Free car maintenance log template
Most “car maintenance log template” results are thin pages around a locked download. This one isn’t. You get a real CSV and a table you can print. It has five columns and nothing to sign up for. They’re the same five columns SteerLog’s own importer reads. So if the sheet gets old, you can move to an app with a straight import, not a re-type.
Updated · Free download, no sign-up · SteerLog app: free for one car, Pro is a one-time purchase
The log
Five columns, filled with a sample service history. You can see the shape before you type in it. Print it for the glovebox, or download the CSV and fill it in on your computer. The blank rows below are there to print.
| Date | Odometer | Service | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-02 | 42,150 | Oil & filter change | $54.20 | 5W-30 full synthetic; done at dealer |
| 2026-06-14 | 45,680 | Tire rotation | $0.00 | Rotated front to back at dealer |
| 2026-09-01 | 48,920 | Cabin air filter | $18.75 | Replaced myself in 15 minutes |
The CSV header is exactly Date,Odometer,Service,Cost,Notes — the same three example rows shown above, ready to edit in place.
What to record
- Date — when the work happened, not when you got around to writing it down.
- Odometer — the reading that day. This is the one people skip, and it's the one that counts most. Intervals are set in miles or km, not months. So with no odometer reading, a log can tell you when something was done. It can't tell you if the next service is due.
- Service — what was done, in a few words: "Oil & filter change," "Tire rotation," "Brake pads, front."
- Cost — what it cost. Put $0 for work done under warranty or thrown in free. A $0 row is still worth a line. It's part of the history.
- Notes — what you'd want to know in three years. Oil spec, part number, who did the work, and if it was under warranty.
Suggested intervals
These are the common ranges for a typical gas car. They are not a diagnosis or repair advice.
| Item | Typical interval |
|---|---|
| Oil & filter | Every 5,000–10,000 mi (8,000–15,000 km) or 6–12 months, depending on oil spec — whichever comes first |
| Tire rotation | Every 5,000–8,000 mi |
| Brake fluid | Every 2 years |
| Cabin air filter | Every 12,000–15,000 mi |
| Engine air filter | Every 15,000–30,000 mi |
| Coolant | Per your manufacturer's schedule — type and interval vary widely |
Your owner's manual wins. It's written for your exact engine. Hard driving (short trips, towing, dust, great heat or cold) most often makes these ranges shorter.
Open it in Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers
Google Sheets
Go to sheets.google.com, start a blank sheet, then File › Import › Upload and choose the CSV. Pick "Replace current sheet". It lands as a normal sheet you can edit, with no formatting to fix.
Excel
File › Open and pick the CSV. Or just double-click the file you downloaded, and Excel opens it as a workbook. Use Save As › .xlsx if you want to add formulas or formatting that stay.
Numbers (Mac / iPhone)
File › Open and choose the CSV, or drag it onto the Numbers icon. It imports as one table on one sheet, ready to edit.
You can stop here. A filled-in sheet is a real maintenance record. Maybe you'd rather log at the pump and get a nudge before the next service. Then you don't have to remember to open a sheet. That's what SteerLog does, with the same five columns.
Get SteerLogWhen the sheet gets old
Sheets fail quietly. A phone gets replaced and the file stays on the old laptop. Or a formula breaks and no one sees it for a year. When that happens, the fix isn't typing it all again. It's an import.
In SteerLog: Settings › Export & Import › Import CSV, then pick this file (or your edited copy). It lands as real entries in the car you have picked. You get reminders by date and mileage, fuel economy worked out for you, and charts. Not just filled cells. See exactly which columns carry over →
Questions, answered
Is this template really free?
Yes — no email, no account, no watermark. Download the CSV or print the table and use it as-is; there's no paid tier of the template itself. SteerLog, the app, is free for one car, with a single one-time purchase to add more vehicles.
Will it open in Google Sheets?
Yes. It's a plain CSV with no macros or locked cells. Google Sheets, Excel, and Numbers all open it as a normal sheet you can fully edit. See the how-tos above for each.
Can I add my own columns?
Yes. Add whatever's useful to you — tire brand, shop name, warranty expiry. If you later import into SteerLog, it only reads Date, Odometer, Service, Cost, and Notes; extra columns are simply ignored, never rejected.
How do I move this into an app instead of a spreadsheet?
In SteerLog: Settings › Export & Import › Import CSV, then choose this file. It becomes real entries with mileage and date reminders and automatic totals — full column details are in the spreadsheet import guide.
Keep it filled in without the spreadsheet
SteerLog fills in this log for you. Log at the pump or the shop counter. Get a reminder before the next service. And export back to CSV for free, forever.