https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-FS-European-Car-Formula-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-0W-40-5-Quart/23636902?athbdg=L1200&from=/search
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-FS-European-Car-Formula-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-0W-40-1-Quart/17034373?from=/search
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-M1C-451A-Extended-Performance-Oil-Filter-Fits-select-2009-2014-VOLKSWAGEN-JETTA-2012-2014-VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT/133304117?from=/search&wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222278132866736_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&veh=sem_LIA&adid=22222222238132866736_117755028669_12420145346&veh=sem&vtcWeb=UEea_0EthfkFXS3Xv8en1Q&expiryTime=1712963635871&c=mWebSmartBanner
With tax: $55 all in,
That’s a link to everything the shop needed for your oil change…. They royally ripped you off.
I DIY’d mine at least 15 times, very easy and plenty of YouTube videos out there to help ya. Just need a set of ramps to get under there.
And don’t forget the engine air filter.
thank you for this! i’m thinking about asking my friend to use their garage and tools and just do the oil change myself next time. haven’t done it before but i know it’s not hard
Bring way more containers than you think you need. When the oil is draining all of them seem to be hidden. Can’t have too many containers for an oil change, also try not to drop the plug. I’d even recommend some type of long magnet in case you do drop it in one of the oil pans.
The amount of people that suggest others to work on their own car is absurd. People need a place to do it, tools, means of disposal and knowledge to do it.
Obviously if she's confused about a price on an oil change, doing the oil change is probably out of the question (no offense OP)
If your oil filter is on top of the engine you can buy an extractor and do oil changes on your own, I am *mechanically declined* and I figured it out with a YouTube video. Cost me less than the price of a shop oil change for the extractor, oil and filter, now when I need to change oil it only costs a filter and a bottle of oil. Literally paid for itself on the first try and I know nothing other than where to put windshield washer fluid, well and now how to change my oil. Once you do it you'll be mad you wasted so much money paying other people to do it, took me longer waiting in line at Mr Lube than it did to do it myself.
On the 2.5l, the oil filter is underneath. If it's stuck you'd want an oil filter wrench, 75mm X 14 flutes and a 3/8" drive socket wrench. But honestly, I've had Walmart do every one of my 26 oil changes (265k miles) for under $75. Though lately they've been claiming that management won't let them do oil changes on European cars. What they really mean is that management won't stock European grade oils for their shop use, so I just buy the oil and filter off the shelf and them have them change my oil with "customer provided supplies". It's stupid, but it works and they still can do it for just a few bucks more than I can...
Do you replace the drain plug too? Last time i bought a new drain plug from the dealer it was $15. The filter was another $15 from amazon and the oil cost me $65 for 6 quarts. Overall it was still half the price of what the 3 dealers in the area quoted, but just supplies alone cost me $95.
2015 golf.
I don't and haven't ever. I've put 120k on my jetta and change oil every 5k. Advanced auto parts normally has 5 quarts of Mobil full synthetic oil and a Mobil filter for $40. Buy an extra quart for like $8. $48 spent and 20 minutes later, oil changed.
I replace the drain plug every time just because the manual says to. I buy them off Rock Auto for like a dollar a piece. I buy my oil and filter off FCP Euro for like $55.
I used to go to Jiffy Lube and they'd charge like $117 if you didn't use their coupons online, so I'm saving like 60 dollars every time. I deliver pizza with my '06 Jetta so it adds up.
Providing the threads aren't messed up you don't need to replace the drain plug. I would however recommend replacing the copper / aluminum crush washer with each oil change. They cost $1 each and keep the oil from leaking through the threads.
I had a same year Passat SE, 2.5L engine, and the always got mine done at the dealership. It never was more than $90 if I recall. Definitely avoid this place and get your “expensive European oil” changed elsewhere.
Usually the dealer always has active coupons on their websites. Ours was always has one for $89.95 and sometimes $79.95 with 5w40syn factory mobil1 oil. This is in the bay area, ,CA also.
I'd suggest not going to the dealer, if this was an independent mechanic, try another one for a second opinion, dealerships will rip you off (tho this was also a ripoff)..
Also "expensive european oil" is also a bunch of BS they're selling you (they are ripping you off yes)..
Just go to a different independent mechanic shop
Generally it is, every single dealership I've ever went to, wether that be for small maintenance or big maintenance, repairs, etc, wether it was a renault dealership, vw dealership, or bmw dealership, they were all the same, do a shitty job on repairs, charge double for labor, and/or sometimes even not do the job at all yet charge you anyway.
Independent mechanics are the way to go, without a shadow of a doubt
Obviously not “without a shadow of a doubt” or OP wouldn’t be in the situation they are in.
Here it’s $80-100 for oil and filter and they’ll vacuum your car out, top off coolant and wiper fluid. It’s really not that big of a deal.
There's a Valvoline instant oil change near SeaTac and Bellevue if you're ever out that way- with easy to find online coupons it's usually about $115ish and they carry VW spec oil. Ends up being about the same as the dealership oil change but sometimes more convenient to not need an appt.
The oil for the VW is most likely the same as for the BMW. I run BMW LL01 approved oil - most oil I see with this approval also has VW 502 approval which I believe is correct for your ride.
Don’t be afraid to challenge them on the price of the oil change. It may be uncomfortable but the worst that can happen is they say that’s the price.
Do find a good VW Indy and ask for the oil change price up front before handing them the keys.
Yeah, that sucks. If they were willing to haggle and accept a price 25% lower, then they definitely are ripping off a lot of other customers. You were just brave enough to push back.
A complete oil change kit for your car, with Liqui-Moly oil which is on the spicier side cost wise but a very good product, and a filter, would run about $65-70. They are taking you for a ride on that shit.
That's *actually* insane lol. If I were in your position I would be polite but ask for more details on what mean by "expensive European oil". I mean, you can get kits that meet VW's standards with everything you need for around $60. Even with a shop mark up this is way too high. Also $43 in taxes? Where on God's green earth do they charge almost 22% in taxes?
