I got my oil changed today and it cost more than usual but I didn’t think anything of it because I know that oil prices are up. But when I actually got to looking at my receipt, I was apparently charged $10 for driving a high-mileage vehicle. I drive a 96 Chevy S-10 with 106,000 miles and its been driven to school (to both high school and college) by 4 kids, and I’m the youngest. My dad thinks they’re ripping me off because I’m both a girl and young, but…
Has anyone encountered such a fee before?
They probably put in “high mileage” oil, which costs more than the regular oil. If your truck isn’t leaking any oil, you don’t need it and they certainly shouldn’t have put it in without your say-so. I’d definitely complain and not patronize them any more unless they give you your ten bucks back.
There may be a misunderstanding on your part about an extra $10. Perhaps they simply raised their rates to all because of the new costs of oil. But if they specified a surcharge to you because of high mileage on your car, then this is irregular. They should have sought your authorization for any special oil, at least if you waited for the service. If you had gone off and left your car, perhaps they thought they were doing you a service. Not a ripoff, just over-eager mechanics.
I’m of the opinion that you were probably given “high mileage oil” which on average is a bit higher in price. It’s also unnecessary IMHO. Stick with what is recommended if the truck’s oil useage is negligible.
On a side note here. If this oil change was performed by a quick lube facility I would advise you to stay away from any recommended filter changes, flushes, etc. Here’s a good example why.
My son bought a low miles Lincoln Aviator before last Xmas. The salesman at the Ford dealer told him it had been completely serviced, all plugs/filters changed, etc. (Obviously attended the same School of Falsehoods the quicky lube guys go to)
About 4k miles go by and he goes into a fast lube joint for an oil change where they hit him up for 30 bucks for an air filter and as much for a new fuel filter to boot.
Fast forward to last week and he mentioned a slight stumble in the engine at times and stated he was going to take it to the Ford dealer. This led to my pleading with him to make the 70 mile drive here this past weekend and let me look at it.
So what do I find? The original spark plugs, the original fuel filter, the original air filter (which was absolutely filthy, original transmission fluid, cabin filter, etc.
Both the air and fuel filters were old in appearance and marked “Motorcraft”, so obviously nothing was touched except my son’s bank account.
My son is too busy, and too darned docile IMHO, to say anything to these facilities but the old parts are currently in my trunk awaiting my next trip to his house; with a side stop at the quick lube on the way. I can’t wait to watch the squirming over this one!
Make a complaint to the Attorney General in the state the quick-lube is located. Most states have a web-based complaint feature. The quick lube will be required to reply to your complaint. Usually, a letter from the Attorney General will get their attention and the Attorney General may want to open an investigation if they think this quick-lube is regularly ripping off their customers.
Just another one of those things like EPA oil disposal fees. A friend of mine has a shop and people pay him a considerabke amount to take the oil away. They charge these fees because they can get away with it.
As GreasyJack posted, that extra $10 was almost certainly for high-mileage motor oil, and not because your vehicle itself has 106,000 miles. Whether that type of oil was necessary is another question.
They put in high mileage oil. Don’t waste any time with the silly stuff like attorney general listed.
Simply take it up with the merchant and state how unhappy you are. You will at least get $10 refunded and likely a free oil change. It really could be just an error.
go over what happened at the oil change place.
did they ‘call you out to the car’ to discuss what they recommended for service? they go over the stuff, and you said ok? are you sure what you said OK to? i would bet you will pay attention to what they say next time.
they always push this higher viscosity oil on “old” engines. it’s bogus, unless your vehicle burns oil. but, YOU must tell them, regular oil, just oil filter, and NOTHING else, each and every time.
Has anyone encountered such a fee before?
No, and hell no. And I wouldn’t put up with it for 5 seconds from any shop.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times. Just because they have a fancy building with 19 bays and 40 kido wannabe mechanics doesn’t make them the sort of place you should take your car to to be worked on. In fact, it’s the sort of place I would never set foot in.
The mechanic I use most often has been my mechanic for almost 20 years. He has a garage at his house with 2 bays, 2 lifts and no employees. He was a US Army mechanic in the 60’s, worked for GM in Detroit, came back to Kentucky and worked as a mechanic for a mining company, opened a service station with a garage and a Tom’s peanut machine not a store. When they ran him out of his service station in the 90’s, he built a garage at home. I trust him, and he knows what he’s doing. Oh sometimes he needs a little help and one of the loafers around the shop pitches in to give him a hand, but there’s no doped up teenager working on my vehicle and no marketing idiot trying to sell me something completely stupid. High mileage oil is a gimmick. If you’ll pick a good brand of oil like Havoline, Valvoline, Mobile 1, Kendall or Rotella for diesels and put the same oil in the vehicle every dang time you change the oil you’ll not have oil related problems. Quakerstate or whoever it is that’s promoting all these different oil formulations is full of hooey.
I’d chalk up the 10 bucks to a lesson learned, and I’d go find me a mechanic who’s got some sense and will fix the vehicle or change oil without promoting some sort of bs scheme to pad a bill.
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I’ve been using high mileage in my truck for about a year now. It usually runs about $33 total and this time it was $45 (and actually says $10 high mileage fee.)
I guess I forgot to mention this in my original posting…
they always come in to talk to me about what they recommend: they want me to get my transmission fluid changed, fuel line system cleaners and other things that my dad always tells me to say no to.
The only thing i’ll ever let them change is the oil, oil filter, and air filter. My dad says to use castrol high mileage because thats what he uses in his farm truck and work car.
Castol H-M is $4.50 and part of the original $33 charged for the oil change. A normal oil change here is SW Missouri costs around $29.
Just call and ask or go in and speak to supervisor about charge. Just a bunch of theories here.
Well, the price of motor oil has gone up, along with the price of gas, so a price increase is certainly not out of the question. As was suggested, all you need to do is to ask for the “high mileage” notation to be explained to you.
More than likely, you will be told that this is the extra cost for the high mileage motor oil, but definitely you should ask for clarification.
It all sounds reasonable after reading the other posts. If you want to continue with the high mileage oil, just expect to pay and extra $10. Keep asking questions, though. That makes you a smart consumer.
Ok, let’s say you choose to use Castol High Mileage v’s regular Castrol, the difference in price between the 2 is $1 per quart. Your truck holds 5 quarts.
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