Vehicle Maintenance Planner

How the maintenance planner works

Pick your make, model, year and engine, and enter the current mileage. The planner lays out your next four service visits the way an owner's manual does ("at 60,000 miles: ..."), with what is due at each visit and a typical US cost range for the work.

It also lists checks that depend on time rather than miles, such as brake fluid, wiper blades and tire age, because a car that is driven little still ages. It does not know when each service was last done, so treat it as a checklist to compare against your records and your owner's manual.

Typical intervals it uses

• Oil and filter: depends on the make and model year
• Tire rotation: about every 7,500 miles
• Brake inspection: about every 15,000 miles
• Cabin air filter: about every 20,000 miles
• Engine air filter: about every 30,000 miles
• Transmission fluid: about every 60,000 miles (45,000 for a CVT)
• Differential and transfer case fluid on AWD and 4WD: about every 60,000 miles

Manufacturers differ, and towing, short trips or extreme heat and cold shorten these intervals. Your owner's manual always wins. For one-minute checks you can do yourself, see car care tips; if something already feels wrong, start with the common problems guides.