Oh, sorry.. when you said “After a quick investigation they fixed everything with out any problems.”

I kind of figured that a ‘seized engine that has to be replaced’ counted as a problem.. but I guess you and I have different definitions.

Come on, seriously.. in your book that doesn’t count as a problem? That’s a HUGE problem and replacing an engine is a total pain in the butt.. I don’t care if it is at the oil company’s expense, your statement still doesn’t make any sense.

When I change the oil in my Dodge Neon myself, the cost averages $18-25.

I do use non-synthetic oil, which costs approximately $4.27 per quart at Walmart, and I can get it for that price on sale at Auto Zone and O’Reilly Auto Parts as well. A Fram brand oil filter is $3.24. At that price, I’m sure the auto shops are only paying $2-3 for an equivalent filter for my car.

However, MIDAS will change the oil *and* rotate the tires (and check fluids and tell me stories, etc) for $19.99. My trusted local mechanic changes the oil for $25. Tire rotation is extra there. The “really expensive” mechanic that I used to live near charges $35 for oil changes. I never priced the tire rotation. ALL of these places include the oil filter and labor charges in the oil change price. Additionally, I have moved around the US a few times, and have had my oil changed by a few different major chains and local shops. I have never been charged separately for the oil filter.

The JiffyLube may be charging an extra $20 to change your air filter, but if they are charging that extra $20 to change the oil filter, you should call their corporate office to complain. That should be included in the $30 for the oil change.

If these outrageous prices are due to you driving a specific kind of vehicle and you give the shops specific oil/filter requirements, then please remember to include that detail in your posts.

If I need the tires rotated, I take it to MIDAS and plan to attend a yoga class that is just around the corner at the same time. My car is often finished before I am. :) If I don’t need to rotate the tires, then I will do it myself, because I have had too many mechanics either miss existing problems or make up non-existent problems, and I like to look it over myself at least occasionally.

Thank you for looking at this subject. The discussion here was fairly interesting (aside from the running trend of everyone assuming that everyone else is ignorant simply because *all cars are different,* and some are easier to work with than others). :)

When I’ve calculated this with “basic oil” prices, I’ve always found it to be a wash or $2-3 savings (on oil alone). By the time you add in fluid top off, quick inspection, and oil disposal, it’s a major win for having someone else do it. Also, the place I went to between when I moved here and when I went car-free included a free tire rotation as well! Definitely worth paying for the oil change.

Although I have found that places that do $16 oil changes have HUGE mark-ups on non-oil change services and sometimes “find” problems that aren’t actually there. I recall a place telling me I really needed to change my windshield wipers–for only $35!–because they were deteriorating and going to become unsafe. This was strange to me because I’d changed them myself one week prior for about $8.

I beg you to re-evaulate your advice to others because so so many times they’re wrong and you could lead others onto the wrong path. As someone said, your heart is in the right place, but you lead a dangerous path for others just the same. Just think about it.

Does anyone know what a dipstick is, where it is, how to read it, how to open the hood?

It makes me wonder how many oil changes don’t actually happen. Don’t even get me started about brakes.