| $ Walmart $18 to $25 | $ $ Sears $26 to $30 | $ $ $ Average Car Dealership $20 to $60 |
Owning a car means much more than just being able to drive it, it means that you need to take care of it.
Staying consistent with the scheduled maintenance of your car for it to be at its best sounds easy but many people don’t want to do it or just forget about it.
Regular maintenance means that you need to regularly make minor tune-ups and oil changes to extend the life of your vehicle.
And, if you don’t take notice of this then that’s when the problems start to arise.
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How to Choose Wise on Oil Change?
Changing the oil of your vehicle is one of the most basic things to do when it comes to vehicles maintenance.
In comparison, the cost and inconvenience of an oil change is a very small price to pay if you compared it to the troubles of malfunctioning your vehicle could have if you don’t do it.
The cost of an oil change can vary depending on many things like the year, make and model of your car, and also the type of oil you want to use, but the cost usually goes from $20 to as much as $80.
Also, where you do the oil change matters when it comes to price, as it varies depending on if it’s an independent shop, an oil-change retail chain, or a dealership (dealerships tend to be more expensive).
There’s a difference between a basic oil change, a high-mileage oil change, and a diesel oil change, that can make the price of the oil change that you need go up.
One of the best oil options out there is synthetic oil, which is artificially made and often used in high-performance engines, which of course makes them more expensive and can cost from $35 to $70.
On average, many people prefer to get the basic oil change service, which includes a regular oil, and this service usually costs about $30
Changing the oil of your car should be a regular thing, as you should change it every three months or every 3000 miles, which translates to having to make 4 oil changes per year, which translates into spending an average of $120 per year in just oil change.
Top Retailers/Brands and Costs
| Company Names | Basic Oil Change Prices |
| Average Car Dealership | $20 to $60 |
| Firestone | $20 to $25 |
| Mobil | $25 to $30 |
| Sears | $26 to $30 |
| Shell | $27 to $35 |
| Quick Lube | $20 to $25 |
| Walmart | $18 to $25 |
Things to Consider
Before Buying:
- Try to remember the last time you change your oil or at how many miles you did it last so you can keep track and do the scheduled maintenance service accordingly.
- Although you may not know about the difference between car oils, it’s good to make a little research into the type of oil your car usually uses.
- Have a budget in mind. If you want an upgrade type of service that also means that the oil change will cost more, so is good to keep a budget in mind when looking for the best prices and retailers (there are also many shops and retailers that offer coupons for an oil change).
When Buying:
- Choose your type of service. Shops usually offer three oil options: conventional, high mileage, and synthetic. (Conventional oil offers wear protection and buildup, a high mileage oil is for cars that have more than 75,000 miles, and synthetic oil helps prolong your engine’s life).
- Usually, when you do an oil change it will include up to 6 quarts of oil and a new basic oil filter.
- Be aware of the final price. Take notice of what should be included on it, which usually is the oil, labor, shop fees, oil filter, additional parts, and disposing of the older oil. Ask them about it!
- The average duration of changing the oil of your vehicle take approximately 30 minutes.
- Some shops and mechanics also perform a complimentary auto inspection to check on other fluids and let you know if there are any other services to do on your car. This includes fluid levels, filters, car’s batteries, wiper blades, steering systems, and lighting systems.
After Buying:
- Make sure to schedule your next oil change appointment so you don’t miss it.
- If you like doing DIY and are tight on the budget, then you can do your own oil change, as most DIY jobs will be less than $20. Changing the oil of your vehicle is easy, and here’s a video that shows you the step by step on how to do it.
- After the oil change, the mechanic can bring up other common fixes that you can do on your car like an oil filter, air filter, transmission flush, and engine coolant flush. Check if you really need to change anything because they don’t have to change as often.
- Look for coupons for your next oil change! Most oil shops offer coupons and savings in the paper or through their websites.
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Price Paid: $30
I paid $30 at a Mobil station where they had this service, quick and efficient, did that while I was there pumping gas.