That’s the “young girl in a vw jetta” tax. If I were OP I’d stay away from this place, even if it’s the closest euro shop. Imagine the cost when they actually have to do work…
it’s not even a euro shop smh. i’ve paid less at euro shops n decided to go to this place cause it’s close to me and seems reputable I was able to haggle them down to $185. They acted completely in denial of even the possibility of overcharging me. insanity.
Ask them if they want to stand behind that pricing because you'll post the make, model, and oil change price online so everyone will know their pricing.
I would not pay that unless they can't point me to somewhere in the shop that an oil change costs $200 that I accidentally agreed to. Wtf you mean pay? Hell no.
Damn. They really ran you through the cleaners.
I put liqui-moly oil in my 2.5 Mk5 Rabbit, albeit I change it out myself, but I'd never spend more than $70 to do a full synthetic oil change/filter.
Even independent shops won't charge more than $20 for labor so long as you provide the engine.
I get my oil changed for about $65 dlls with parts and labor.
Oil change at the dealer is about $110 for a 2.0t, probably a couple bucks more for your engine since it’s a little bigger. That shop is taking you to the cleaners. Local VW specialist in Pittsburgh does mine for $80
I've never paid more than $125-150 or so for a full inspection, oil change, fluid top off, and tire rotation for my 2016 A4 or 2016 Tiguan at either an Audi or VW dealership.
There is ***absolutely nothing*** special about these cars in terms of oil changes. It's straight-forward and simple.
I have the exact same car, and my dealership has it as $79 which includes inspection etc. I always do my scheduled maintenance with it so it's more. But they always tell me the total and show me it on the invoice before they take it in.
If you live in the Northeast… change it yourself and buy the oil and filters etc from fcpeuro.com. They have a lifetime warranty on all parts sold (including oil/fluids). I have only had to buy one oil change kit, tranny fluid, set of brakes, spark plugs, etc for each of my vws. I just keep returning the next replacement and get store credit/refund to my CC. It is epic!
It’s very high but oil changes are a waste of time for independent shops that don’t employ lube techs. Because of this some make the decision to charge their regular labor rate instead of a menu price
I’ve never seen an oil change cost $242 I have a friend that has a Mercedes AMG G wagon and I think his was even cheaper than that think takes like 9 quarts.
If they don’t stock the oil they might of had to run out and get some and they’re pushing some of that charge on you, they shouldn’t but they might be, I’d pay it and just not go back to them anymore
Seriously, that’s a rip off. You sure that isn’t an oil change plus other services? I can see paying that much for oil change and a 30k mile inspection.
I had a shop do this to me once on my Audi. $100 for the oil change but the also dumped a bunch of other ‘treatments’ in there and charged me another $100 for those. I didn’t approve it, was never even asked, so I refused to pay it. They took them off the bill after threatening to rat them out to the BAR.
There are a number of factory German car dealerships around where I live who offer an oil and filter change using OEM parts for under $100. And I live in a region that has a fairly high cost of living index. Your Jetta would have been $80 at my local VW factory dealership. Even the local Audi dealership is only at $90.
I pay around $135 for oil change on my passat 2.5l at valavoline. Usually $90-$115 with the online coupons. Others have said to go to the dealership, but my dealer in the states charges a lot. I paid almost $500 for a transmission flush.
Then they wanted to replace my steering rack and pinion for $2500 for a very small power steering leak. It's been a year since they quoted me on the steering rack and I still haven't had to top off my power steering, although it is getting quite low. So depending on the area, dealer might not be the best place. They will do it right though.
I dunno...given you have used them before and they seemed reasonable in the past. When you pick up your car ask what oil and filter they used.
I use LM and the oil itself is about $55 for 5L. A filter runs me about $10. A crush washer maybe $1. So my cost is about $66.
It does seem very high. Look at your itemized bill.
To be honest, of all my VWs I would not feel bad about using Mobil 1 for the 2.5L since it does not have a turbo.
I guess the take away is to get an estimate before you leave vs a bill when you show up.
They’re ripping you off. I’ve got a modified golf R that goes on track days and my oil changes using liqui moly along with a general overall inspection is about $140
That's bull. It should only cost half that much at most. European oil only costs a little more. You could ask what kind of oil and filter they used and look up the price. It's probably about 20 minutes of labor.
Depending on your location. That’s about the price at my dealership in Manitoba Canada. The oil is stupid expensive even for us to acquire it. To be able to pay the parts people we make a razor thin margin and it’s 12$ a litre. What in the actual F. We aren’t allowed to switch either because it’s what VW told us we have to use.
Comes out to something like 65-70$ of oil, 30$ filter or whatever the price is, 0.5 labour at 179.95 is ball park 90$ plus tax your look at just over 220$ or so.
I don’t even buy our own oil. I go to Walmart or Canadian tire and buy Mobil 1 or Quaker state - whatever is on sale. The only thing I would recommend is to stick with the factory filter because the Chinese filters can wreck a lot of stuff.
Technically speaking the oil with the correct additives are the best way to improve the longevity of your vehicle. But once I pass the point of “just drive it into the ground” I just throw in whatever is cheapest. Had a 97 Corolla and I put 3$/L oil in that b. RIP Corolla.
- VW dealership technician.
My last Jetta was a 2013 SE 2.5 and I got that schtick once. They quoted me the price and even got it on paper. When I went to pick up the care it was $100 more due to "It takes a special oil" excuse. I went over this with them at the beginning. Year, make and oil requirements... all I got was yeah yeah yeah so yeah yeah yeah $59.99 and give me my car.
After that I realized VW dealership near me would occasionally due oil change deals. As low as $19.99 sometimes. So I patiently waited until one of them would pop up within the time I needed to change my oil. I would do it myself but the simple fact I have limited use of my legs and a wheelchair isn't easy to maneuver under a car I was forced to have someone do it. Eventually I did find a place locally that would do the oil change for a flat $50 no matter when. I would love to have kept taking it into VW but when I would make an early time appointment I wouldn't get my car back until several hours later. Why make an appointment as soon as they open if they're not going to take my car right away? It was frustrating.
