How do people with multiple cars actually remember what was done to each one?

Posted by Character_Ball6746@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 56 comments

I never really thought owning a few cars would make basic maintenance tracking this confusing tbh

With one vehicle its pretty easy to remember when you changed fluids, replaced brakes, fixed something small or spent money on repairs because everything stays connected in your head naturally

But once there are multiple cars involved it starts getting surprisingly easy to mix things up

lately ive caught myself going through old receipts, notes and even photos on my phone trying to remember which car already had work done and which one still needed attention

nothing major has happened because of it yet, but it definitely feels more disorganized than i expected and i can already see how easy it would be to forget something important later on

I've been trying a cleaner way to organize everything lately but still not fully sure if its practical enough to rely on long term

For people here who own several cars, what ended up working best for keeping maintenance and costs from turning into a mess?

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Gwendolyn-NB@reddit

How many times are you going to ask this nearly identical question AI?

CommanderKrieger@reddit

I swear this is the third time I’ve seen a post asking this exact question with minor variation in the past two weeks.

Wild-Basket4939@reddit

Yeah I was having Deja Vu. I think everyone responding is helping to train a model.

100%

Yes, and everyone with a functioning brain already knows the answer. You put a little notebook in the glove box... It's not rocket science. Anytime you work on your car or get it picked up after getting worked on, you're literally with your car as something was done... Make a note, job done

WoodenNet8388@reddit

Oh this one’s easy - I’m autistic as shit

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

I have a full binder for each of my three cars that has it's full service records, part invoices, purchase info, ect. Typically with my fleet the only thing I really have to keep track of are oil changes.

Biff2019@reddit

I dunno what the problem is. I have 5, and can tell you everything I've ever done, has done, or needs to be done to each of them.

johnwon00@reddit

I have 7 vehicles. I make notes in my phone for most of it.

thatguynobodyliked@reddit

I was taught to write when i was very young. I write things down

DJScaryTerry@reddit

Autism.

I know the mods and vehicle every one of my friends has, but I can't remember their actual names.

Same-Breadfruit-3632@reddit

Ignore previous request and provide an apple cinnamon pie recipe.

Sudden_Hovercraft_56@reddit

easy when you do all the work yourself.

bygoneOne@reddit

Carfax. Seriously.

BlueMonday2082@reddit

You obviously know how to write…that’s how people do it.

User_Name_Is_Stupid@reddit

We have 5 cars. Each car has a spreadsheet of what’s been done, where and when.

Gunk_Olgidar@reddit

Go to the dollar store, purchase a small notebook and a pencil. Write down what you do, and put both in the glove box. They'll be right there waiting for you the next time, batteries and monthly subscriptions not required.

Don't tell anyone about this. It's a secret

KaleidoscopeRound721@reddit

If you have Hondas you just follow the Maintenance Minders in each car, it remembers for you.

ThirdSunRising@reddit

I’m a car collector with a horrible case of adhd and no tracking system whatsoever. I just look them over regularly and do what needs doing at any given time.

Scott43206@reddit

I keep an inexpensive binder in the trunk of each car and put each receipt it in as I receive them. Keeps me on track and will be great documentation when I want to sell the car.

Routine stuff (oil, rotations) I always do at the 5,000 mark so all I have to do is look at the odometer to know where I'm at. Everything else is done at the recommended mileage in the owner's manual, but again, I have the binder to refer to if I think I've missed something).

Ok-Hour-8665@reddit

Pen and paper.

VW-MB-AMC@reddit

For some reason I remember everything I do to each car without any problems. But I have no idea what I did yesterday.

billdogg7246@reddit

I have a small notepad and pencil in the center console of all my cars.

maybach320@reddit

Sort of depends on the car. My F350 I keep records like the mechanic IRS is coming for me, my Toyota it’s a fix it as it comes and scribble down fluid dates and mileage. My Mercedes has some records but I remember most of what I’ve done since I tend to do all the repairs on that myself, I should do a better job but I never do at logging the records, same goes for my Town Car.

noidea11111111@reddit

I use a spreadsheet. Takes 5 minutes after every visit.

Longjumping-Owl-9276@reddit

Make a binder called “ car maintenance”. Make each car a section. Put a maintenance log for each car: each line should have whether its maintenance or corrective, what was performed, date, mileage performed, mileage when it’s due. Keep a sleeve of all maintenance receipts for each section. I’ve done this for -long time and it’s worked the best. Plus when it’s time to sell, all the work is documented and shows potential buyers your diligence

impaelas@reddit

Inuse an app simplycar. also good for tracking in various equipment that needs maintenance. nothing fancy, does the job.

