oil change calculatorKnow what each job costs
Typical shop prices for the services on this schedule.
Maintenance costsRead the full schedule
The service schedule by mileage, with what each job involves.
Schedule by mileage
03How it works
How the maintenance schedule is calculated
Each service repeats at a fixed interval. The generator finds where your odometer sits inside each one.
Miles to go = interval − (odometer mod interval). Next due at = odometer + miles to go
“Mod” is the remainder after division: 52,000 mod 30,000 is 22,000.
What each term means
- odometer
- Your current mileage.
- interval
- The miles between repeats of a service, such as 7,500 for engine oil.
- mod
- The remainder left after dividing the odometer by the interval.
- miles to go
- How far you can drive before the service falls due.
What the tool assumes
- Typical intervals for gasoline cars, drawn from AAA’s maintenance guidance.
- Every earlier service was carried out on time.
- Normal driving. Towing, short trips and extreme climates shorten most intervals.
- No allowance for your make and model. Your owner’s manual lists the exact schedule.
04Worked example
Maintenance schedule example at 52,000 miles
A car showing 52,000 miles. These are the five services that come round first.
- 01
Engine oil and filter
Every 7,500 miles: 7,500 − (52,000 mod 7,500)
500 miles
- 02
Tire rotation
Every 7,500 miles: 7,500 − (52,000 mod 7,500)
500 miles
- 03
Cabin air filter
Every 15,000 miles: 15,000 − (52,000 mod 15,000)
8,000 miles
- 04
Engine air filter
Every 30,000 miles: 30,000 − (52,000 mod 30,000)
8,000 miles
- 05
Brake fluid
Every 30,000 miles: 30,000 − (52,000 mod 30,000)
8,000 miles
Next service due
52,500 mi
Engine oil and filter comes first, in 500 miles. 8 services fall due within the next 10,000 miles.
Try your own numbers05Background
How a car maintenance schedule works
Every car has a schedule of routine services, each set by distance, by time or by both. Following it is the cheapest way to own a car, because most expensive failures start as a service that was skipped.
| Service | Typical interval | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil and filter | 5,000 to 10,000 miles | Full synthetic sits at the long end. Short trips and towing shorten it. |
| Tire rotation | 5,000 to 8,000 miles | Easiest to do at every oil change. |
| Cabin air filter | 15,000 to 30,000 miles | Sooner in dusty or high-pollen areas. |
| Engine air filter | 15,000 to 30,000 miles | Inspect at every oil change and replace when dirty. |
| Brake fluid | Every 2 years or 30,000 miles | It absorbs moisture with age, whatever the mileage. |
| Transmission fluid | 30,000 to 60,000 miles | Varies widely, and some manuals allow longer. Use only the specified fluid. |
| Engine coolant | 30,000 to 60,000 miles | Long-life coolants can go further. Never mix types. |
| Drive belt inspection | 60,000 to 100,000 miles | Replace at the first cracks, fraying or squeal. |
| Timing belt, if fitted | 60,000 to 100,000 miles | Engines with a timing chain do not have this service. |
| Spark plugs | 30,000 to 100,000 miles | Copper plugs wear fastest. Iridium and platinum last longest. |
Distance is only half of it. A car that is rarely driven still needs its oil changed at least once a year, and its brake fluid and coolant replaced on time, because those fluids age whether the car moves or not.
For what each service involves and what it should cost, see the schedule section of the maintenance guide.
06When to use it
When to use a maintenance schedule generator
Any time you need to know what a car is due, without the manual in front of you.
After buying a used car
See what should have been done by now, and ask for the receipts.
Before a service visit
Know what is due so you can question anything extra on the estimate.
To spread the cost
Spot the months when several services land together.
Before a long trip
Bring forward anything due within the miles you are about to cover.
Mistakes to avoid.
- Treating typical intervals as exact. Some engines need a service far sooner or later.
- Counting miles only and forgetting the services that are also due by time.
- Assuming a previous owner kept to the schedule without seeing records.
- Skipping the timing belt because nothing feels wrong. It gives no warning before it fails.
07Related guides and tools
Keep going from here.
Guides that go with this tool
Related tools
- Oil Change Interval CalculatorGet your next oil change date and mileage from your oil type and driving habits.
- Car Ownership Cost CalculatorAdd up fuel, insurance, maintenance and depreciation over five years.
- Repair Cost EstimatorBuild a repair estimate from parts, labor hours and shop rate, and compare it with national averages.
08Questions
Maintenance Schedule Generator: your questions.
What maintenance does my car need by mileage?
Typically: engine oil and tire rotation every 5,000 to 10,000 miles, cabin and engine air filters every 15,000 to 30,000, brake fluid every two years or 30,000 miles, and transmission fluid, coolant, spark plugs and the timing belt at longer intervals. Enter your mileage to see what is due.
How do I know what service my car is due?
Check the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual against your odometer. This generator gives the typical picture for a gasoline car when you do not have the manual to hand.
Is the manufacturer’s schedule different from this one?
It can be. The generator uses typical intervals. Your manufacturer sets the exact intervals for your engine and transmission, and those are the ones to follow.
Do I need to service a car I hardly drive?
Yes. Oil should be changed at least once a year, and brake fluid and coolant replaced on schedule, because they age with time as well as with miles.
What happens if I skip scheduled maintenance?
Wear builds up and small jobs turn into large ones. A timing belt, for example, typically costs $500 to $1,000 to replace on schedule, and far more if it breaks on an engine it can damage.
09Estimates and sources
Read this before you rely on it.
Built and checked by CarTipsMentor Team. Last updated . How we check our work.
Sources
- [1]AAA Automotive, Time-Stamped Car Maintenance Checklist
- [2]AAA Automotive, How Often Should You Change Your Oil?
- [3]J.D. Power, Timing Chain vs. Timing Belt (May 2023)