Vehicle Maintenance Log

Who this is for

Every job done to the vehicle, on one running list. Oil changes, brake pads, wiper blades, the bulb you fitted yourself and the clutch the garage fitted all go on the same page with the date, the odometer, the cost and what is due next.

Owners who do some of their own work, anyone running an older vehicle out of warranty, and households that want one place to look before booking the garage.

What this helps you track

• What was done, when, and at what mileage
• Who did the work — you, a garage, a dealer or a mobile mechanic
• Parts and labour totalled separately and together
• What is due next, so nothing waits for a warning light
• A record to hand over with the vehicle when you sell it

How to use it

1. Write the vehicle, registration and the odometer reading when you started the log at the top.
2. Add a row for every job, however small — a bulb counts. Record the odometer at the time.
3. Split the cost into parts and labour where you know it; put the whole invoice under labour if you do not.
4. Use the last column for what the job means for next time: a date, a mileage or 'check again'.
5. The browser and spreadsheet versions total the columns for you; on paper, add them up when the page is full.
6. Keep the receipts and invoices behind this sheet in the same folder.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is this different from the service history sheet?

This is the working log of everything done, including your own jobs and small repairs. The service history sheet is the tidier record of scheduled services and inspections that a buyer or a warranty claim wants to see. Many owners keep both.

Should I write in the manufacturer's service intervals?

Use the next-due column for them if you like, taking the figures from your own handbook or garage. The sheet does not supply any intervals because they differ by vehicle, engine and how it is driven.

What counts as maintenance rather than a repair?

For this log it does not matter. If money or time was spent on the vehicle and it changed something mechanical, write it down. Fuel and parking belong on the running cost spreadsheet instead.

Can I use it for a van, motorbike or tractor?

Yes. The columns are the same for anything with an odometer or an hour meter — write hours in the odometer column if that is what the machine counts.