What a car service history should include
Checked 23 September 2026
The short answer
Each entry should have the date, the mileage, what was done, the parts fitted, the garage that did it and what it cost, with the invoice kept alongside. Service the car on the schedule in your owner's manual, and keep entries in order so the mileage only ever goes up.
What to record every time
- 01
Date and mileage
The two things a buyer checks first. Write down the odometer reading on the day, not a rough number.
- 02
What was done
"Full service" is fine if the invoice lists the parts. For repairs, say what was wrong as well as what was fixed.
- 03
Parts fitted
Oil grade, filters, pads, tyres. Brand or part number if you have it.
- 04
Who did it
The garage name and town. If you did it yourself, say so. It is better than a gap.
- 05
What it cost
The total, and the invoice or receipt. Thermal receipts fade within months, so photograph them the day you get them.
How often should the car be serviced?
Follow the schedule in your owner's manual for your model. Many manuals also have a stricter schedule for hard use, such as dusty roads, lots of short trips or towing. A lot of Kenyan driving fits that, so check which one applies to you.
Most garages put a sticker on the windscreen with the date or mileage of the next service. Copy it onto the record so the reminder doesn't fall off with the sticker.
Questions
Does a stamped service book count as a full service history?
It helps, but buyers trust it more when the invoices are there too, because they show what was actually fitted.
I lost my old receipts. Is the history worthless?
No. Ask the garages you used for copies. Many keep job records. Start keeping everything from today, and note the gap honestly rather than leaving it blank.
Is a GarageStacks record an official document?
No. It is a private record, not a government logbook or an NTSA record. Its value is that each line says who stands behind it: the owner or a garage.
Snap your receipts before the ink fades.