Valvoline Instant Oil Change told me my cheapest option was $68.99. Were they trying to rip me off?

How much should it cost?

 

Yes it's made from stainless steel and easily cleaned using brake clean or carb cleaner

 

Walmart has that same oil and your OEM filter for $30. 4 cyl taco is pretty quick and easy.

edit: Costco too if you have a membership.

 

Usually Valvoline has a groupon

 

How many quarts for $30?

 

6 qts at Walmart would probably run you $28. I think they actually have 6 qt boxes now too, though I’m unsure of the price. Every Walmart around me carries all the common toyota OEM filters for about $6

edit: 12 qt boxes for about $55. So you could get 2 changes out of that, plus another 2 filters. Comes out to under $35 a change which isn’t too bad at all.

 

I just bought Mobil 1 at Wally World, it was $25 for the five quart jug of EP. It was $55 for the 12-quart box of Advanced Fuel Economy.

Went with two jugs, will just keep rolling over the extra I suppose.

First oil change for me with this truck, I used to do my cars but it's such a hassle sometimes. Fuck changing the oil on an early CRV, though. I'll pay for someone else to burn their arm on the exhaust pipe on the K24.

 

@Jaypown

Here's a close up of the Moroso filter screen

 

much faster with a fumoto valve.

 

Whatever the traffic will bear. I can understand people being too old or infirm to pull their own maintenance, it’s sad. I’m getting there myself and I’ve been twisting wrenches since 1978 so retirement is very near. I can still do routine maintenance though. Things I can’t handle now I farm out to two younger guys that have gone independent having worked for Toyota and Lexus respectively. They aren’t cheap but they are honest and they do outstanding work.

60-70 dollars is crap. Find an independent shop where they aren’t trying to screw someone. I’ve seen advertisements low as 19.95 but that’s a trick to get you in the door, probably using re refined oil and a cheapo filter. 29.95 to 39.95 seems to be more on par with normal.

 

Im not a customer, I manage an independant shop and thats what we charge.

Please explain the math on how I'm screwing someone at 60-70$

 

I went through this with them last year on my 2.7, OP I'll guess you have the same engine.

I looked it up in the manual and Toyota said you can run the dino blend (5w30 or 10w30, I forget) with no issues. Valvoline sees it otherwise and tried to tell me using that is against Toyota specs and will void the warranty. Therefore they push the 0W20 (semi-synthetic) that you mentioned.

While true that one should run the 0W20 in colder months (as in Massachusetts) this was in May the discussion came up. I ended up bringing the book in and showing them the passage and explained that it's one thing to have your own recommendation, but if you are going to tell me Toyota's recommendation you better update your file to be correct.

In all I don't think it was a ripoff per se unless they tried to tell you the same thing I got above

 

I get 10 quarts of Costco Kirkland Full Synthetic 5w30 Oil for $25, plus a Toyota oil filter from my dealer (

$53 90915-YZZD3 Oil Filter 1 Case (QTY 10)

90915-YZZD3) for $4.05, so in total the synthetic oil change cost about $17-18, with tax.

 

With coupons the Toyota dealers put out every month, you can get oil and filter for between 25 & 40 for reg or synthetic! I would stay away from any drive up oil change shops.

 

I’d like to add that when I couldn’t change my own oil (Going thru divorce living in a Van down by the river and all my tools were in the house I bought that the ex was living in...cue the violins!) I paid a comparable price to get my oil changed with full synthetic, so don’t beat yourself up OP, just search here and YouTube and you’ll see how easy it is to change your own oil, you’ll save money and you’ll have that satisfaction of doing it yourself!

 

I don’t have to explain I’m not your customer and never will be. I’d sooner go to the dealership and use a coupon to get the 40 dollar job. Many years ago I got a firsthand look at drive up oil change business jiffy lube, and there’s no shortage of independent shops ripping people off here.

My future wife and I took in an almost brand new car with 8000 miles in for oil change. Soon the guy was trying to sell us air filter, wiper blades you name it the up sell was blatant. Needless to say they lost our business. At the time I was living in apt unable to do oil change myself. If you are charging 60-70 bucks you’ll never see me. As the economy tightens up I wish you luck getting that money

 

Wally World Synthetic changes are 44+ taxes here.

You can buy 5 qts of Mobil 1 for 23 though and a rebate for at least 10 each for 2 the last four years.

It pays to do it yourself if able.

 

Funny story about that upsell thing. My wife was having her old Rav4 done at Jiffy Lube and they did the usual with the cabin filter upsell. In their defense, the filter really did look like shit and need to be changed badly. She looked at it, said "can I see it?" and held out her hand. The guy gave it to her. She tapped it out in the rubbish barrel, handed it back and said "no thanks, maybe next time".

 

2 places I have the most tow ins from, wally world and our local duke of oils... many drain plugs loose cooking engines. Pays to do it yourself

 

X2 and you avoid the 60-70 dollar oil change guys. That’s the brother in law deal huh