What real service schedules look like
| By time | By distance | |
|---|---|---|
| RACV's general rule, minor service | 12 months | 10,000 km to 15,000 km |
| Toyota HiLux, Prado and LandCruiser | 6 months | 10,000 km |
| Toyota petrol hybrids | 12 months | 15,000 km |
| One Kia schedule, normal use | 12 months | 15,000 km |
| The same Kia, severe use | 6 months | 7,500 km |
| RAC WA's example of a logbook interval | 12 months | 20,000 km |
Why two cars can sit on such different schedules
NRMA says intervals are usually six, nine or 12 months apart, each paired with a distance, typically from 5,000 to 15,000 km. The table shows why a neighbour's interval tells you nothing about yours.
Toyota told CarExpert its six-month interval on those models is unique to Australia, because of conditions here that can be quite harsh. RAC WA makes a similar point closer to home: some maker schedules are specific to Western Australia because of the heat.
Do you still need a service if you barely drive?
Yes. The time limit exists for a reason. NRMA says fewer kilometres doesn't necessarily mean less wear, and that a car doing many short trips may wear some parts harder than a car doing more distance in fewer drives.
If you only do a few thousand kilometres a year, the time limit will arrive first every time. That's the one to go by.
When your car needs servicing sooner
- Short trips. The RACV flags drives too short for the engine to fully warm up. One Kia manual counts repeated trips under 8 km as severe use.
- Towing. Caravans, trailers and boats all count, and so do roof loads in Kia's list.
- Stop-start traffic. Heavy traffic is on both the RACV's list and Kia's.
- Dust and dirt. Unsealed roads, and rough or muddy ones.
- Heavy loads. A ute that's always carrying tools or gear counts.
- Hills. Kia includes repeated uphill, downhill and mountain driving.
- Work use. Taxis and other commercial use sit on Kia's severe list too.
How to work out your car's interval
Check the dash first
The RACV says most modern cars can track and show when the next service is due.
Find the schedule
It's in the owner's manual or service booklet. This is the document that counts, ahead of any rule of thumb.
Find the last stamp
Note the date and odometer reading. Add your maker's interval to each and you've got two limits to watch.
Decide which schedule fits
If the book has a separate severe-use schedule and your driving matches it, use that one.
Put the date in your phone
Most people miss a service by forgetting, not by choosing to skip it. A reminder a month out gives you time to organise it.
What happens if you skip a service?
One slightly late service is unlikely to wreck a car. A habit of skipping is different. The RACV lists poorer engine performance, higher fuel use, more breakdowns, faster wear on tyres, brakes and suspension, a shorter engine life, and a weaker resale because the history has gaps.
The warranty is the other reason. NRMA says to keep to the schedule so you don't accidentally void a new car's warranty. If your car's under warranty, treat the date as firm.
The big intervals are easy to miss
A yearly service isn't the whole story. The RACV says to expect extra intervals for major parts such as timing belts, which it says could fall at 60,000 km, 105,000 km or 180,000 km depending on the car. Read a few pages ahead in the schedule, so a big one doesn't catch you out. Timing belt vs timing chain explains that one.
A mechanic who works on your make sees those schedules every week and knows which ones matter. For a small independent or a mobile mechanic, ask them to look a service or two ahead and tell you what's coming.
What you can do between services
You can
- Look at the oil level once a month, parked on flat ground.
- Check tyre pressures with the tyres cold.
- Top up the washer bottle.
- Write down new noises, smells or lights as they happen, so you can tell the mechanic.
Leave to the mechanic
- The scheduled service, to the maker's list for that interval.
- Stamping the book or updating the digital record.
- Deciding which parts are due, by measuring them.
- Brakes, steering and suspension work.
Where we'd start
Open the service book tonight and write down two numbers: the date and the odometer reading when the next service falls due. If you tow, do mostly short trips or drive on dirt, assume the shorter schedule applies and check with the mechanic. Then go by whichever number comes up first, and don't wait for a light on the dash to remind you.
If you've lost track
If there's no book and no sticker, a mechanic can usually find the schedule from the make, model and year, and tell you where the car should be up to.
Tell us what you drive when you're ready. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.