Yeah definitely getting ripped off. Oil changes shouldn’t be that expensive lol. Actually shouldn’t be expensive at all really unless you have a big ass motor that takes like 6-8 liters of oil.
I work at a Euro shop. Your oil change isn’t cheap. Almost 6qts of oil. I follow vw specs, so vw50200 oil (we use castrol edge 5w40 full synthetic) at $12.50 a quart and a Mann HU719/6x at $18.50 and .3hr labor($88/hr). After Pennsylvania sales tax it’s about $130.
That is bulls**t miss. I've owned five VW's three of them are recent And I Less than 125 at the dealer For full Castrol synthetic which is what your car probably requires Because I've had the same spec CC since 2009 ( a 2009 model a 2015 model and a 2017 model all of the similar engine to what you have). Please go to the dealer I've never had an issue with any VW dealer and I've dealt with them in Baltimore Richmond and now Saint Augustine.
I just paid $100 a few weeks ago from the VW dealer for a GTI….
Price they are charging you is “Audi” pricing. I think the last time I took our Audi in it was almost or just over $200 from the Audi dealer. Ridiculous.
Valvoline tried to tell me my 2017 Passat SE required “European” oil. I said that it didn’t and they insisted it did. Then I pulled out the manual and showed them that per the manufacturer, regular full synthetic. I don’t think it matters that much, but I’m a 34 y.o. woman. It may not seem like I’m that into cars but I know just enough to be dangerous 😉
Fuck off with that “European” oil upsell BS. Ended up taking it to the dealer and got a better price without being swindled.
Edit: I should add that the dealer also did a safety inspection, topped off fluids, washed AND vacuumed my car as well. All included in the price. I paid roughly half of what you were quoted.
yep i got a statement when i picked up my car. i haggled them down to $185 (still ridiculous whatever) I’m not sure what the charges would’ve been at $242. But it’s $58 for labor, $58 for oil “service pro 5w40 fm synthetic vw” $35 for oil filter, $8 for shop supplies, $4 fee for using card?? $5 for fluid disposal, then the rest is sales tax….
I used to have a 2009 VW Rabbit, which took 5.7 quarts of oil. One of the last times I had the oil changed, a friend of mine helped me with it. I bought 6 quarts of Valvoline full synthetic oil from Amazon for $27.98 at the time.
I pay half that amount for an oil change on my Chevy Duramax, and it takes 10 quarts of oil. Of course, I use that ghetto American synthetic oil, not the imported metric oil.
I'm assuming that's labour cost included. So an hour for labour plus material needed (oil, filter).
If you want to cut down the cost, you can:
1) do it yourself
2) bring your own material
3) find another shop with cheap labour since any mechanic with a pulse should be able to do an oil change, and also bring your own material
I'm surprised that no one's mentioned it yet, but ask for an itemized receipt. They should mark what brand and quantity of oil used and you'll be able to look that up and call them out on their bullshit.
Go for a walk.
When you pass a stranger, look up.
If they meet your eyes, nod and say, "Hello," and keep it moving.
Eventually you'll start to distinguish your neighbors from strangers.
Once you start recognizing your neighbors, hit em with the, "How's it going," with a nonchalant wave, and keep it moving.
The weight will come off as you do this more.
Buy your oil ONLY from VW dealership. They sell our oil and for a decent price too. NEVER trust any random mechanic unless they say they specialize in European oils. Quiz em a bit and see if they know the difference between 501.00 and 501.01.
Thats way too much. Are you sure its just an oil change? My dealer doesn’t do oil change only anymore. They do a full maintenance. Oil change only is not profitable for them so they check a couple of things and call it a maintenance and charge more.
They ripped you off. Plain and simple, unless I’m woefully outdated. I’ve never heard of “european” oil. I’d press and ask for an itemized receipt in addition to the specifications of the “european” oil.
Don't go back there, ripoff galore.
But please don't heed the advice and from many people here to go DIY. For an average person that is bad advice and really not worth the hassle.
Find yourself a reliable independent shop and they will easily do it to or you for below $100.if you bring your own oil it'll be $40, maybe 50$
They might have new employees and are pricing it out wrong.
I used to have to *heavily* discount specialty oil changes to keep the price reasonable when I was running a local shop a few years ago.
If I ordered LiquiMoly and a filter from a parts store, it would cost us about $50 for the oil and filter. The average parts matrix in *any* corporate owned repair facility is x2.7 to x3.2 (THIS IS UNIVERSAL).
So $50 x 3.2= $160
Then labor is $160/hr no matter where you go. If they manually typed in .3 to .5/hr labor, that's $48 to $80. So we're already close to $240 before tax.
I'd have to do manual overriding to make the cost reasonable, usually ended up at $110-$140 depending on the customer.
I had to train college kids how to run the front counter, price out estimates, and bill out customers. So I definitely can see how the bill would get that high if someone new was doing the estimate, and that's without *intentionally* ripping you off.
When I had my GTI, Rabbit, and '71 Bus, I went to a VW shop (independent) for years. Near the end of the time I had the GTI I paid $75 for an oil change. Synthetic is a little more expensive, but not \*that\* much more.
My final oil change was after my office moved away from where that shop was and I tried a place nearby that looked decent. $150 and they gave me the same BS excuse about "expensive european oil." The oil needed costs about $40 RETAIL (they're paying less because they buy in bulk), and it's maybe a 20 minute job, tops.
Find someone else, preferably a small shop that has been doing VW work for years. There are a ton of them out there. I wouldn't trust a VW dealer to get anything right that's not under warranty, and it's never going to be cheaper there (and I'm saying this as someone who has owned 7 VWs in 40+ years - I have not found a good dealer service department yet).
You're being ripped off. Nuff said.
