Paid $55 for oil and filter change

[koopafish]

Today I paid $55 for an oil and filter change. This seems like a lot? Is this a reasonable amount to pay? Is this something I can/should learn to do for myself? My car uses 0w20 oil. Disclaimer- I know NOTHING about cars. Is this mess-up-able? How much savings are we talking?

[bluebelle]

you don't say where you are and what currency you're referring to, so I'm guessing the US and US$....That's a reasonable price for Toronto.  Chaning your oil and filter isn't hard, I know how to do it, and did it in my younger days, I choose not to now, don't want to be bothered with ramps and crawling under the car.  And newer cars are a PIA to get the oil filter off, generally it's a tight fit.

If you're not mechanically inclined, and don't want to be, it's an okay price.....you could probably find places cheaper and places more expensive.

[FiftyIsTheNewTwenty]

It's a common amount to pay but it could/should be less.  Shop around!  In the Southeast I pay half that ($26.95), at an independent repair shop.  A lot of small shops do it cheap, to build the customer relationship.

[lthenderson]

That price isn't out of line for going to a first come first serve dedicated drive up oil changing shop. However if you look around for shops that are by appointment only, they seem to be quite a bit cheaper.  I suspect the former shops have to charge more to cover the times when their employees aren't busy. At the latter shops, they are working on other repair jobs inbetween oil changes so they don't have that burden.

[NextTime]

I pay about $40 to have it done at the Honda dealership.  I like to do it there because they also include a pretty good inspection and will let you know what maintenance work or repairs are needed.  Some of what they say is obviously bullshit, but you can do what you want with the information. I have a very able and reasonably priced mechanic that I can then take the car to if any work really needs to be done.

[Dave1442397]

The price will also depend on how many quarts of oil your engine needs. $55 is what I pay for a 0W20 oil change, but my car takes nine quarts of oil.

[grandep]

I think $55 is a lot. I can change my own oil (5 qt of 5w20 plus a filter) for less than $30. Doing it yourself is not hard and is one of the easiest jobs you can do on a car. Plus it's fun and manly. It will probably take you a little bit of time the first time you do it, but after that it's a pretty standard operation and you can have the whole thing done in less than 30 minutes. You also have the benefit of a) choosing your own oil and filter, and b) knowing for sure that it's actually done properly. Of course it's mess-up-able, anything is really, but I'd say it's not easy to mess up. Just watch a YouTube video first.

[FIRE@50]

I think $55 is a lot. I can change my own oil (5 qt of 5w20 plus a filter) for less than $30. Doing it yourself is not hard and is one of the easiest jobs you can do on a car. Plus it's fun and manly. It will probably take you a little bit of time the first time you do it, but after that it's a pretty standard operation and you can have the whole thing done in less than 30 minutes. You also have the benefit of a) choosing your own oil and filter, and b) knowing for sure that it's actually done properly. Of course it's mess-up-able, anything is really, but I'd say it's not easy to mess up. Just watch a YouTube video first.

What do you do with the used oil?

[grandep]

I think $55 is a lot. I can change my own oil (5 qt of 5w20 plus a filter) for less than $30. Doing it yourself is not hard and is one of the easiest jobs you can do on a car. Plus it's fun and manly. It will probably take you a little bit of time the first time you do it, but after that it's a pretty standard operation and you can have the whole thing done in less than 30 minutes. You also have the benefit of a) choosing your own oil and filter, and b) knowing for sure that it's actually done properly. Of course it's mess-up-able, anything is really, but I'd say it's not easy to mess up. Just watch a YouTube video first.

What do you do with the used oil?

Put it in the now-empty container that held the new oil and take the container to any auto parts store (including Walmart). They will dispose of it for you for free.

[skuzuker28]

All 0w-20 oil is synthetic (which is more expensive), so I don't think that is out of line.  I am mechanically inclined, but I only change the oil myself on one of my vehicles because I am particular about what goes in to that engine.  Others can use conventional oil, so I can get that changed for $19.88 at WalMart, which is hard to beat.

[TheWifeHalf]

My husband goes to the Ford dealership, pickup, and pays $35.