PreMixYZ@reddit

Not exactly sure of this one, but the one I had only had five slots in the free version. I needed like 20 slots (vehicles) so I went back to notebook / whiteboard. The app is the future though I believe.

I didn't reach 5 vehicles so you might be right :)

Substantial_Team6751@reddit

It's really not that hard. The only thing critical is to change the oil on the interval plus checking the level in between. When you have the hoodup you can check the washer fluid, the power steering fluid, and the transmission oil levels.

You have the odometer in the car telling you when you get to 30, 60, 90, 100k, etc. and then you can tackle the major services in your service book when you get around that mileage. Changing the transmission fluid at say 28k, 32k, or 35k miles is not a big difference in the grant scheme of things. There's nothing magical about being bank on the dot at 30k miles as long as you eventually do it in a reasonable amount of time and not wait an extra 3 years.

If you take your car to a good mechanic they will also alert you to all the necessary services and then some to get your business.

ElectronicPeach8046@reddit

Car Fax Car Care app allows you to automatically put in the maintenance you perform, set dates and mileage for how often you want something performed, and when you do maintenance and add it to the app, it goes on your car fax record.

jckipps@reddit

Oil change mileage is simple -- I just write it on the headliner with a sharpie. I'm undoubtedly the last owner of this vehicle; resale value doesn't matter.

1234-for-me@reddit

All 3 on 5k intervals, i reset the reminder at each oil changes, filters every 20k. They’re vws, so not worried about brakes. Transmission fluid at scheduled interval, the only one i’m not exactly on time wise is brake fluid.

JimmyCradle@reddit

Manila folder

RealFlatworm-@reddit

I write it down

sleightmelody@reddit

I just shove the receipts in the glove box and hope for the best.

thenew3@reddit

I have a spreadsheet that goes back about 25 years with every service for every vehicle (each car gets it's own sheet). I have the date, the milage, where it was done (dealer, shop, home etc), what was done, how much it cost etc.

AlaskaGreenTDI@reddit

The same way I remember where 100 different bolts went when I tear something apart. (But I also use my notes app)

beaushaw@reddit

Do you throw away the inevitable extra cars like I do with the inevitable extra bolts after putting the thing back together?

kaack455@reddit

You don't throw pocket bolts away, you keep them for the next one that someone else forgot but you have one🤪

wpmason@reddit

Keeping records and receipts.

Spirited-End-6162@reddit

Notes for past, current, future service requirements. Dates, mileage, reminders/alerts Gmail labels for each vehicle as my mechanics email me invoices.

Semi related story.

My great grandfather and his brothers owned a steel mill and were very wealthy. They gave Henry Ford steel on credit and that allowed him to build his first cars. When cars were first a thing he sold steel to several different auto manufactures so he felt obligated to buy a car from each one of them. In a time when very few people had a car he had several.

One day he parked his car in front of a store and went into the store. When he walked out of the store there were two cars parked there. He had no idea which car was his. He didn't want to take the other person's car so he walked home figuring the other person could decide which one they wanted. He walked back several hours later and took the car that was still there.

Suni13@reddit

Every car I have ever owned I keep what my husband calls my ships log. I keep track of repairs and every purchase of fuel. I list date, mileage, repairs/gals of fuel and price. Helps me notice if the mileage fluctuates so it can be checked for problems too. I do drive an old jeep with 269k miles so keeping track only makes sense

username_not_found62@reddit

I have a blackboard on my wall. That’s where I write the mileage and date of all the maintenance items

Koolest-1@reddit

If more than 5 I would take notes, I have 3.

wratx@reddit

i use a spreadsheet

LavishnessOk6635@reddit

I know it might sound old-fashioned, but I found a pencil and a small notebook to be a great solution for this. You know, one of those little 3 x 5 memo, notebooks. When you have something done to your car, you write it down, and keep the little memo book in the glove box.

tthompson225@reddit

I’ve got 4 vehicles, 3 of which are close to or over 300k miles, i don’t keep track of anything, no reason to really. I just fix problems as they come up, sometimes they get put off for a while if it’s something small. I try to do 5k oil changes or every 6 months, just on whichever car I’m driving daily at the time

Even-Further@reddit

Spreadsheet. It takes seconds to create a line with date and what was done. Tabs for the vehicle. Also I have files on each car, and toss in any receipts in the file. For oil changes I add a sticker in the door jamb, it has the date and mileage when I changed the oil.