Which one fits you?
- “I just want my history without typing it.” CARFAX Car Care pulls service records from shops that report to CARFAX. It works best if you use those shops; work done elsewhere or at home has to be added by hand.
- “I care about MPG.” Fuelly is built around fill-ups and fuel economy, with a long-running website and community.
- “I want to know what this car really costs.” Drivvo tracks fuel, maintenance, insurance, parking and other costs, with charts and cost-per-mile figures.
- “I drive for work.” Simply Auto logs trips by GPS for tax and reimbursement, alongside fuel and service records.
- “I want to know what’s due, and when.” That’s what MaintainAhead is built for — see below.
- “I don’t want another app.” A spreadsheet works. Our free log template and printable checklist are a good start.
What MaintainAhead does differently — and what it doesn’t do
Most apps ask you to set reminders yourself. MaintainAhead starts from the manufacturer’s schedule for your car, tracks every item by both miles and months, and works out from your odometer readings when each service will actually come due for the way you drive. It also checks open safety recalls from NHTSA, reads the odometer from a photo, and lets a family share one garage.
What it doesn’t do: it doesn’t log trips by GPS, doesn’t pull history from shops automatically, and isn’t in the app stores — it runs in your browser and can be added to your phone’s home screen. Schedules cover popular cars first; when we don’t have your exact car, the app says so and uses the closest match or general intervals.
Try the guided demo or see pricing.
What to look for in any maintenance app
- Miles and months. Many services are due by whichever comes first. An app that only counts miles will miss time limits — see mileage versus time.
- Your real schedule. Generic “every 5,000 miles” reminders don’t match most modern cars.
- Export. Your records should be yours. Check that you can export them, for example as a spreadsheet.
- Sharing. If more than one person drives the car, everyone should see the same history.
- Reminders you’ll notice. Email or notifications ahead of time, not just a list inside the app.