How much does an oil change cost and why can you use any random oil in american cars?
Posted by Optimal_Fuel6568@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 32 comments
I saw this reel where a woman sits in a car and says "how much is an oil change" she paid 160 because of the special VW oil and basically the whole comment section is just making fun of woman being stupid and sexual assault
So now my question is: if i drive a F150 or a corolla. Super common cars in the usa How much does an oil change cost?
I recently bought a 5l canister of 0W30 VW508/509 oil for 80€. If i pay 80€ oer work hour (a normal rate) that price would end up at 160€
As far as i know all car brands require special oil that have manufacturer requirements, maybe not a car from the 70s and maybe not a lawn mower but generally the oil type is important or is it not?
Also i always thouth the USA is more expensive, i would expect to pay even more for an oil change there
Do you guys just use some random oil you have laying around for all cars and you pay the worler by the minute so you get down to 50$ for an oil change or are those comments just wrong and 160$ is a normal price for an oil change?
RaidenTLG@reddit
Prices can vary widely but I dont pay anything above $65 most cities have 20 to 80 mechanics so shop around
bigassdiesel@reddit
I enjoy maintaining my cats, granted all 4 are Hondas. They all take same filter and 3 of them take 5w20, the other 0w20 oil.
I get a Mobil 1 oil filter and 5 quarts of oil on sale for $40. It probably takes me 30 minutes start to finish for the oil change. I use Mobil synthetic high mileage oil.
But I also do wipers, cabin air and engine air filters at the same time, so maybe an hour of mybtime and total parts cost of $100.
When the schedule calls for it, i Don whatever else is called for.
MarkVII88@reddit
Your post is poorly written, and you fail to make very coherent points. But here's my response anyway.
Every car tells you which motor oil it takes on the oil filler cap, and in the owner's manual. It's not a random choice. Most vehicles don't require super special "VW oil" or "Ford F150 oil" or "Rolls Royce oil" either, with some exceptions for very high-performance or exotic cars. There are lots of different motor oils out there, some using traditional petroleum-based formulations, others fully synthetic. And they are meant to meet or exceed certain minimum specs the car makers require for different applications.
The cost of an oil change certainly varies based on the type of oil used (fully synthetic tends to cost more), amount of oil required (because some vehicles require more oil than others), the quality of the oil filter used, and the ease of performing the oil change. So there is no specific set price for how much an oil change costs in the U.S. I do think that woman from the reel, who paid 160 EUR for an oil change on her VW paid way too much, and probably got scammed by the shop that did her oil change.
Besides, anyone who is serious about saving money on oil changes will be buying their own motor oil, filter, and doing the job themselves at home.
rsmtirish@reddit
Many shops treat oil changes as loss leaders. You’ll see some shops offer $20 oil changes but only up to 5 quarts, and then sell you other work to make up for the money they lost on the oil change. My dealership breaks even on oil changes. Price is usually set according to the amount of oil the vehicle takes as an oil change takes about the same time on most vehicles.
$50 is cheap for an oil change, $70-$90 is pretty average, and $90+ is either a specialty shop, luxury dealership or there’s just something complicated about the vehicle that requires more labor.
Optimal_Fuel6568@reddit (OP)
If I tell them to just do an oil change, do they try to make profit then or do they just not make money on me?
If i go there with a car thats in near perfect condition so they cant upsellme on brakes or something. .
Used-BandiCoochie@reddit
Long game: You keep going to them because you’ll go to them out of habit. Then you’ll hit the real maintenance and get hit for $200-$300 air filters and unneeded flushes. Since your car is in the shop already (you drove there), now u gotta go: do i do it here or find a 3rd party guy? What if they fuck it up elsewhere? Does that void the warranty? They’ve been pretty consistent here. I’ll just get it done here.
UpsetHyena964@reddit
I have a 2018 mazda 3 it uses full synthetic. Just got oil changed, cost me $69.99+ tax my my wife drives a dodge minivan, and her van uses standard oil. It cost her $29.99.
Like others have stated, 1) it heavily depends on where you go. 2) it depends on the type of oil traditional, 50/50, and full synthetic. Traditional oil is the cheapest, but it's recommended to change every 3k miles. I run full synthetic. I get about 10k miles in between changes
pm-me-racecars@reddit
They'll do an oil change and probably a free inspection, too.
