Free personalised 12-month car maintenance plan for your UK vehicle. Realistic costs, what to watch for, and money-saving tips — from a 32-year UK mechanic.
Planning maintenance instead of reacting to it
Enter your vehicle and mileage and the planner sets out what is due and when: oil and filter, air and pollen filters, brake fluid, coolant, spark plugs, cam belt or chain service, tyres, battery and the MOT. Seeing the next two years laid out is what turns surprise bills into budgeted ones.
Cars do not fail randomly. Nearly everything expensive that comes through a workshop had a service interval attached to it that somebody skipped.
The intervals that actually matter
Engine oil at 12 months or the manufacturer's mileage, sooner for short-journey cars. Brake fluid every two years, because it absorbs water and boils under heavy braking. Coolant to the manufacturer's schedule. Cam belt strictly on time — belts fail by age as well as mileage, and a snapped belt on an interference engine usually ends the engine.
Tyres are also age-limited. A tyre over six or seven years old hardens and cracks regardless of tread depth, which catches out low-mileage cars and caravans in particular.
Building a realistic budget
Take the planner output and spread it across the year, including the £54.85 MOT and an allowance for the advisories already on the car's record. On anything over eight years old, add a repairs buffer — it will be used.
Doing the cheap preventative work on time is what keeps the expensive list short. Oil, filters, fluids and tyre pressures are the whole game.
Frequently asked questions
How often should oil be changed?
Every 12 months or the manufacturer's mileage, whichever comes first — and more often for short-journey cars that never fully warm up.
When should brake fluid be changed?
Usually every two years. It absorbs moisture, which lowers its boiling point and can cause a soft pedal under heavy braking.
Does a cam belt have a time limit as well as mileage?
Yes. Belts degrade with age, so a low-mileage car still needs the belt changed on the time interval.
Do tyres expire?
Effectively yes — rubber hardens and cracks after six or seven years, whatever the tread depth.