I went to freeway motors for an oil change and tire rotation for $79.99. Great deal I thought. The charge me extra for an oil filter. Is the a common practice?
No it is not common. The filter has been included in any oil change I have ever had done.
That is less than I pay for just an oil change so the cost is not out of line. But why did you not question the filter charge when paying the invoice ? The place I use the advertised price is for 5 quarts of synthetic oil and filter . But my vehicle holds 7 quarts so I get charged for two quarts .
Iâve never encountered that in nearly 50 years of driving. It sounds like you found out why the price was so good. How much did the shop charge for the filter?
The extra charge for a filter was true back before 1960 or so when many cars didnât have oil filters. Neither my 1947 Pontiac nor my 1955 Pontiac had oil filters. My dad bought a new 1960 Rambler and it was not equipped with an oil filter. On his 1954 Buick, there was an extra charge for a new oil filter.
If the price even w/the filter charge was competitive, that might be a good shop to do business with. That way you can decide to use a premium oil filter if you want, or standard, your choice. If the filter comes with it, youâll be getting the standard quality filter as youâre only option.
âOil change and tire rotation $79.99 (most cars)â.
If this is an unusual vehicle the filter may not have been a normal stocking item an additional charge may apply.
The title to this thread has been edited, does anyone remember what vehicle was listed in the title?
First time Iâve heard of this. Odds are itâs a way of trying to beat others in the area on price. After all, once theyâre on the lot how many would say no and leave because of that. Few if any.
Yes it is⊠for them.
Most ads for oil and filter changes have most cars in small print. Some cars take more than 5 quarts and some cars have oil filters that are not made by the cheap whire box oil filters some oil change shops use.
I was at Sears in the early 60s getting a battery put in and they they had advertised an oil change at a certain price for âany carâ and a customer with an older Jaguar and the manager were yelling at each other because of the amount of oil his car took. I donât remember for sure but I think it was at least 8 quarts. I donât know who won because I left when my battery was installed.
Really old Jags didnât have an oil cooler, but had 12 or 13 quart capacity IIRC, partially to manage oil temperature.
I just looked it up; a Jag 120 with the flat based sump,(oil pan) 24 pints plus filter. Change every 2500 miles, unless severe duty. At 2500 miles remove the oil filter cartridge and clean in petrol. Replace every 5000 miles as âby then it will have become choked with foreign matter.â
Back in the 70âs it wasnât uncommon for manufacturer oil change recommendations to be every 3k miles, but oil and filter every 6k miles. But I havenât seen that recommendation in decades.
I pay around $80 for a synthetic oil change, tire rotation, and new oil filter. My car holds about 8 quarts of oil.
Off the top of my head I couldnât tell you how much they charged for the filter. Truth be told they could be charging me $20 flat per wheel with a free oil change.
If the price is reasonable and done to my satisfaction, I donât care how they calculate it. But your results may vary.
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Another example of âadd onsâ, like the âresort feesâ that get added to hotel bills, fuel surcharges for airlines, etc.
Iâve seen hotels fees that are more then what their room fee is. Some states have laws against. One hotel I stayed at earlier this year had an advertised price of $150/night, then after all the fees it was up to over $300/night.
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Itâs not the usual practice. However, if the car is running OK and you are changing the oil at the appropriate intervals, going without changing the filter is very unlikely to have any downside - unless the car is still in warranty and it calls for a change of O&OF, both, every time.