Whether you choose to do anything from there is up to you. Your tires are probably good for another 2 seasons, but then I'd start looking into those. Your left rear brakes are approximately 15% health, you should really be thinking about new ones, your right rear brakes are closer to 20%, but you want to replace them at the same time. Can I book you in some time in the next month or two? While we're there, we should also have someone take a look and try to figure out why they're not wearing evenly. Your ball joints are wearing, but they're normal for a car your cars age and will probably be good for another year or two. It's always good to change your cabin air filter ever fall with all the pine needles jamming up your hvac. Your engine air filter should be done just as often because your engine needs to breathe too, right? Your headlights and brake lights are good, but we did notice that one of your marker lights is a little dim. Did you want us to fix that for you quickly while we have the car, or should we risk it and wait until next time you're here?
So that will be $85 for the oil change, and I will see you in two weeks for the stuff we talked about.
One_Frosting_8284@reddit
….OP just kind of told you:
They’re gonna charge anywhere from $20-$160.
On the lower end, they’re taking a loss. A business strategy that some businesses employ.
In the middle, they’re breaking even. Maybe some profit.
Towards $160, perhaps making profit….perhaps the vehicle is just that resource heavy to work on….
kaoh5647@reddit
What he said plus VW has somehow turned into a poorly made scam
a_rogue_planet@reddit
I don't know what goes on outside the USA, but here we have the American Petroleum Institute that certifies oils for various classes of use. EVERY car company's oil requirement fall within one of those classes. There is no VW, Honda, Toyota, Detroit Diesel, GM oils. They prescribe a weight and a service class, and that's what you put in it. And they sell all that stuff damn near anywhere that sells oil.
Agreeable_One_6325@reddit
Subaru will turn on a check engine light if you use the wrong oil.
gotcha640@reddit
Oil details have been pretty well covered, but your idea of things being more expensive in the US generally not correct.
Food is cheaper, energy (oil/fuel/natural gas, electricity) is a lot cheaper, vehicles are cheaper to buy and cheaper to keep inspected and registered, real estate is cheaper.
Healthcare is more expensive, and being poor is more expensive (largely due to healthcare, but also general access to support services), and at the country level our public transportation is terrible, so in most places you have to own a car and all those associated costs.
Dull_Support_4919@reddit
even newer cars can use any oil brand so long as its the design the manufacturer intended. you dont need special VW oil in the newest of the new jettas. of course some brands are higher quality than others. mobile 1 vs the store brand come to mind. but you can run that cheap store brand if it matches what the car was designed to run on. same way you can run entirely on mcdonalds or fresh whole foods. but one is a significantly higher quality and better for you in the long run.
heres an example. say your car was designed to run on fully synthetic 0w-20. any fully synthetic 0W-20 oil *WILL* run in that car. you dont need the specific manufacturers oil. they just say that so they can charge you a ton and rip you off like your friend there. odds are the dealership she took it to is running some relabeled brand of some oil that can be found in any autoparts store for much less.
anyway. my car costs me about 60 bucks to get an oil change. but thats because i do it myself and use a high quality oil and filter. but it can easily just cost me 45 bucks if i went with some more middle of the road oils and it would run just fine.
last time i took it to a shop because they were already doing a lot of work on it and they had it on the lift anyway so i figured why not. it cost me i think 80 bucks. my moms is a neweer car that needs more oil and at a shop it regularly costs her about 100 bucks.
op3l@reddit
Oil varies by brand a bit and even VW gets their oil made by another oil manufacturer. They just have specific requirements that's better suited(sometimes or it could literally just be a product they already produce) for VW cars.
The woman's oil change was $160 not because of the oil, but because she went to the dealer for the oil change...
All oil does is lubricate the engine and since all engines are basically made out of the same stuff all oils will work as long as the weight is correct. The expensive oils just has more additives that can help it provide better lubrication in higher temps or for longer.