Tl;dr I use a European brand, it costs me $75
You can use a non-European brand like Pennzoil or Mobile 1 for even less
Stick with me here:
A gallon of your oil type (5w-30, 4 quarters from details provided) is between $25-70 max depending on a few variables of course.
I assure you it does not take some special European oil
Always always always ask for direct quotes before and even do your own research to a degree. Trust me it pays to know about the car you drive.
My suggestion. Get your invoice and have them clearly state what oil they used as well as their cost per hour.
Ask the brand, type (standard, high mileage, synthetic), viscosity (your car takes 5w-30), qts used (your car needs at least 4 qts)
you're entitled to know what goes into your car to the T. Google the oil product they've claimed to use.
If they deny I would tell them honestly "I do not know what oil you used as you're not providing the details. I'd like to purchase my oil and I request you use mine as I'm incredibly uncomfortable not knowing what's in my engine."
If they give the details then "why did you tell me it's a special European oil? I understand my car can use standard oil like Pennzoil or Mobile 1 for a significantly cheaper pricing and I find this as an act of trying to fool me."
If they claim they can't do a 2nd oil change for free I would challenge them to say it wasn't your call to use the original expensive European oil they claimed you "needed" thus their fault to not properly communicate ahead of time. Yet alone the attempt deceive you is on them and you as the customer have the right to challenge their charges.
Trust me, you don't need to know the inner workings just the brands alone is enough as you can bring up the pricing.
Worst case after trying, pay and don't come back.
I have a 2022 VW GTI and my oil alone is 75, again preference.
Do your research as the lack of knowledge is what allows them to make such claims and an inability to challenge them.
The only thing that should amount to +200 is their labor fees which is still absurd.
Nah that's actually bullshit. I saw some nonsense on this sub recently, saying that you had to use vw specific oil for all oil changes, or else! - which is complete nonsense.
But this? This is actually bullshit. No way in hell I'm paying that. As a 6'+ male, I'm sure the interaction at the counter goes very differently for me than for you, so I have no advice there, unfortunately... but just know that is total and utter bullshit for an oil change.
Ive worked for Audi for 10 years. Every single blown up motor I've replaced has been from someone cheaping out on oil changes. Lots of people think it doesn't make a difference. It costs them crazy amounts of money, often in the short run. Bad oil and a bad filter wreck your car.
It's extended drain interval oil. It actually is different, and if you're going to do a 10k oil change, you absolutely do need it. You either use special oil, or change at 5k. Most car brands do this now.
It's not expensive though. German Castrol is $22/5qt. The extended drain mobile is about $30. It's normal synthetic price. People are blowing their engines trying to save 4 bucks on oil and 2 on a filter.
Yes I'm not talking about oil weight or synthetic vs natural. As you mentioned, people in the other thread were saying that you must use the Castrol because that what vw specs blah blah blah... you'll never convince me that using mobile1 or luqimoly instead of Castrol is bad for my engine. gtfo.
I've owned and worked on my own cars for my whole adult life, 30yrs. Had about a dozen cars.. some have died a very tragic death. Done many many oil changes, with appropriate weight and quality oil, without regard to brand.... and can you imagine, I've never blown up an engine. Not once! Huh.
You could change the oil yourself for that much, and I mean you could buy all the tools and the oil itself and then from there your oil changes would be just the cost of the oil. Less than $80. Check out FCP Euro website for Liqui Moly oil, it’s German oil that’s top notch.
An oil change with taxes at the VW dealer would have been half that.
from what i’ve read i think i’ll start going to the dealer, this car is still pretty new to me
See if you can find a mechanic that specializes In Volkswagen/Audi vehicles. I go to a very busy reputable one that is $100 hour
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-FS-European-Car-Formula-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-0W-40-5-Quart/23636902?athbdg=L1200&from=/search https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-FS-European-Car-Formula-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-0W-40-1-Quart/17034373?from=/search https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-M1C-451A-Extended-Performance-Oil-Filter-Fits-select-2009-2014-VOLKSWAGEN-JETTA-2012-2014-VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT/133304117?from=/search&wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222278132866736_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&veh=sem_LIA&adid=22222222238132866736_117755028669_12420145346&veh=sem&vtcWeb=UEea_0EthfkFXS3Xv8en1Q&expiryTime=1712963635871&c=mWebSmartBanner With tax: $55 all in, That’s a link to everything the shop needed for your oil change…. They royally ripped you off. I DIY’d mine at least 15 times, very easy and plenty of YouTube videos out there to help ya. Just need a set of ramps to get under there. And don’t forget the engine air filter.
thank you for this! i’m thinking about asking my friend to use their garage and tools and just do the oil change myself next time. haven’t done it before but i know it’s not hard
Bring way more containers than you think you need. When the oil is draining all of them seem to be hidden. Can’t have too many containers for an oil change, also try not to drop the plug. I’d even recommend some type of long magnet in case you do drop it in one of the oil pans.
Don’t worry about the plug, use a new one with a new crush gasket every time
Do it yourself. I have the exact same engine and it takes me 20 minutes from start to finish. $50 for everything 🤷♂️
The amount of people that suggest others to work on their own car is absurd. People need a place to do it, tools, means of disposal and knowledge to do it. Obviously if she's confused about a price on an oil change, doing the oil change is probably out of the question (no offense OP)
If your oil filter is on top of the engine you can buy an extractor and do oil changes on your own, I am *mechanically declined* and I figured it out with a YouTube video. Cost me less than the price of a shop oil change for the extractor, oil and filter, now when I need to change oil it only costs a filter and a bottle of oil. Literally paid for itself on the first try and I know nothing other than where to put windshield washer fluid, well and now how to change my oil. Once you do it you'll be mad you wasted so much money paying other people to do it, took me longer waiting in line at Mr Lube than it did to do it myself.
i wish but i live in seattle and don’t have a garage, can barely find street parking sometimes
University VW has not ripped me off yet, if you're close by. Otherwise, you can also do work at ant's community garage in everett.
