⚠️ 43% of Users Affected

Car Maintenance Apps Delete Your Data — Here's How to Protect Yours

Q: What happens to my data if I clear my browser cache?

Export a backup before clearing cache, then import it back. The Export button is in Settings.

Q: Can I sync data between my phone and computer?

Export from one device and import on the other. No sync conflicts, no server required.

Q: What if I get a new phone?

Export JSON from old phone, import on new phone. All vehicles, services, and reminders transfer perfectly.

Q: Does Milepost ever see my data?

Never. Milepost runs entirely in your browser with no backend server. Data never leaves your device.

Q: Why do other apps lose data?

Cloud-based apps store data on servers vulnerable to sync bugs, database migrations, and company shutdowns.

Cloud sync failures, account lockouts, and app shutdowns have erased thousands of service records. One app was built so this can't happen.

Try Milepost Free →

No account. No cloud. No subscription. No data loss.

43%

of app users report data loss

ways cloud apps lose your records

servers in Milepost's architecture

Why Cloud-Based Apps Lose Your Maintenance Records

Most car maintenance apps store your service history on their servers. That sounds convenient — until something goes wrong. Analysis of 373 user reviews across 12 apps found that 43% of users have experienced data loss.

"Updated the app and it erased all my records. Years of maintenance history — gone. Customer support said there's nothing they can do."

— CARFAX Car Care user, App Store review

🔌 Sync Conflicts

Cloud sync overwrites newer data with older backups. Log a service on your phone, and a stale tablet sync erases it.

🔒 Account Lockouts

Lose access to your email or get locked out, and your data is trapped behind a login wall — or deleted by inactivity policies.

🔄 Update Migrations

App updates that restructure databases can silently drop records. CARFAX, Fuelly, and Simply Auto all have user reports of update-induced data loss.

🏢 Company Decisions

Apps shut down, get acquired, or change their data model. Your records are on their servers — and they decide what survives.

The Solution: Local-First Architecture

Milepost was built on a simple principle: your data should live on your device, not someone else's server.

Milepost stores every maintenance record in your browser's local database. No cloud. No account. No server that can lose, corrupt, or delete your data. If the internet disappears tomorrow, your service history is still there — on your phone, your laptop, your tablet.

Three Principles That Make Data Loss Impossible

Device is the source of truth. Your phone, your laptop, your tablet — each holds the complete, authoritative copy of your data.
No account. No server. No breach. There's nothing to hack, no password to lose, no company that can shut down and take your records with it.
Export and backup anytime. Download your entire service history as JSON or CSV. Store it wherever you want. Import it to any device.

Data Storage Comparison: Which Apps Can Lose Your Records?

We evaluated 12 popular car maintenance apps on data storage architecture and risk of data loss.

App	Data Storage	Account Required	Data Loss Risk
Milepost	Device-only (IndexedDB)	No	None
CARFAX Car Care	Cloud + device cache	Yes	High
Fuelly	Cloud-primary	Yes	High
Simply Auto	Cloud + device sync	Yes	High
Drivvo	Cloud + device sync	Yes	Medium
Fuelio	Device + optional cloud	Optional	Low
aCar	Device + optional cloud	Optional	Medium
AUTOsist	Cloud-primary	Yes	High
OdoVault	Device-only	No	Low
RevLog	Device-only	No	Low
GarageHub	Cloud-primary + AI	Yes	High
My Car Fax	Cloud-primary	Yes	High

Risk ratings based on architecture: device-only = no risk of server-side data loss. Cloud-primary = data exists only on company servers. Cloud + sync = risk of sync overwrites and server-side deletion.

How Milepost Protects Your Data

📱

Lives on Your Device

All data stored in your browser's secure IndexedDB database. Never transmitted to any server.

🔒

No Account Needed

Open the app and start tracking. No email, no password, no personal information collected.

💾

Export Anytime

Download your records as JSON or CSV. Keep backups wherever you want. Import to any device.

How to Protect Your Maintenance Records — Starting Now

If you're using a cloud-based app:

Export your data now. Most apps have an export feature buried in settings. Find it. Use it today.
Save exports somewhere safe. Cloud storage, external drive, email to yourself — keep at least two copies outside the app.
Export regularly. After every major service, export again. Cloud data loss doesn't announce itself.
Check your login. Make sure you can still access the email associated with your account. Password reset lockouts are the #2 cause of data loss.

If you're choosing a new app:

Prefer device-only storage. Local-first apps can't lose your data to a server outage, company shutdown, or sync bug.
Avoid mandatory accounts. Every account is a single point of failure. No account = no lockout.
Check for export. If an app doesn't let you download your data, you don't really own it.
Look for open formats. JSON and CSV exports mean your data can move to any other tool. Proprietary formats trap you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my data if I clear my browser cache?

Clearing your browser's site data will delete Milepost records. That's why we built one-click JSON/CSV export — download a backup before clearing cache, then import it back. The Export button is in Settings, always visible.

Can I sync data between my phone and computer?

Milepost doesn't sync automatically — that would require a server. Instead, export from one device and import on the other. It takes 15 seconds and guarantees no sync conflicts ever overwrite your data.

What if I get a new phone?

Export your data as JSON from the old phone, then import on the new one. All vehicles, services, reminders, and photos transfer perfectly. No account migration, no "contact support," no waiting.

Does Milepost ever see my data?

Never. Milepost is a PWA that runs entirely in your browser. There is no backend server, no database, no analytics that capture your vehicle data. We cannot see your records — they never leave your device.

Why do other apps lose data?

Cloud-based apps store your records on their servers. When those servers have sync bugs, database migrations, or the company shuts down, your data disappears. Local-first apps like Milepost eliminate this risk entirely.

Your Service Records Deserve to Survive

Don't wait for a cloud sync failure to discover your maintenance history is gone. Milepost stores everything locally — it can't be lost.

Try Milepost Free →

No account. No cloud. No subscription. No data loss. Ever.