A well maintained car is a safer car, and can save money on repairs down the road. Help yourself stay on track with an online vehicle maintenance log at DriverSide.com.  This site is a great resource for car owners, offering scheduled maintenance reminders, recall alerts, repair estimates and coupons, and more.

My mother used to fantasize about the perfect car – one that you can just get in and go anytime, and never have to stop for gas, repairs, or maintenance. Ah, dream world!

Unfortunately maintenance is a reality for every car owner. And with the economy these days, a lot of people are keeping their cars longer. Recently I tried out DriverSide.com, a helpful resource for car owners.

Vehicle Maintenance Records in One Place

After creating my free account, I added a profile for each of our autos, including a photo, current mileage, and VIN.

Mama’s Ride

Papa’s Ride

Next I took about an hour to add all our service records, including date, vendor, total cost, and brief description of work done. That’s when I learned that my car’s 65,000 mile maintenance was overdue. Whoops!

Service Overdue

If you’re committed to going paperless, you can even go the extra mile (ha!) and scan receipts and service records and add them to your car’s online record.

Benefits of a Maintenance Log

It’s easy to forget how long it’s been since the last tire rotation or oil change without a record. A well maintained car is a safer car and can save money on repairs down the road. And when repairs are needed, it can be handy for the mechanic to see the work that has already been done.

Proof that you maintained your vehicle properly also:

Local Repair Estimates & Coupons

DriverSide offers a tool that tells you what parts and labor should cost for repairs, based on your car type and location, and includes reviews of local mechanics. The site does run some ads and makes a commission when people buy parts or warranties through them.

Looking for a discount? One click gets you a list of coupons for local vendors in order by proximity.

More Resources

There are tips and reviews, how-to videos, a diagnostic tool for problems, and free advice from mechanics in a public question-and-answer forum.

Helpful Automated Alerts

In addition to email reminders for scheduled maintenance, you can receive alerts on safety recalls and changes in car value. All email notifications are optional.

Auto Overview