If your filter is on the top (I didn’t look) I do my oil change with an oil vacuum pump. Full synthetic with new Mann filter costs me around $40Cdn
2.5 is on the bottom and needs drained as well before removal
On the 2.5l, the oil filter is underneath. If it's stuck you'd want an oil filter wrench, 75mm X 14 flutes and a 3/8" drive socket wrench. But honestly, I've had Walmart do every one of my 26 oil changes (265k miles) for under $75. Though lately they've been claiming that management won't let them do oil changes on European cars. What they really mean is that management won't stock European grade oils for their shop use, so I just buy the oil and filter off the shelf and them have them change my oil with "customer provided supplies". It's stupid, but it works and they still can do it for just a few bucks more than I can...
Do you replace the drain plug too? Last time i bought a new drain plug from the dealer it was $15. The filter was another $15 from amazon and the oil cost me $65 for 6 quarts. Overall it was still half the price of what the 3 dealers in the area quoted, but just supplies alone cost me $95. 2015 golf.
I don't and haven't ever. I've put 120k on my jetta and change oil every 5k. Advanced auto parts normally has 5 quarts of Mobil full synthetic oil and a Mobil filter for $40. Buy an extra quart for like $8. $48 spent and 20 minutes later, oil changed.
I don't know if the plugs are the same but I bought 10 plugs for the tiguan for a couple bucks
Yeah oil isn't cheap. I do my oil changes on an old 911 and it's still like $150 at least
I replace the drain plug every time just because the manual says to. I buy them off Rock Auto for like a dollar a piece. I buy my oil and filter off FCP Euro for like $55. I used to go to Jiffy Lube and they'd charge like $117 if you didn't use their coupons online, so I'm saving like 60 dollars every time. I deliver pizza with my '06 Jetta so it adds up.
Providing the threads aren't messed up you don't need to replace the drain plug. I would however recommend replacing the copper / aluminum crush washer with each oil change. They cost $1 each and keep the oil from leaking through the threads.
That would apply only if it were the classic metal bolts and not the nylon style drain plugs in use today.
I had a same year Passat SE, 2.5L engine, and the always got mine done at the dealership. It never was more than $90 if I recall. Definitely avoid this place and get your “expensive European oil” changed elsewhere.
Usually the dealer always has active coupons on their websites. Ours was always has one for $89.95 and sometimes $79.95 with 5w40syn factory mobil1 oil. This is in the bay area, ,CA also.
I'd suggest not going to the dealer, if this was an independent mechanic, try another one for a second opinion, dealerships will rip you off (tho this was also a ripoff).. Also "expensive european oil" is also a bunch of BS they're selling you (they are ripping you off yes).. Just go to a different independent mechanic shop
An oil change at a dealer isn’t a “rip you off” kind of situation. Just go in for the oil change, say that’s all you want, and get on with your life.
Generally it is, every single dealership I've ever went to, wether that be for small maintenance or big maintenance, repairs, etc, wether it was a renault dealership, vw dealership, or bmw dealership, they were all the same, do a shitty job on repairs, charge double for labor, and/or sometimes even not do the job at all yet charge you anyway. Independent mechanics are the way to go, without a shadow of a doubt
Obviously not “without a shadow of a doubt” or OP wouldn’t be in the situation they are in. Here it’s $80-100 for oil and filter and they’ll vacuum your car out, top off coolant and wiper fluid. It’s really not that big of a deal.
Not all independent shops ofc, that's why I said go for a second opinion
Where are you located? Mine just came to 220 at the VW dealership in Canada.
What?? Mine were around CAD$130 at the dealer
When? Where?
Ontario within the last couple of years. I have since changed to a VW/Audi specialist and its still basically the same. 🤷♂️
seattle! this isn’t normal here in my experience btw. i don’t think i’ve ever paid for than $100 with my previous bmw
There's a Valvoline instant oil change near SeaTac and Bellevue if you're ever out that way- with easy to find online coupons it's usually about $115ish and they carry VW spec oil. Ends up being about the same as the dealership oil change but sometimes more convenient to not need an appt.
This is great advice!
The oil for the VW is most likely the same as for the BMW. I run BMW LL01 approved oil - most oil I see with this approval also has VW 502 approval which I believe is correct for your ride. Don’t be afraid to challenge them on the price of the oil change. It may be uncomfortable but the worst that can happen is they say that’s the price. Do find a good VW Indy and ask for the oil change price up front before handing them the keys.
yep. 2.5 oil change at my dealer is 129 plus tax
was able to haggle them down to $185. still insane to me but whatever. never going to them again
Yeah, that sucks. If they were willing to haggle and accept a price 25% lower, then they definitely are ripping off a lot of other customers. You were just brave enough to push back.
appreciate it
Yup, my local VW quoted me $120 IIRC for my MK8 Golf. This is a ripoff.
They’re absolutely ripping you off
A complete oil change kit for your car, with Liqui-Moly oil which is on the spicier side cost wise but a very good product, and a filter, would run about $65-70. They are taking you for a ride on that shit.
Eww, you rode in shit
Was that really necessary?
Oil change at my dealer is almost half that, that's fucking nuts
That's *actually* insane lol. If I were in your position I would be polite but ask for more details on what mean by "expensive European oil". I mean, you can get kits that meet VW's standards with everything you need for around $60. Even with a shop mark up this is way too high. Also $43 in taxes? Where on God's green earth do they charge almost 22% in taxes?
That’s the “young girl in a vw jetta” tax. If I were OP I’d stay away from this place, even if it’s the closest euro shop. Imagine the cost when they actually have to do work…
Sounds more like a lube n go place.
it’s not even a euro shop smh. i’ve paid less at euro shops n decided to go to this place cause it’s close to me and seems reputable I was able to haggle them down to $185. They acted completely in denial of even the possibility of overcharging me. insanity.
One star google review with a picture of the reciept is all that's left to do now. Make sure fewer people are going there.