I have never changed oil in my life. When I was 18 or so, Dad told me "it was time you learn to do it yourself, so let's go" He didn't mention anything about the rag, that had a little bit of oil on it, that  SHOULD NEVER BE THROWN ON THE STONE DRIVEWAY.
That rule and  TheHusbnadHalf's NEVER DROP THE LEVEL are 2 rules I will never forget.
I have arranged my life in such a way that I never did, nor ever plan to, change oil, and it's very rare that a level is in my hands, and then it's usually because it's in my way.

[kanga1622]

If it was for synthetic oil, that isn't a bad price. We pay about $35 for an oil change at an independent shop for regular oil or about $75 when we used synthetic. As a mechanic's daughter, I am happy to support our local shop so I don't have to crawl under the car and deal with disposal. Plus, we drive so little that we typically only have to change the oil every 6 months (drive around 6k miles a year).

[DrumAllDay]

seems pretty high. Also how many qts/liters does it take?

I can change my subaru which takes OW20 for like under $30 getting everything at Walmart. That is after purchasing a drain pan and car jacks (if needed)

It's a good skill to know how to do. It gave me more confidence to change spark plugs, tire repair and rotaion, and break pad and rotor replacement.

My biggest mess-up changing the oil was I accidentally drained my transmission fluid instead of the oil, causing me to loose about half of my transmission fluid and gain twice the amount of motor oil in my car. After starting it up the engine was shaking decently and a huge cloud of thick white smoke was coming out of the exhaust. It took me a few minutes to investigate and figure out what I did, but I went to the store and refilled my transmission fluid and drained all the oil out and put new oil in.

Moral of the story is I learned more about the workings of my car and I am more confident working on it moving forward!

[RWD]

I pay ~$5-10 for a Wix oil filter and ~$10/quart of good full synthetic oil.

[TeresaB]

Wow, I paid 19.95 for the only oil change I've ever gotten. Did I just get really lucky?

[RWD]

Wow, I paid 19.95 for the only oil change I've ever gotten. Did I just get really lucky?

It probably wasn't with synthetic oil, which the original poster was discussing (0W20 oil is always synthetic). $20 for an oil change is not unusual if the shop is using normal oil.

I was once offered a free oil change by a shop. I turned it down because I wanted to use specific oil in my car.

[Car Jack]

0W-20 is available as a blend and is what I use.  I have not seen it as full conventional yet, but with more cars going to it (for MPG requirements), I expect it will be available soon.  I think I pay about $24 for 0W 20 and another $5 for a filter.  I've got Fumoto valves on all my cars, so I put it up on the lift, turn the valve and let the oil drain while I go get the new oil and filter and a funnel, then shut the valve, move the oil drain roll-around, drop the lift and fill the oil.  Probably 15 minutes for me.

Without a lift, maybe add 10 minutes to jack up the front, set jack stands and then take these down.

[Bird In Hand]

Without a lift, maybe add 10 minutes to jack up the front, set jack stands and then take these down.

@Car Jack -- shouldn't your username be 'Car Lift'?  :D

[Car Jack]

Without a lift, maybe add 10 minutes to jack up the front, set jack stands and then take these down.

@Car Jack -- shouldn't your username be 'Car Lift'?  :D

I never thought of that, but it certainly would work. 

[robartsd]

There was a place near me that used to charge $8 for labor (bring your own oil and filter). The location was a self serve car wash (I don't remember if some of the bays still were used as a car wash). At just $8 for labor, even a mechanic friend of mine took his vehicles there instead of doing it himself. I'd recommend pricing the cost of consumables (filter and oil) for your car and deciding if the service is convenient enough to be worth it to you or not.

[sokoloff]

Plus, we drive so little that we typically only have to change the oil every 6 months (drive around 6k miles a year).

I change DW's oil annually (she drives around 5K/yr). There is a calendar and a miles component to consider, but most modern engines are quite "easy" on the oil (no washdown with fuel like old, carb'd cars often did).

The "every 3K" is a stroke of marketing genius from the likes of Jiffy Lube, but I don't see any reason to buy into it.

[RWD]

Plus, we drive so little that we typically only have to change the oil every 6 months (drive around 6k miles a year).

I change DW's oil annually (she drives around 5K/yr). There is a calendar and a miles component to consider, but most modern engines are quite "easy" on the oil (no washdown with fuel like old, carb'd cars often did).

The "every 3K" is a stroke of marketing genius from the likes of Jiffy Lube, but I don't see any reason to buy into it.

