Car maintenance schedule: what’s due and when

How a maintenance schedule works

Every schedule answers two questions: what to do, and when. “When” is usually miles or months, whichever comes first. Toyota, for example, recommends scheduled maintenance every 5,000 miles or 6 months. If you drive 5,000 miles in 4 months, the service is due at 5,000 miles. If you drive only 3,000 miles in 6 months, it is due at 6 months.

Schedules come in three common forms:

• A fixed chart. A table of services by mileage, like Toyota’s maintenance guides.
• An oil life monitor plus a chart. The car works out when the oil is worn out from how you drive, and the chart covers everything else. GM’s Engine Oil Life System works this way.
• A maintenance reminder with codes. Honda’s Maintenance Minder shows the oil life and a code for the other work that is due, such as tire rotation or a new air filter. See Honda Maintenance Minder codes.

Many schedules also have a second, shorter set of intervals for hard driving, such as towing, dusty roads, lots of idling, or short trips in freezing weather. See normal vs severe maintenance to tell which one fits you.

Where to find your car’s schedule

1. The owner’s manual. Look for a chapter called “Maintenance,” “Service and Maintenance,” or “Maintenance Schedule.”
2. The maintenance guide. Some makers print the schedule in a separate booklet, such as Toyota’s Warranty & Maintenance Guide.
3. The maker’s website or app. Most carmakers post owner’s manuals and schedules for recent model years on their owner sites.
4. A dealer service desk. They can print the schedule for your VIN (vehicle identification number).

Use the schedule for your exact model year and engine. Two engines in the same model can have different oil, spark plug, and timing belt intervals. For popular models, we list the schedule by generation, for example for the Toyota RAV4, Honda Civic, Ford Escape, and Subaru Outback, and the rules of each make on maintenance by car make. Then keep records of each service in a car maintenance log; they help with warranty claims and resale. More on that in car maintenance records.

Car maintenance chart by mileage

This chart shows what real schedules ask for, so you know what to look for in yours. It uses three examples: the 2025 Toyota Corolla maintenance guide, the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox owner’s manual, and the 2022 Honda Pilot Maintenance Minder pages. Your car may differ. Check your owner’s manual.

To see when the next oil change falls by miles and by date, use the next oil change calculator. For how many miles you drive a year, try the annual mileage calculator: it tells you whether you will reach a mileage milestone or a time limit first.

30,000-mile service

A 30,000-mile service is usually a bigger check-up on top of the regular oil change and tire rotation. What it includes depends on your schedule. In the 2025 Corolla guide, it is the point where the brake pads and rotors get measured, not just looked at. Air filters often come up around this mileage too, and sooner if you drive on dusty roads; your chart gives the exact miles.

Ask the shop for a written list of what they will do, and compare it with your manual. Work that is not on the schedule may still be needed after an inspection, but it should come with a reason, such as a measurement or a photo.

60,000-mile service

The 60,000-mile service often repeats the 30,000-mile items and may add fluids or belts. Examples from real schedules:

• Honda’s 2022 Pilot calls for a new timing belt every 60,000 miles if you drive regularly in very high temperatures (over 110°F) or very low temperatures (under −20°F). Otherwise the Maintenance Minder tells you when, as part of code 4.
• Brake fluid may come due around this time by age rather than miles: every 5 years in the 2019 Equinox manual.

Not every engine has a timing belt. Many use a timing chain, which usually has no set replacement interval. Your manual says which you have. See timing belt replacement.

90,000-mile service

At 90,000 miles, many schedules repeat the 30,000-mile checks: brakes, filters, steering and suspension parts, and fluid levels. Some cars also come due for transmission fluid or other fluids around this point. Because the list changes so much between cars, look up the 90,000-mile line in your own chart before you book the service.

100,000-mile service

A 100,000-mile service is not one fixed job. It is whatever your chart lists at or near 100,000 miles. In the 2025 Corolla guide, it is the first engine coolant change: at 100,000 miles or 120 months, then every 50,000 miles or 60 months. Many owners also use this milestone to catch up on anything skipped, using their records. See coolant flush.

120,000-mile service

By 120,000 miles, many cars come due for spark plugs. The 2025 Corolla guide lists new spark plugs at 120,000 miles. Other engines use different plugs and intervals, so check your manual. See spark plug replacement.

Tips for following your schedule

• Keep the receipts. Write down the date, odometer, and work done for every service. Records are how you show the car was maintained.
• You don’t have to use the dealer. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says you don’t need the dealer for repairs or maintenance to keep your warranty in effect, but the warranty company could ask for your records. Details are in maintenance and your warranty.
• Don’t skip the time limits. If you drive little, the months matter more than the miles. Oil, brake fluid, and coolant all age.
• Use the checklist in between. Monthly checks of tires, lights, and fluids are on our car maintenance checklist.

FAQ

What is included in a 30,000-mile service?

It depends on your car. Most include the regular oil change and tire rotation plus more inspections, such as measuring the brake pads and rotors, and often air filters. The list for your car is in the owner’s manual or maintenance guide.

What is scheduled maintenance?

Scheduled maintenance is the service your car’s maker lists at set miles or months, such as oil changes, tire rotations, filters, and fluids. It is in your owner’s manual. Repairs for parts that break are not part of it.

Does a 100,000-mile service cost more than other services?

It often does, because more items come due at once, such as coolant or spark plugs on some cars. Get a written estimate that lists each item, and compare it with your manual so you pay only for what your schedule calls for or an inspection shows.

Do I follow miles or months?

Whichever comes first. Most schedules give both, such as 5,000 miles or 6 months. If you drive little, the time limit will usually come first.

Do I have to get scheduled maintenance at the dealer?

No. The FTC says you don’t have to use the dealer for repairs or maintenance to keep your warranty in effect. Keep the receipts, because the warranty company could ask for them.

Sources

• Toyota, 2025 Corolla Warranty & Maintenance Guide (maintenance every 5,000 miles or 6 months; oil, tire rotation, brakes, coolant, spark plug intervals; special operating conditions) (checked November 12, 2026): toyota.com
• Chevrolet, 2019 Equinox owner’s manual, Service and Maintenance (owner checks, oil life system, tire rotation, brake fluid) (checked November 12, 2026): chevrolet.com
• Honda, 2022 Pilot Maintenance Minder system (codes, dusty conditions, timing belt, brake fluid) (checked November 12, 2026): owners.honda.com
• Federal Trade Commission, Auto warranties and auto service contracts (dealer not required for maintenance; keep records) (checked November 12, 2026): consumer.ftc.gov