The mileage schedulethat actually matters

One page, three mileposts

Owner's manuals run two hundred pages and most of the schedule is three ideas. Here they are, tuned for how vehicles actually live in South Dakota, where short winter trips and gravel count as what the factory calls severe service. When in doubt, the manual for your exact vehicle wins, and we are glad to read it with you.

Every oil change, whatever the mileage

• Oil and filter to the spec your engine calls for
• Tire rotation, so the wear stays even and the tires last
• The look around: fluids, belts, battery, lights, wipers, and a note of what is coming due

Around 30,000 miles

• Engine air filter and cabin filter, checked and replaced as found
• Tires measured, alignment checked if the wear says so
• Brake pads measured and the readings written down

Around 60,000 miles

• Transmission fluid serviced with the exact fluid it calls for
• Coolant strength tested, serviced if it is due
• Brake fluid checked for moisture, which is what makes a pedal soft
• Belts and hoses inspected by hand, replaced on condition

Around 100,000 miles

• Spark plugs at the interval on your engine's plate
• Coolant and transmission services if they were passed at sixty
• Struts and shocks evaluated: they wear gradually, and stopping distance is where it shows
• Timing belt, only on engines that have one, at the exact interval in the manual

What can safely be left alone

Plenty. If a service is on this page or in your manual, it earns its keep. If it is being suggested and it is in neither place, asking what it is for is a fair question, and any good shop will answer it plainly. The schedule above is the whole point: it is what keeps repairs boring.