Yeah, modern engines will go much longer. Especially if you use synthetic oil. If you really want to know how long you can push your specific oil on your specific car then you should be doing oil sample analysis tests (e.g. through Blackstone).

[robartsd]

Plus, we drive so little that we typically only have to change the oil every 6 months (drive around 6k miles a year).

I change DW's oil annually (she drives around 5K/yr). There is a calendar and a miles component to consider, but most modern engines are quite "easy" on the oil (no washdown with fuel like old, carb'd cars often did).

The "every 3K" is a stroke of marketing genius from the likes of Jiffy Lube, but I don't see any reason to buy into it.

Many older cars did require more frequent oil changes. Most modern vehicles recommend oil changes every 6 months/5000 miles or 12 months/10000 miles. Jiffy Lube now follows manufacture recommendations for their reminder stickers, but their included top off service is limited to 3000 miles regardless of the recommended service interval for your vehicle.

[maginvizIZ]

If you shop around and find coupons, you should be able to get a regular oil change for $20-$25 (with coupons and such).

I now buy synthetic oil and change myself.  Slickdeals.net will pop up with deals for 5 quarts for $15 after rebate.  Filters are $5-10.

So while I'm not saving any money... I am using a higher quality oil (I think $60ish is a good price for a synthetic oil change)... and I feel like a fucking man when I do it. :)

[Ocinfo]

Just paid $58 for an oil change at the VW dealer. They sent me a coupon, otherwise it would have been ~$125. A good private shop is between $80 and $100. It’s a once a year, 10k full synthetic so not too bad. They did want to do $1k worth of other work on a car with 60k miles. I politely declined...


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[jlcnuke]

It takes 15-20 minutes to change your own oil, is extremely simple to do, and once you have the tools initially it costs you ~$30 to do it on most vehicles requiring synthetic. ~$20-25 per 5 quarts of oil plus an oil filter. Often you get specials combining the two at auto-parts stores. If you are intelligent enough to figure out the internet, and do not have significant physical handicaps, you are capable of changing your own oil. Also, as I think was mentioned, only change at the required frequency per the manufacturer, not an arbitrary number you've heard or have been told (such as the 3 months/3k miles crap).

[Ocinfo]

Just paid $58 for an oil change at the VW dealer. They sent me a coupon, otherwise it would have been ~$125. A good private shop is between $80 and $100. It’s a once a year, 10k full synthetic so not too bad. They did want to do $1k worth of other work on a car with 60k miles. I politely declined...


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A German car with 60k is about the same as a Japanese one with 150k. I would recommend having an aftermarket shop look over the vehicle and see if they recommend the same things the dealer did.

None of the maintenance was anything spectacular. Just over priced such as $600 for a front brake job. Pads are $40 and rotors are $40 each so it’s a job that I’ll do myself (have worked on cars since I was a kid including engine rebuilds, etc...just don’t really enjoy doing it anymore). Basically, this is a car (2013 Jetta) that we bought to park on the street with the expectation that it would get beat to hell by other cars, which has happened (DC street parking). It would have cost use nearly $9k to have a garage spot in the 2.5 years we’ve owned it, which is 3/4 of what we paid for the car. We got it for relatively cheap and it’s a fairly decent car to drive. Just want it to last another 2 years and ~16k miles, which is when we’re planning to leave the city. We will likely give the car (for free) to a niece that will turn 16 at that time. Her dad owns another VW and is use to working on them.


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[magnet18]

Seems high, but not exceptionally so.  For awhile there jiffy lube was actually competitively priced, but last time my wife went there they shot up to $70, so I started doing it myself again.

Easy or hard DIY depends on the car, oil filters are often easy to get to, but some makes/models can be almost impossible. Usually it's a very easy DIY and saves money.

Fwiw, my Honda dealership does $12.99 0w20+filter changes for the life of my Honda fit.  Since my wife currently drives 500miles/week, I'm looking forward to that.

[jim555]

I buy Mobil1 and a dealer filter and bring it to a shop, they charge $15 to do it.

[reverend]

Some good advice here. Mainly the oil analysis. That's like a blood test on a human to tell how the insides are.

