$75 for a mobile oil change - ok Boomer

[IT Cowboy]

I'm not a boomer, but I'm definitely turning into my dad—doing a double take at prices these days. I just saw a local ad for a mobile oil change service at $75. I didn’t check the fine print, but I’m guessing it includes budget oil and a basic filter, probably limited to 5 quarts or something like that. I get it—they're providing a service, and good for them for the hustle.

I still remember when gas hit $1 a gallon, and my dad lost it over a $10 tire patch.

[Stocker]

I hear you. I worked part-time in a service station when I was 15 (mid 1960s). Learned about oil & filter changes, lube jobs, fixed flat tires etc etc. Still do my own minor maintenance, partly because I can, & partly because I'm too cheap to pay the going rate.

I remember gas under 30 cents, and we fixed flats for a dollar -- same rate as my hourly wage.

[truckin 79]

I dont know after laying underneath our camping van for a good hour and a half trying to get a stuck oil filter off that seems like a good deal. The band oil wrench just crushed it and putting a screwdriver through it just made it drip oil all over the place. With enough profanity and crushing my hand against the frame a few times it finally came off.

[IT Cowboy]

Originally Posted by truckin 79

I dont know after laying underneath our camping van for a good hour and a half trying to get a stuck oil filter off that seems like a good deal. The band oil wrench just crushed it and putting a screwdriver through it just made it drip oil all over the place. With enough profanity and crushing my hand against the frame a few times it finally came off.

I use one of those rubber strap wrenches that works well on most things and will at least let me get it loose to drip oil on my gloves and burn my hands.

[72c20customcamper]

So the guy comes to you and changes the oil? If so that’s not an outrageous price . Garages around here get $120 an hour labor . I would say that an average oil change takes 20-30 minutes by the time you get the vehicle in and on and off the lift . I think even jiffy lube is 50 bucks for an oil change .

[leddzepp]

I don’t think that’s bad at all if he comes to you on your time. You don’t have to wait in line at jiffy lube. I don’t even see conventional (Dino) oil on the shelf anymore so I assume it’s synthetic oil being used. I do my own oil changes still and it’s $50 for the oil/filter when it’s on sale. I’d pay a guy $25 to do it for me and supply him the oil and filter, just to save crawling on my back and getting hot oil on my hands.

[Ironhorse]

Used to do all my own oil changes, tune ups (plugs, points n condenser for those that remember them) along with fuel pumps on the side of the block, timing chains, v/c gaskets, carb rebuilds, etc. Used to enjoy turning stereo on, remove the drain plug and crack open a cold one waiting for the hot oil to drain. Never had a lift, put car or truck up on ramps, set the park brake, chock the wheels.

Got lazy I guess in my old age, going on 76, and now let my trusted local auto repair do the oil changes. I supply my brand of dino or synthetic oil, depending on vehicle, and filter (Wix) and he charges me $20 and no used oil to deal with. A win-win for both of us in my book.

[Steeveedee]

I still change the oil and do most of the work on my truck. I buy tires like anyone else and have them installed, though. I tuned my truck up probably 8 or so years ago when I put the HEI distributor in, but it's only been driven about 8k miles since. Same for the brakes. New stuff all around, and a conversion to front disc. I should flush the system soon, it's been long enough to have possibly gotten corroded.

Oil changes on our econoboxes are in the $80 range, and I'd just as soon take them to the dealer so that the warranty remains in force.

[IT Cowboy]

Like I said, I sort of understand the convenience factor and the cost isn't horrendous. I probably have trust issues and like to make sure it is done right and I do not like being dependent on other people. I can envision it being like waiting for the cable person to show up and then I would still be checking to see if it was leaking or under / overfilled. I am one of those persons who had a quick oil change place pump 15 qts through my motor before they realized they forgot to put the drain plug back in.

[GSP7]

I'll always change my own oil.

No body touches my truck. 'cept me

If you want it done right, Do It yourself,

Plus, because no body knows what they are doing 'cept me


.

[yuccales]

Did the Montero and the 70 on Saturday. I take my time. I enjoy wiping down the bottom of the rigs and looking for anything out of the ordinary. Still using my favorite ramps and milk crate.

[Mid-Pack]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Got lazy I guess in my old age, going on 76, and now let my trusted local auto repair do the oil changes. I supply my brand of dino or synthetic oil, depending on vehicle, and filter (Wix) and he charges me $20 and no used oil to deal with. A win-win for both of us in my book.

That`s a great deal, services and repairs are crazy money these days. Good score.

Originally Posted by GSP7

I'll always change my own oil.
No body touches my truck. 'cept me
If you want it done right, Do It yourself,
Plus, because no body knows what they are doing 'cept me
.

My sentiments exactly

[1slo64]

$75 isn't bad nowadays. Local dealers here are a minimum of $90 for one and even express oil change is $120+ for an oil change and tire rotation.

[truckster]

As a Boomer, let me just point out that you wouldn't have that truck if the Boomers hadn't preserved them for you...

[LEEVON]

Times sure have changed. Oil changes an interesting study too. I have owned a busy shop for 11 years now, and when we opened our "menu" priced oil change (5 quarts, standard filter) was $24.99 and we used to get coupon shoppers and people asking why it wasn't $19.99 or telling me it was too high all the time. Competition everywhere. And the price was relatively steady going back to the 90's.