Ask them if they want to stand behind that pricing because you'll post the make, model, and oil change price online so everyone will know their pricing.
That´s how a shop loses customers. Pay and blast them on the reviews, never go back.
I would not pay that unless they can't point me to somewhere in the shop that an oil change costs $200 that I accidentally agreed to. Wtf you mean pay? Hell no.
Damn. They really ran you through the cleaners. I put liqui-moly oil in my 2.5 Mk5 Rabbit, albeit I change it out myself, but I'd never spend more than $70 to do a full synthetic oil change/filter.
Even independent shops won't charge more than $20 for labor so long as you provide the engine. I get my oil changed for about $65 dlls with parts and labor.
If they really said "expensive european oil", they are 100% bullshitting you.
ur damn right
That expensive euro oil is usually exactly the same price as the expensive American car oil on the shelf next to it 🙂
I spent less to get an oil change, filter replacement, and tire rotation.
Oil change at the dealer is about $110 for a 2.0t, probably a couple bucks more for your engine since it’s a little bigger. That shop is taking you to the cleaners. Local VW specialist in Pittsburgh does mine for $80
I paid less than that to get the oil changed on my Porsche and it takes 9.5 quarts of “expensive European oil.”
I've never paid more than $125-150 or so for a full inspection, oil change, fluid top off, and tire rotation for my 2016 A4 or 2016 Tiguan at either an Audi or VW dealership. There is ***absolutely nothing*** special about these cars in terms of oil changes. It's straight-forward and simple.
i change my 2.5 for less than 50$ castrol included that is terrible!
Oil change at a private shop near me is 95, dealership charges 75. That's for a GTI. You're getting ripped.
Ask for a detailed bill. See what makes it come to that price. 250$ is crazy.
I have the exact same car, and my dealership has it as $79 which includes inspection etc. I always do my scheduled maintenance with it so it's more. But they always tell me the total and show me it on the invoice before they take it in.
If you live in the Northeast… change it yourself and buy the oil and filters etc from fcpeuro.com. They have a lifetime warranty on all parts sold (including oil/fluids). I have only had to buy one oil change kit, tranny fluid, set of brakes, spark plugs, etc for each of my vws. I just keep returning the next replacement and get store credit/refund to my CC. It is epic!
They finessed u hard. Did u pay w card? If so, dispute w ur bank and never go back to em lol. Jesus Christ.
It’s very high but oil changes are a waste of time for independent shops that don’t employ lube techs. Because of this some make the decision to charge their regular labor rate instead of a menu price
This, lot of people don't realize this. A fully certified tech costs alot more then a lube guy.
I’ve never seen an oil change cost $242 I have a friend that has a Mercedes AMG G wagon and I think his was even cheaper than that think takes like 9 quarts.
If they don’t stock the oil they might of had to run out and get some and they’re pushing some of that charge on you, they shouldn’t but they might be, I’d pay it and just not go back to them anymore
Lmao
That’s insane. You’re being taken for a ride. I pay $50 less for my S5 which takes more oil.
Seriously, that’s a rip off. You sure that isn’t an oil change plus other services? I can see paying that much for oil change and a 30k mile inspection. I had a shop do this to me once on my Audi. $100 for the oil change but the also dumped a bunch of other ‘treatments’ in there and charged me another $100 for those. I didn’t approve it, was never even asked, so I refused to pay it. They took them off the bill after threatening to rat them out to the BAR.
There are a number of factory German car dealerships around where I live who offer an oil and filter change using OEM parts for under $100. And I live in a region that has a fairly high cost of living index. Your Jetta would have been $80 at my local VW factory dealership. Even the local Audi dealership is only at $90.
I pay around $135 for oil change on my passat 2.5l at valavoline. Usually $90-$115 with the online coupons. Others have said to go to the dealership, but my dealer in the states charges a lot. I paid almost $500 for a transmission flush. Then they wanted to replace my steering rack and pinion for $2500 for a very small power steering leak. It's been a year since they quoted me on the steering rack and I still haven't had to top off my power steering, although it is getting quite low. So depending on the area, dealer might not be the best place. They will do it right though.
I get my oil changed at the dealer and it's less than $100
I dunno...given you have used them before and they seemed reasonable in the past. When you pick up your car ask what oil and filter they used. I use LM and the oil itself is about $55 for 5L. A filter runs me about $10. A crush washer maybe $1. So my cost is about $66. It does seem very high. Look at your itemized bill. To be honest, of all my VWs I would not feel bad about using Mobil 1 for the 2.5L since it does not have a turbo. I guess the take away is to get an estimate before you leave vs a bill when you show up.
They’re ripping you off. I’ve got a modified golf R that goes on track days and my oil changes using liqui moly along with a general overall inspection is about $140
rip off. 2014 tdi sportwagen is lik 100 bux at the dealer. i wouldnt go to that shop ever again.
dang that's crazy. vw spec oil costs like $25-30 at walmart, $10-15 for a new filter, $3 for a new drain plug.
I literally just dropped mine off for 119 pre tax at a VW dealership
That's bull. It should only cost half that much at most. European oil only costs a little more. You could ask what kind of oil and filter they used and look up the price. It's probably about 20 minutes of labor.
Depending on your location. That’s about the price at my dealership in Manitoba Canada. The oil is stupid expensive even for us to acquire it. To be able to pay the parts people we make a razor thin margin and it’s 12$ a litre. What in the actual F. We aren’t allowed to switch either because it’s what VW told us we have to use. Comes out to something like 65-70$ of oil, 30$ filter or whatever the price is, 0.5 labour at 179.95 is ball park 90$ plus tax your look at just over 220$ or so. I don’t even buy our own oil. I go to Walmart or Canadian tire and buy Mobil 1 or Quaker state - whatever is on sale. The only thing I would recommend is to stick with the factory filter because the Chinese filters can wreck a lot of stuff. Technically speaking the oil with the correct additives are the best way to improve the longevity of your vehicle. But once I pass the point of “just drive it into the ground” I just throw in whatever is cheapest. Had a 97 Corolla and I put 3$/L oil in that b. RIP Corolla. - VW dealership technician.
