Car maintenance checklist: what to check, and how often
Check your tyre pressures and fluid levels at least weekly, with the tyres cold, and the battery and anti-freeze before winter, as the Highway Code advises. Tyres need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters. Then keep the yearly dates: the MOT, the car tax, the insurance and the service.
Last updated 16 Oct 2026 · Joel Lister, founder of Radar
Printable car maintenance checklist: tick boxes, one page, ready to print or save as a PDF.
Who this is for: anyone who drives a car in the UK and wants one list of what to check and when.
Who it is not for: repairs, which are a garage’s job, or vans, lorries and motorbikes, which have rules of their own.
| How often | What to check | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Tyre pressures, with the tyres cold, to the maker’s figure for the load you carry; fluid levels, including brake fluid | Highway Code |
| Always | Lights, brakes, steering, exhaust, seat belts, demisters, wipers, washers and warning systems all working; lights, indicators, reflectors and number plates clean | Highway Code |
| Tyres | At least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters, all the way round, and free of cuts | Highway Code |
| Before winter | The battery, and anti-freeze in the radiator and the windscreen bottle | Highway Code |
| Every year | The MOT once the car is three years old; it can be done up to a month (minus a day) early and keep the same date | GOV.UK |
The yearly dates
- MOT. Due by the third anniversary of the car’s registration, then every year. You can get one up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date, and you can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT (GOV.UK). Find your date on the MOT history checker.
- Car tax. Check when it is due with GOV.UK’s vehicle tax checker.
- Insurance. What the renewal notice must tell you, and how to stop auto-renewal: car insurance renewal.
- Service and breakdown cover. The service interval is in your car’s handbook; breakdown cover renews like insurance.
Our MOT reminder page has more on keeping the MOT in date.
Printable car maintenance checklist
Print it, or save it as a PDF, and tick it off as you go.
Every week
- Tyre pressures, tyres cold, to the handbook’s figure
- Tyre tread: at least 1.6 mm, no cuts
- Fluid levels, including brake fluid
- Lights and indicators working
- Lights, number plates and windows clean
Before winter
- Battery
- Anti-freeze in the radiator
- Anti-freeze in the windscreen washer bottle
- Wipers and demisters working
Before a long journey
- Tyre pressures for the load you are carrying
- Brakes, steering and seat belts
- Washer fluid topped up
Every year: the dates
- MOT due: ____________
- Car tax due: ____________
- Insurance renews: ____________
- Service due: ____________
- Breakdown cover renews: ____________
Car maintenance checklist from putitonmyradar.com/car-maintenance-checklist. The rules behind each line are on that page, from the Highway Code and GOV.UK.
What Radar does with this
- Life setup asks: “When is your car’s next MOT due?” It’s on your last MOT certificate, or on gov.uk’s MOT checker by registration. Radar reminds you a month ahead so there’s time to book. Radar reminds you 30 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When is your car tax due?” It only renews itself if you pay by direct debit. Radar reminds you 14 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When does your car insurance renew?” Four weeks’ notice leaves time to compare other insurers and check the cover still fits. Radar reminds you 30 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When is the car next due a service?” Usually once a year or by mileage, whichever comes first. The date is in the service book or on the last invoice. Radar reminds you 21 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When does your breakdown cover renew?” It often renews by itself, so three weeks’ notice leaves time to check the price and the cover. Radar reminds you 21 days ahead.
- Life setup asks for the car’s MOT, tax, insurance, service and breakdown dates once, puts each on your Radar ahead of time, and moves it on a year when you mark it done.
Radar reads the calendars, task lists and CRM you connect, and the dates you give it. It writes back only when you press a button, and it never sends anything by itself.
Limitations and status
- Radar keeps the dates; it does not check the car or book a garage.
- Your car’s handbook has its own service schedule and tyre pressures: follow those.
Also free: Radar Lite, the habit tracker on its own, for you and anyone 13 or over in the family.
Questions
How often should I check my car?
Tyre pressures and fluid levels at least weekly, and the battery and anti-freeze before winter. (Highway Code)
What is the legal minimum tyre tread depth?
1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, all the way round, for cars and light vans. (Highway Code)
When does my car need its first MOT?
By the third anniversary of its registration, then every year. (GOV.UK)
How early can I get an MOT?
Up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out, and keep the same renewal date. (GOV.UK)
More guides
- Moving house checklist
- Change the address on your driving licence
- Council tax when you move
- TV Licence change of address
- Boiler service and gas safety
- How to test a smoke alarm
- Car insurance renewal
- SORN: taking a car off the road
Sources
- The Highway Code, Annex 6: vehicle maintenance, safety and security (GOV.UK), read 16 Oct 2026
- Getting an MOT (GOV.UK), read 16 Oct 2026
- Check the MOT history of a vehicle (GOV.UK), read 16 Oct 2026
- Check if a vehicle is taxed (GOV.UK), read 16 Oct 2026
Written by Joel Lister, founder of Radar · first published 16 Oct 2026. Radar is made by Neos Technologies Ltd.