Car Expense Tracker App + Free Excel Template

Car expense tracker template

The spreadsheet version adds a category summary that totals itself (SUMIF formulas in columns J and K). The printed version gives you 20 blank rows.

Vehicle expense log

Vehicle:

Year / month:

Starting odometer:

Ending odometer:

Date	Vehicle	Category	Description	Odometer	Amount	Vendor
2026-09-02	2015 F-150	Fuel	Fill-up, 22.4 gal	84020	78.40	Costco

Preview shows the first 8 rows. The printed sheet has 20. The grey row is an example and does not print.

Free template from trackara.app/car-expense-tracker

Use it in Google Sheets or Excel

The download is a plain CSV file, so it opens in anything that reads spreadsheets.

Google Sheets: open a new sheet, choose File, Import, Upload, and pick the downloaded file. Choose "Replace spreadsheet". Then File, Make a copy if you want a clean original.
Excel: double-click the file, or use File, Open. When you save, choose "Excel Workbook (.xlsx)" so your formatting and any formulas you add are kept.
Numbers (Mac): File, Open, then pick the CSV.

The category totals in columns J and K update as you add rows. Rename or add categories in column J to match yours. The first data row is an example so you can see the format. Delete it before you start.

What to track, and the numbers that matter

Put every cost in one of a few categories so the totals mean something:

Running costs: fuel or charging, parking and tolls, cleaning.
Upkeep: scheduled maintenance, repairs, parts, tires.
Fixed costs: insurance, registration and fees.

Two numbers are worth working out once a year:

Total cost by category. The template does this for you. In your own sheet, use =SUMIF(C:C,"Fuel",F:F).
Cost per mile. Total cost divided by miles driven (ending odometer minus starting odometer). It's the fairest way to compare two cars, or to decide whether a big repair is worth it.

If you use a vehicle for business, keep the receipts too. A spreadsheet is a record, not a receipt.

A vehicle expense tracking app that stays up to date

The hardest part of an expense spreadsheet is remembering to fill it in. Trackara keeps expenses next to the service history, on the phone that's already in your pocket.

Expenses and budgets

Log every cost against the vehicle or the project it belongs to, and set a budget for a build.

Analytics

See where the money goes, per vehicle, without building the formulas yourself.

Unlimited vehicles

Every car, truck and project car in the household, each with its own totals.

Maintenance reminders

Reminders by mileage and date, so the costs you log are the planned ones and not the surprise repairs.

OBD2 over Bluetooth

Read trouble codes with an ELM327 adapter before you pay for a diagnosis. OBD2 details.

Local-first and offline

Your data is stored on your device. iPhone, iPad and Android.

Trackara garage home: combined budget and the 1974 IH Scout II project card

Questions

Is there a free car expense tracker template for Excel?

Yes. Download the CSV on this page and open it in Excel or Google Sheets. It has columns for date, vehicle, category, description, odometer, amount, vendor and notes, and a category summary that totals itself with SUMIF formulas.

What is the best car expense tracker app?

Look for one that tracks every vehicle you own, sorts costs into categories, and keeps expenses next to the maintenance history so you log them at the same time. Trackara does that on iPhone, iPad and Android, along with reminders and OBD2.

How do I calculate my car's cost per mile?

Add up everything you spent on the car over a period, then divide by the miles you drove in that period (ending odometer minus starting odometer). The template has fields for both odometer readings.

Can I track expenses for more than one vehicle?

Yes. The template has a Vehicle column, and Trackara supports unlimited vehicles with separate totals for each.

Can I track a project car budget?

Yes. In Trackara, set a budget for a project and log expenses against it. If you'd rather use a spreadsheet, the free project car build sheet has a budget sheet with the formulas built in.

Car expense tracker: free template, or the app