Dealer Oil Change

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Used to do all the work myself, but due to moving back into a rental the last couple years I've been bringing it to the dealer for oil changes. I've been happy with them. Price for oil, tire rotation, car wash, vacuuming was between $55 & $65 depending on coupons. Now they raised it to $95!!! LOL Or, you can buy some prepaid maintenance things from Toyota for $280 that gives you 5 oil changes. But you have to use within 2 years. Service advisor said expenses went up, labor and oil prices. I asked how much more a barrel of oil was today than 5-10 years ago. Crickets chirped. Then I asked if costs went up why I could buy 5 for less than their regular price used to be. No real answer. So I called around. Local shop with good reviews does the same oil change for $55.

Are these prepaid maintenance things popular? Anyone use them? I just feel like an actuary created them and they're profitable.
 
i know someone that bought the prepaid toyota oil change. she takes it in every 5k miles so gets her money out of it for 2 years. its actually not a bad deal at 55 or so per change. i can do it for less, but some folks don't have the time ,space or ability to do it.
 
Some of the OEMs have cracked down on their dealers using bottom-feeder bulk oil. So while bulk oil can be bought for a buck a quart, some of the dealers are being hit for $4-$5/quart for the "official" synthetics. Anecdotally there's been significant evidence of widespread lubricant fraud being committed by dealers and quickie lubes, to the severe detriment of engines that are equipped with DI. Resulting in the well-known intake occlusion problems.
 
Originally Posted by pitzel
Some of the OEMs have cracked down on their dealers using bottom-feeder bulk oil. So while bulk oil can be bought for a buck a quart, some of the dealers are being hit for $4-$5/quart for the "official" synthetics. Anecdotally there's been significant evidence of widespread lubricant fraud being committed by dealers and quickie lubes, to the severe detriment of engines that are equipped with DI. Resulting in the well-known intake occlusion problems.




REALLY.....sources please????
 
In the past 5-11 yrs oil was 2x - 3x higher than today. In July 2008 it peaked at $149/barrel and then crashed to under $40.

In 2011-2014 it had rebounded again to $100-$113. But it's fairly reasonable today around $53/bl. Just a few months back it was $75.
 
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Originally Posted by pitzel
Anecdotally there's been significant evidence of widespread lubricant fraud being committed by dealers and quickie lubes, to the severe detriment of engines that are equipped with DI. Resulting in the well-known intake occlusion problems.

It seems the reasons for changing your own oil keep piling up. While having the option of paying someone else to do the service continues to diminish. Dumb people who strip out drain plugs. Using vacuums that leave dirty oil in the engine. And now being scammed by having them use cheap, bulk, crap lubricant in your car, that could possibly damage it over time, or else lead to problems.

I'll continue to change my own. Now it appears I'll be doing it until I can no longer walk.
 
Originally Posted by billt460
Originally Posted by pitzel
intake occlusion problems.
It seems the reasons for changing your own oil keep piling up.
"Occlusion" problems are a bit of a stretch. The intake passages aren't going to plug up. Valve stems might get more deposits on DI engines, possibly, if that. In the case for example where a dealer was putting in the cheapest bulk 10w30 or 5w30 SN oil they can find on the local free market, the customer probably would never know they got that in their BMW (etc.). Problems wouldn't happen until 100k miles later at the worst.

Nothing like DIY to make sure its done right, and most of the time its easy enough.

Another way I heard dealerships get cheap is to take used oil and mix with new oil (25%) to boost profit margins. Pump or pour right into new bulk tanks some.
 
Originally Posted by pitzel
Anecdotally there's been significant evidence of widespread lubricant fraud being committed by dealers and quickie lubes, to the severe detriment of engines that are equipped with DI. Resulting in the well-known intake occlusion problems.

Do you know what "anecdotally" means ? That of course leads to the obvious question of "where's the proof?".
 
Originally Posted by paoester
Another way I heard dealerships get cheap is to take used oil and mix with new oil (25%) to boost profit margins. Pump or pour right into new bulk tanks some.

And the hits just keep on comin'!
 
Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by pitzel
Some of the OEMs have cracked down on their dealers using bottom-feeder bulk oil. So while bulk oil can be bought for a buck a quart, some of the dealers are being hit for $4-$5/quart for the "official" synthetics. Anecdotally there's been significant evidence of widespread lubricant fraud being committed by dealers and quickie lubes, to the severe detriment of engines that are equipped with DI. Resulting in the well-known intake occlusion problems.




REALLY.....sources please????


Sources? BITOGERs don't need no stinkin' sources- we all know dealers are EVIL!!!
 
Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
feel like an actuary created them and they're profitable.


Services sold to customers need to be profitable. Can't make it up on volume if you are losing money every time you provide a service.
 
have done all my oil changes since I was 17. 64 now and not about to stop. dealer ruined the trans in my wifes Saturn as the warranty required all service except oil changes if I keep receipts. they did a trans change and left the filter loose -car lost its fluid over time and trans failed -after warranty was up of course
 
See....the problem about people spreading false information about "I heard it's done this way or that way"....when you totally don't even know the facts because it's 2nd and 3rd hand information. The danger is that some gullible people out there will believe it.

My 1st job ever was at a dealership. After that, I worked in and managed "quick lubes" for nearly 13 years. I have never seen, heard of, or known of ANY service facilities to mix used oil with new bulk oil. Such allegations are absurd in my opinion.
 
Originally Posted by pitzel
... Anecdotally there's been significant evidence of widespread lubricant fraud being committed by dealers and quickie lubes...


Oh, how I agree!
Anyone who believes what they are getting when they pay extra for a "premium" oil change has their head in the sand if they think they are getting anything better then conventional or cheap syn.
Not all but I would say "widespread" for sure.

Easy way around this is always get the cheapest oil change if you dont change your own oil and at the least, check the dipstick for clean oil and check that the oil filter was changed.
 
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I do believe their is fraudulent auto shops and dealerships out there, and as vehicles get more and more sophisticated it will continue. It is too easy to fool people unfortunately. So many people spend a ton of money on their car but take not time to understand it.. That being said, I think a dealership is more likely to be a safe place than an independent. All that aside, hard to believe a "regular gas engine" oil change is now $95! Cars are getting crazy with fancy oils and what not.. And I have seen the pre paid maintenance being very popular.. Its like a subscription service for service. Seems like everything has to be bought that way now.
 
Originally Posted by GoldDot40
See....the problem about people spreading false information about "I heard it's done this way or that way"....when you totally don't even know the facts because it's 2nd and 3rd hand information. The danger is that some gullible people out there will believe it.

My 1st job ever was at a dealership. After that, I worked in and managed "quick lubes" for nearly 13 years. I have never seen, heard of, or known of ANY service facilities to mix used oil with new bulk oil. Such allegations are absurd in my opinion.

Sadly, this is typical of the internet.... Someone here will have read that ridiculous comment above and spread it and someone else will see it and spread it and there we go. Before long, enough people will have "heard" it that many will accept it as fact.
 
OP - If its $95 for synthetic that is really not too terrible and if synthetic I could see how they were losing their behinds before when it was $55-65. If that's the price for a dino oil then yeah its a total money grab. Didn't Toyota switch to 0W-20 synthetic required quite a few years back?
 
By me both the Valvoline shop and my trusted indy charge no more than $40 for regular oil. The Valvoline shop is under $80 for full synthetic.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
They are all out to get you.

GDA

smirk.gif
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No, it's absolutely nothing personal, they screw everyone equally for the most part, really they do.

Ask me how I know, I worked in the dealerships for decades, and saw this first hand.
 
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