I've been driving for 30 years now and all that time I've never specified a brand of oil to use and none of the cars I drove ever developed any engine problems related to oil because more important than brand or cost of oil is to change the oil when it needs changing.
mx5plus2cones@reddit
Here late model VW does require an oil that is VW 508/9 compliant. It's different for German cars. Each major german car manufacturer have their own oil standards that the oil must comply with.
VW 508/9 is a specific standard that the oil you use most comply with for your warranty to remain valid. You cannot simply put in any kind of 0w20 (or at least you aren't suppose to).
screaminXeagle@reddit
Well an important first detail, it's not "any random oil" every car has a specified oil weight, but no, most manufacturers don't require you use their special oil. Just the correct type. My two cars use 5W20, neither have ever gotten a brand specific blend.
In the case you mentioned 0W30. I looked it up and converted prices, 5L of 0W30 oil is ~23€ here. For most cars an oil change is 15-30 minutes flag time. For convenience we'll say 30. At 80€ an hour that's 63€ so far, add an oil filter for, I dunno, 15. Comes out to about 80€ or $90. As for how they can charge less, shops order bulk quantities of oil and filters and for far less per liter than you would at a store yourself. And if a shop is just doing oil changes, they probably pay their workers a lot less.
mx5plus2cones@reddit
That is NOT true for most German cars that have their own specific oil standards...
imothers@reddit
You should use the right standard, but the brand is not all that important. That standard specified for European cars is usually not one of the cheaper options on the big rack of jugs of oil at the auto parts store. Cheap stuff is usually an older standard, which is OK for older cars (8 to 10 years old maybe).
mx5plus2cones@reddit
Thats not exactly true today. Most major oil manufacturers not make oil that is compliant with the latest Euro Spec oil from each of the major manufacturer.
For example, Mobil 1 ESP 0w20 is VW 508/9 compliant and you can find it at Walamart.com for $28/5 quarts.
Castrol has several Euro Spec oils (Castrik Edge 0w40, 5w40, and 5w30 European) fgor about $27/5 quarts at walmart.
Valvoline 0w20, 5w40, 5w30 European ($27/5 quarts) Walmart
Penzoil 0w20, 5w40, 5w30 Euro $27/5 quarts Walmart
The oil filter you can get an OE/OEM filter (Mann/Maule/Bosch/Hengst) for about $10-20 online from places like FCP Euro, ECSTuning, or even Amazon.
Optimal_Fuel6568@reddit (OP)
Thats the thing, my new 2022 Skoda needs two diffrent VW standards to not void the warranty and insurance
My moms 2004 golf doesnt care that much, that 1.9tdi has no special oil standards
sweetrobna@reddit
Most us domestic cars will use 5w-20, 5w-30 or 0w-20. Ford makes motorcraft 5w-20, but you can use any 5w-20. As long as the oil is the right weight it meets the requirements for the car.
VW group(and some porsche) recommend 508/509 spec oil in addition to the weight. There are some additional requirements so many US focused products are not cross certified. Also it's dyed green. This is slightly more expensive if they normally carry it, for instance Mobil 1 ESP X2 is 508/509 and $29 for a 5q jug compared to $25 for regular mobil 1, both at walmart.
A quick oil change place might charge $80 for a full synthetic oil change along with checking the air pressure and filling up your washer fluid and a 10 point inspection, it all happens while you are in the car. A dealer might charge $120 for the same service, but you get a 20 point inspection and you wait in the lobby.
There are some cheaper places that depend more on upselling. A $25 oil change with a coupon can make sense if a few buy a set of tires and brakes for $1500. Oh and it isn't actually $25, that was just for four quarts, the fifth one is extra, etc. Not super common.
throwawayyourfun@reddit
I work as a service advisor in a shop. My full synthetic oil change package is $79.99 and my Semi-Synthetic (synthetic blend) runs $46.99. (Both include up to 5 qts, oil filter and vehicle inspection.) With taxes and disposal fees puts them up another $9-11. As long as you aren't driving a luxury brand like BMW or Mercedes, the oil filters I stock should cover you.
My basic barrel of the Semi-Synthetic 5w-30 covers quite a few specs.
My 0w-20 full synthetic covers a lot of modern cars.
