These days, there’s an app for everything—and car maintenance is no exception. Taking good care of your car requires significant time, effort, and money. Struggling to find the lowest gas prices in your area or trying to remember when it’s time to get an oil change can be complicated and confusing. Many car owners end up paying way too much for gas or letting regular tune-ups go by the wayside when staying on top of car maintenance gets too overwhelming.
As inconvenient as it may be, staying on top of your car maintenance is very important. Failing to take care of your car forces you to shell out tons of money in the future for major repairs—or even a new car—much sooner than you should. Like most modern Smartphone apps, these five car maintenance apps are designed to make your life easier. The information they provide helps you take care of your car more easily, efficiently and cost-effectively. Plus, they each offer unique services, so you can benefit from having all of them on your smartphone simultaneously.

1. Repair Pal

One of the most frustrating parts of car maintenance and ownership is paying for repairs. Many dealerships and independent mechanics overcharge for their parts and services, leaving you unknowingly draining your bank account for a minor repair that should cost much less. Repair Pal preserves your peace of mind and helps you ensure that you never pay too much for car services—whether you need a replacement part, an oil change, or a major repair.
This app is super easy to use. All you have to do is type in the make and model of your car along with the repair you need. Repair Pal does the rest of the work for you and comes up with a rough estimate for your service based on average costs in your area. You can head to your local dealership or mechanic with that number in mind. If the price they offer is much higher than Repair Pal’s estimate, you can recognize the rip-off immediately and take your business somewhere that offers a fairer price.

2. Car Minder

If you have trouble remembering when it’s time to take your car in for a tune-up, Car Minder is a resource you need.
This app lets you know when you need to schedule maintenance based on one-time information you input directly from your car’s owner’s manual. It also allows you to log a history of all service on your car, so you can keep track of expenses for major repairs as well as scheduled maintenance.

3. GasBuddy

GasBuddy is a very simple one-track-mind app, but it’s also one of the most helpful car maintenance apps available. Gas is expensive everywhere, but it’s alarming how wildly gas prices differ even within the same city. A gas station that’s directly adjacent from a popular freeway exit might rack its prices up a full dollar higher than other gas stations located in a part of town where fuel isn’t in such high demand.
There are few things more frustrating than filling up your car’s gas tank and then driving past a gas station with lower prices right across town. GasBuddy helps you avoid this frustration by showing you where you can find the current lowest gas prices in your area. Once you pick a gas station, GasBuddy also sets you up with clear directions on how to get there from wherever you are.

4. aCar
aCar is one of the most multi-purpose car maintenance apps available. It’s very easy to navigate, but leaves room for tons of user freedom and customization.
The main function of aCar is organized, convenient data entry. It allows you to easily record data on fuel, services, trip mileage, vehicle parts, etc. and keeps all of that information stored and organized where you can access it quickly whenever you need it. aCar is a helpful resource for any driver. However, it’s especially useful for drivers who regularly commute for business because it simplifies tracking gas mileage, expenses, and distances for specific trips.

5. Fuelly

As its name suggests, the main functions of this car maintenance app revolve around fuel. Fuelly makes it easy for you to keep track of your car’s fuel economy by calculating your gas mileage and gas expenses based on current gas prices.
However, Fuelly does more than just help you stay in the know about your MPG and gas expenses over time. It also stores your car’s maintenance records. You can use Fuelly to log your car maintenance expenses, and set up customized service reminders for yourself so you’ll never forget when it’s time to go in for scheduled maintenance. This app is easy to navigate, and the colorful graphs and pie charts it creates from the data you log are clear and easy to understand.