Fast forward. Nobody complains about the cost of oil changes anymore. We don't have standard menu pricing, or discounts and neither do most of our competitors. Our average price 2025 year to date for an oil change is $78.22, and the average direct cost (parts and labor only) is $33.99. That is 434 oil changes. The increase is much greater than inflation. Is it a bellweather of the economy? I don't know.

Here is the breakdown of an oil change in 2014 vs 2025:

- 2014 entry level oil change labor was about $12/hr. Labor in 2025 $22/hr+

- 2014 the majority of vehicles took 5 quarts, non synthetic. In 2025 the majority take 6-8 ore even 9! quarts, over half are now synthetic.

- 2014 I paid $1.98 for 85% of oil filters. Todays average is $6-ish. Some canister and Euro filters my cost is $15-25.

- 2014 I paid $.98 per quart of conventional oil, and today I pay $2.63/quart.

Of course I'm not factoring overhead, profit, etc. It's just interesting how the bare costs have changed. Of course, by scale so has profit. But I lost money on oil changes the first few years, now they're still lower margin than repair work, but at least I'm making money having a bay and two employees busy 7am-5pm.

[biketopia]

Originally Posted by LEEVON

Times sure have changed. Oil changes an interesting study too. I have owned a busy shop for 11 years now, and when we opened our "menu" priced oil change (5 quarts, standard filter) was $24.99 and we used to get coupon shoppers and people asking why it wasn't $19.99 or telling me it was too high all the time. Competition everywhere. And the price was relatively steady going back to the 90's.

Fast forward. Nobody complains about the cost of oil changes anymore. We don't have standard menu pricing, or discounts and neither do most of our competitors. Our average price 2025 year to date for an oil change is $78.22, and the average direct cost (parts and labor only) is $33.99. That is 434 oil changes. The increase is much greater than inflation. Is it a bellweather of the economy? I don't know.

Here is the breakdown of an oil change in 2014 vs 2025:

- 2014 entry level oil change labor was about $12/hr. Labor in 2025 $22/hr+

- 2014 the majority of vehicles took 5 quarts, non synthetic. In 2025 the majority take 6-8 ore even 9! quarts, over half are now synthetic.

- 2014 I paid $1.98 for 85% of oil filters. Todays average is $6-ish. Some canister and Euro filters my cost is $15-25.

- 2014 I paid $.98 per quart of conventional oil, and today I pay $2.63/quart.

Of course I'm not factoring overhead, profit, etc. It's just interesting how the bare costs have changed. Of course, by scale so has profit. But I lost money on oil changes the first few years, now they're still lower margin than repair work, but at least I'm making money having a bay and two employees busy 7am-5pm.

Great post and very transparent! For the past almost 20 years I've been in a fleet setting but before that I was a general service tech through, and out of high school. Seeing both sides of the coin, the "back of house" side with bulk pricing, contracts, etc. has been very interesting over the years. The corner gas station I worked at was similar in the early 2000's, $19.99 5qt oil change, with the occasional $2 off coupon. You can't by supplies for that anymore, let alone labor and overhead!

[LS short box]

On our daily drivers that are still under factory warranty I let the dealer do the oil changes. I do supply the syn oil, typically Mobil One. I let the dealer supply the oil filter.
On my hot rods I do all the oil changes.
I never go to the 30 minute oil change places.

[IT Cowboy]

The myth that doing your oil changes voids the warranty is a myth. They cannot void it if you do it yourself and keep receipts and records. I understand many places will throw in free changes for X miles. I do not trust them as they usually put the lowest-paid new tech as the one doing the changes. I do not care to have my truck dropped off a lift.

[72c20customcamper]

Had a Dodge Charger that was my wife’s company car . They leased it and required all maintenance work at the dealer . The second oil change they stripped out the plug . Had to get a new pan and it took three weeks so they gave here a loaner Jeep . That one as she drove it home the oil filter fell off . So much for dealer serviced vehicles.

[lil hoodlum]

I think $75 for a mobile oil change is too much. But considering I do my own oil changes on my 68 trucks, 5 quart container of VHI Valvoline is typicaly $34 and a Wix oil filter is about $13, it's close to $50. Then my time to crawl under and drain the old oil and filter then replace usually takes me about an hour, but I like to take my time and make sure everything is as it's suppose to be. So I guess paying a mobile mechanic $25 isn't too far out of line.


I had a girlfriend many, many years ago and we were fixing to go out of town on a trip. I told her we should change her oil and filter before leaving. Took it to a JiffyLube. Seems that the forgot to put oil back in the motor after draining out the old oil. We had the car towed back to the JiffyLube and they put the oil in that they forgot.

[IT Cowboy]

We have a quick change place here where we take our leased vehicles to and I will admit they seem pretty thorough and do have choice of oils. You sit in your car while they do the work and they call out to the person above what they are doing.

[truckin 79]

My problem was I tried to change oil on a cold motor. The camping van rarely gets used so battery discharges just sitting there. So I was waiting for battery to charge and decided to do the oil change........never again. I also forgot that I had one of these oil filters that crush tighten on the bottom of the oil filter. I am still going to but one of these strap wrenches

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by truckin 79

My problem was I tried to change oil on a cold motor. The camping van rarely gets used so battery discharges just sitting there. So I was waiting for battery to charge and decided to do the oil change........never again. I also forgot that I had one of these oil filters that crush tighten on the bottom of the oil filter. I am still going to but one of these strap wrenches

The strap wrench is the way to go . A friend got me one when he worked for John Deere many moons ago .