5w-40 full synthetic covers most of the older Euro cars.
professorfunkenpunk@reddit
I use synthetic in mine because it’s high mileage. My local shop has a punchcard, 5 oil changes for 100 bucks, but they punch two for synthetic. So I guess 40 bucks a pop. Jiffy lube was pushing 90 last time I was there
Optimal_Fuel6568@reddit (OP)
Thats cheaper than doing it yourself in europe
I guess everything is more expensive in the Usa unless its related to cars, then its dirt cheap
professorfunkenpunk@reddit
I will say, the shop I go to is unusually cheap. Like one of the other replies said, I’m sure they do it as a loss leader so they can do an inspection to find other repairs to sell you. These guys are pretty honest though. Last time I was in, he said “I’m shocked, for as high of miles as you have, your car needs absolutely nothing right now. Here’s a list of things it will need before long based on mileage, and the order I’d prioritize them in.” I actually had some exhaust work done a while back, and they called the next day to refund me six dollars because they had charged me for some little part they didn’t end up using.
Mike__O@reddit
Price of an oil change will vary a lot depending on the size of the engine and its oil capacity. A big V8 or diesel engine will likely take far more oil than a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder. Oil generally costs $6-9 per liter. A small car might take 4L, while a diesel pickup might take up to 10L. Oil filters are usually cheap, less than $10 in most cases.
As for what oil, NO, you can't just use "random oil you have laying around". The brand is irrelevant (so long as it meets industry standards), the marketing wank (i.e. "high mileage") is mostly irrelevant, but the weight of the oil is EXTREMELY relevant. Engines are designed for specific weights of oil. Many modern turbocharged 4 cylinder cars use very thin oil like 0W-20, whereas diesels will use something like 15W-40. Putting the thin oil in the diesel or thick oil in the car will likely damage either one.
Optimal_Fuel6568@reddit (OP)
Thats the point, here the VW specific oil is a lot more expensive than 5-9$ I paid 80 for 5l
But as i said in a diffrent comment, i guess everything car related is just super cheap in the USA
Here you lose warranty and maybe even insurance in case of an accident if you change the VW specific 0w20 to a random non 508/509 complaint 0w20
Mike__O@reddit
It's similar in the US. For example, GM has their dexos1 and dexos2 oil spec. You don't need to buy specific GM oil, but you need to run oil that meets that spec or you will likely void your warranty. It doesn't matter if it's Pennzoil, Valvoline, Mobil1 etc so long as it meets that spec.
morelsupporter@reddit
it's the shop rate plus the cost of the oil and filter plus the markup on the oil and filter.
i do my own oil changes, but i use specific oil and filters that not all shops have so when i get a shop to do it, they charge me their shop labour rate which is $50 an hour.
different oils are formulated for different requirements/intensities, different operating temperatures and different performance needs. most cars and nearly all european cars now have turbos and they are oil-needy.
the manufacturer recommends specific brands mostly because those brands pay for that privilege. the BMW oil cap says castrol i'm pretty sure. i've never ever used castrol. they recommend certain weights because they've determined the engine will operate at its most efficient with that type of oil.
ultimately engine oil is engine oil, it's better to have a type of oil in the engine that the manufacturer doesnt recommend than no or low oil.
Optimal_Fuel6568@reddit (OP)
My NA motor never burned much oil, my new Turbo motor does, is that because turbos just use up some oil?
I never care about the brand, its just that the oil need to fulfil some manufacturers requirements
For example on my Skoda its the "VW oil industry standard 508 00 and 509 00"
If i dont use that and the engine blows up the insurance doesnt pay for it
Talking about insurance, if i go to one of those cheap 20$ oil change shops and my engine fails cause they used the wrong oil, are they going to cover the cost? Usually in official workshops you have warranty
Advanced_Falcon8553@reddit
While yes, there are typically no manufacturer specific oils for American manufacturers, "any random oil" is a bit of an oversimplification. American manufacturers standardized on using certain oil weights and then let the oil companies make the oils to that spec. A Ford and Chevy might have different engines, but they'll both use, say, 10w-30 oil despite being different OEMs (idk if Ford or Chevy both use 10w-30, just an example) I've heard oil changes costing anywhere between $20 and $170, it depends on what the shop charges and if you get higher end/specialty oil put in (like special high mileage oil or oil with added zinc for old V8s).