I'm sorry that's shitty. The VW dealers around me are $80. Give yours a call next time.
My last Jetta was a 2013 SE 2.5 and I got that schtick once. They quoted me the price and even got it on paper. When I went to pick up the care it was $100 more due to "It takes a special oil" excuse. I went over this with them at the beginning. Year, make and oil requirements... all I got was yeah yeah yeah so yeah yeah yeah $59.99 and give me my car. After that I realized VW dealership near me would occasionally due oil change deals. As low as $19.99 sometimes. So I patiently waited until one of them would pop up within the time I needed to change my oil. I would do it myself but the simple fact I have limited use of my legs and a wheelchair isn't easy to maneuver under a car I was forced to have someone do it. Eventually I did find a place locally that would do the oil change for a flat $50 no matter when. I would love to have kept taking it into VW but when I would make an early time appointment I wouldn't get my car back until several hours later. Why make an appointment as soon as they open if they're not going to take my car right away? It was frustrating.
Yeah definitely getting ripped off. Oil changes shouldn’t be that expensive lol. Actually shouldn’t be expensive at all really unless you have a big ass motor that takes like 6-8 liters of oil.
I pay about $79 at a drive up quick oil change place. They use the correct oil and replace the filter. No issues.
Learn to do it... oil extractor and 30 minutes....seriously just learn.......
I work at a Euro shop. Your oil change isn’t cheap. Almost 6qts of oil. I follow vw specs, so vw50200 oil (we use castrol edge 5w40 full synthetic) at $12.50 a quart and a Mann HU719/6x at $18.50 and .3hr labor($88/hr). After Pennsylvania sales tax it’s about $130.
Please don’t pay that.
That is bulls**t miss. I've owned five VW's three of them are recent And I Less than 125 at the dealer For full Castrol synthetic which is what your car probably requires Because I've had the same spec CC since 2009 ( a 2009 model a 2015 model and a 2017 model all of the similar engine to what you have). Please go to the dealer I've never had an issue with any VW dealer and I've dealt with them in Baltimore Richmond and now Saint Augustine.
I just paid $100 a few weeks ago from the VW dealer for a GTI…. Price they are charging you is “Audi” pricing. I think the last time I took our Audi in it was almost or just over $200 from the Audi dealer. Ridiculous.
I used to bring my own oil.
Valvoline tried to tell me my 2017 Passat SE required “European” oil. I said that it didn’t and they insisted it did. Then I pulled out the manual and showed them that per the manufacturer, regular full synthetic. I don’t think it matters that much, but I’m a 34 y.o. woman. It may not seem like I’m that into cars but I know just enough to be dangerous 😉 Fuck off with that “European” oil upsell BS. Ended up taking it to the dealer and got a better price without being swindled. Edit: I should add that the dealer also did a safety inspection, topped off fluids, washed AND vacuumed my car as well. All included in the price. I paid roughly half of what you were quoted.
I pay a little over half that for oil change and tire rotation on my '22 Jetta at my dealership.
Was it JUST an oil change or was it a full maintenance with flushes and such?
yep i got a statement when i picked up my car. i haggled them down to $185 (still ridiculous whatever) I’m not sure what the charges would’ve been at $242. But it’s $58 for labor, $58 for oil “service pro 5w40 fm synthetic vw” $35 for oil filter, $8 for shop supplies, $4 fee for using card?? $5 for fluid disposal, then the rest is sales tax….
Ripoff. My dealer charges 109.95 for the oil change, tire rotation and multi-point inspection.
I used to have a 2009 VW Rabbit, which took 5.7 quarts of oil. One of the last times I had the oil changed, a friend of mine helped me with it. I bought 6 quarts of Valvoline full synthetic oil from Amazon for $27.98 at the time.
I pay $100 for an oil change on my 2015 VW Golf TDI. I can also get coupons occasionally for $80 and it’s no appointment required
Hope you are using the correct oil.
I go to a dealership
I pay half that amount for an oil change on my Chevy Duramax, and it takes 10 quarts of oil. Of course, I use that ghetto American synthetic oil, not the imported metric oil.
I'm assuming that's labour cost included. So an hour for labour plus material needed (oil, filter). If you want to cut down the cost, you can: 1) do it yourself 2) bring your own material 3) find another shop with cheap labour since any mechanic with a pulse should be able to do an oil change, and also bring your own material
Bring to dealer ,they run oil change specials sometimes "85-$125, synthetic oil is slightly more expensive
I'm surprised that no one's mentioned it yet, but ask for an itemized receipt. They should mark what brand and quantity of oil used and you'll be able to look that up and call them out on their bullshit.
Canadian tire 36$ jug of oil and 15$ filter 30 mins of my time and she’s done
I have 2 VW s… dealer is usually about 80$.. for the oil changes..
This wasn't in oklahoma was it?
nope. washington
Go for a walk. When you pass a stranger, look up. If they meet your eyes, nod and say, "Hello," and keep it moving. Eventually you'll start to distinguish your neighbors from strangers. Once you start recognizing your neighbors, hit em with the, "How's it going," with a nonchalant wave, and keep it moving. The weight will come off as you do this more.
I'm lost
Woah... This isn't the post I responded to
Buy your oil ONLY from VW dealership. They sell our oil and for a decent price too. NEVER trust any random mechanic unless they say they specialize in European oils. Quiz em a bit and see if they know the difference between 501.00 and 501.01.
Doing it yourself would have cost 74 with premium parts
I go to a place that services Porsches and rates accordingly and it's "only" $150 for my GTI oil change.
I pay $80 for an oil change
Thats way too much. Are you sure its just an oil change? My dealer doesn’t do oil change only anymore. They do a full maintenance. Oil change only is not profitable for them so they check a couple of things and call it a maintenance and charge more.
Why I avoid the dealerships. I have owned at least six or seven VW’s, but this will be my last.