I change the oil in my Volvo every 10K (which is about every year) because it's a turbo and they're hard on oil.   When I flogged the car in the Rockies on a road trip the other year, I went 12K miles.  The analysis said that I could probably go 15K miles, but my fear is that I rarely flog the car so I stay safe at 10K.

Alas, 6 quarts of Mobil 1 full synthetic runs me $14, plus a filter is $3ish (though someone gave me a bunch a few years ago) and I have a Fumoto valve, so changes run me 30 minutes at home.

I've never actually taken my car to an oil change place.  I don't KNOW they change my oil, I don't KNOW if they strip the bolt and I don't KNOW that they put full synthetic oil in, and they seem to charge $30-ish around here (Texas).

[FazJaxton]

I haven't seen anyone answer the "mess-up-able" question.  Yes, it is mess-upable, and you can ruin your engine.  I don't mean to scare you off if you're interested in doing it, but I want to be truthful.  I'm pretty sure I killed my previous car by messing up an oil change before a road trip.  I would either get a friend who knows how to do it to help you the first few times or watch a few youtube videos specifically for your car.  That all said, it's not hard if you want to give it a try.

On the other hand, $55 should be a pretty small percentage of the fuel and other maintenance cost per mile, so if you just want it done by someone else, don't feel bad about it.  If you're getting synthetic oil, that should be good for at least 7,500 miiles.  Some sources say 10000.  The oil place will probably write a shorter interval on your sticker, so figure out yourself when it needs to be changed.

[ixtap]

Do all the people changing their own oil live in single family homes? Every apartment or condo I have ever lived in forbid working on cars. I would much rather pay someone a few bucks (above supplies) to do it than store everything necessary and possibly get in trouble for doing it.

[RWD]

I haven't seen anyone answer the "mess-up-able" question.  Yes, it is mess-upable, and you can ruin your engine.  I don't mean to scare you off if you're interested in doing it, but I want to be truthful.

That is exactly why I insist on doing all my own oil changes.

[NathanP]

I change my own oil because I can do it in less than 20 minutes vs. driving to a shop and waiting an hour or more. Near my previous home there was a drive-in oil change place that could do it in 10 minutes when not busy. I used them exclusively and it cost around $35 for conventional oil.

A filter and a gallon of synthetic oil from Amazon is usually around $25. I don't drive much so I change the oil yearly instead of waiting the recommended 15k+ miles.

[sequoia]

Alas, 6 quarts of Mobil 1 full synthetic runs me $14, plus a filter is $3ish (though someone gave me a bunch a few years ago) and I have a Fumoto valve, so changes run me 30 minutes at home.

I've never actually taken my car to an oil change place.  I don't KNOW they change my oil, I don't KNOW if they strip the bolt and I don't KNOW that they put full synthetic oil in, and they seem to charge $30-ish around here (Texas).

I have use Mobil 1 synthetic oil for years. Mobil 1 regularly have rebates which make the price if synthetic oil a lot cheaper. I stock up on filters when I find deals. Both of my cars use the same filter. I would estimate it cost me $20-$25 for one oil change (5.5 qt oil + filter) and maybe 5-10 min of my time. Get the ramp, drive the car unto the ramp, unscrew the bolts for bottom engine cover, drain bolt and oil filter. Leave and do something else (I usually mow the lawn). When I return, oil is completely drained. Install drain bolt and new filter. Pour in new oil. Done. It is even faster when I do the SUV since I do not need to get it on a ramp.

If I take my car to oil change place, it will be at least 30 min or longer. Drive there, wait if there is a line, then more waiting while they work, then drive back home. I rather do something else with my time. YMMV of course.

I haven't seen anyone answer the "mess-up-able" question.  Yes, it is mess-upable, and you can ruin your engine.  I don't mean to scare you off if you're interested in doing it, but I want to be truthful.

That is exactly why I insist on doing all my own oil changes.

+1. If you are new at this, I am sure someone has recorded how to do this on youtube. Oil change and other simple maintenance is just the lowest hanging fruit to save money when one own a car, and I enjoy the change of pace. I work in front of computer all day, so any other work in the garage over weekend is kinda fun.

$55 is not bad depending the type of oil, how many quarts the car need and the location. I do not know how much local Lexus dealer charge, but I know they have free lunch, fresh baked cookies, espresso, and free car wash among other things. I would not mind paying $55 for oil change at that Lexus dealer but I will take advantage of everything that they have lol