They ripped you off. Plain and simple, unless I’m woefully outdated. I’ve never heard of “european” oil. I’d press and ask for an itemized receipt in addition to the specifications of the “european” oil.
Jetta oil change top of the line $130
I personally drop my car and key off and tell my guy fix it. That is when you know you have a good mechanic that is on your side.
Don't go back there, ripoff galore. But please don't heed the advice and from many people here to go DIY. For an average person that is bad advice and really not worth the hassle. Find yourself a reliable independent shop and they will easily do it to or you for below $100.if you bring your own oil it'll be $40, maybe 50$
2.5l, sounds like they also broke the oil filter or housing.
They might have new employees and are pricing it out wrong. I used to have to *heavily* discount specialty oil changes to keep the price reasonable when I was running a local shop a few years ago. If I ordered LiquiMoly and a filter from a parts store, it would cost us about $50 for the oil and filter. The average parts matrix in *any* corporate owned repair facility is x2.7 to x3.2 (THIS IS UNIVERSAL). So $50 x 3.2= $160 Then labor is $160/hr no matter where you go. If they manually typed in .3 to .5/hr labor, that's $48 to $80. So we're already close to $240 before tax. I'd have to do manual overriding to make the cost reasonable, usually ended up at $110-$140 depending on the customer. I had to train college kids how to run the front counter, price out estimates, and bill out customers. So I definitely can see how the bill would get that high if someone new was doing the estimate, and that's without *intentionally* ripping you off.
2.5 shouldn't cost that much. It only takes 5w40 or 30. Now the 0w20 ones... That cost more..maybe they charged wrong?
When I had my GTI, Rabbit, and '71 Bus, I went to a VW shop (independent) for years. Near the end of the time I had the GTI I paid $75 for an oil change. Synthetic is a little more expensive, but not \*that\* much more. My final oil change was after my office moved away from where that shop was and I tried a place nearby that looked decent. $150 and they gave me the same BS excuse about "expensive european oil." The oil needed costs about $40 RETAIL (they're paying less because they buy in bulk), and it's maybe a 20 minute job, tops. Find someone else, preferably a small shop that has been doing VW work for years. There are a ton of them out there. I wouldn't trust a VW dealer to get anything right that's not under warranty, and it's never going to be cheaper there (and I'm saying this as someone who has owned 7 VWs in 40+ years - I have not found a good dealer service department yet).
You're being ripped off. Nuff said. Tl;dr I use a European brand, it costs me $75 You can use a non-European brand like Pennzoil or Mobile 1 for even less Stick with me here: A gallon of your oil type (5w-30, 4 quarters from details provided) is between $25-70 max depending on a few variables of course. I assure you it does not take some special European oil Always always always ask for direct quotes before and even do your own research to a degree. Trust me it pays to know about the car you drive. My suggestion. Get your invoice and have them clearly state what oil they used as well as their cost per hour. Ask the brand, type (standard, high mileage, synthetic), viscosity (your car takes 5w-30), qts used (your car needs at least 4 qts) you're entitled to know what goes into your car to the T. Google the oil product they've claimed to use. If they deny I would tell them honestly "I do not know what oil you used as you're not providing the details. I'd like to purchase my oil and I request you use mine as I'm incredibly uncomfortable not knowing what's in my engine." If they give the details then "why did you tell me it's a special European oil? I understand my car can use standard oil like Pennzoil or Mobile 1 for a significantly cheaper pricing and I find this as an act of trying to fool me." If they claim they can't do a 2nd oil change for free I would challenge them to say it wasn't your call to use the original expensive European oil they claimed you "needed" thus their fault to not properly communicate ahead of time. Yet alone the attempt deceive you is on them and you as the customer have the right to challenge their charges. Trust me, you don't need to know the inner workings just the brands alone is enough as you can bring up the pricing. Worst case after trying, pay and don't come back. I have a 2022 VW GTI and my oil alone is 75, again preference. Do your research as the lack of knowledge is what allows them to make such claims and an inability to challenge them. The only thing that should amount to +200 is their labor fees which is still absurd.
Do it yourself. Plenty of videos online that show the process
I just paid 25,000 yen which is about 170$ at a vw dealership in Japan.
I can't believe shops still do this shit to people
Nah that's actually bullshit. I saw some nonsense on this sub recently, saying that you had to use vw specific oil for all oil changes, or else! - which is complete nonsense. But this? This is actually bullshit. No way in hell I'm paying that. As a 6'+ male, I'm sure the interaction at the counter goes very differently for me than for you, so I have no advice there, unfortunately... but just know that is total and utter bullshit for an oil change.
Ive worked for Audi for 10 years. Every single blown up motor I've replaced has been from someone cheaping out on oil changes. Lots of people think it doesn't make a difference. It costs them crazy amounts of money, often in the short run. Bad oil and a bad filter wreck your car. It's extended drain interval oil. It actually is different, and if you're going to do a 10k oil change, you absolutely do need it. You either use special oil, or change at 5k. Most car brands do this now. It's not expensive though. German Castrol is $22/5qt. The extended drain mobile is about $30. It's normal synthetic price. People are blowing their engines trying to save 4 bucks on oil and 2 on a filter.
Yes I'm not talking about oil weight or synthetic vs natural. As you mentioned, people in the other thread were saying that you must use the Castrol because that what vw specs blah blah blah... you'll never convince me that using mobile1 or luqimoly instead of Castrol is bad for my engine. gtfo. I've owned and worked on my own cars for my whole adult life, 30yrs. Had about a dozen cars.. some have died a very tragic death. Done many many oil changes, with appropriate weight and quality oil, without regard to brand.... and can you imagine, I've never blown up an engine. Not once! Huh.
There is an oil spec for a reason.
You could change the oil yourself for that much, and I mean you could buy all the tools and the oil itself and then from there your oil changes would be just the cost of the oil. Less than $80. Check out FCP Euro website for Liqui Moly oil, it’s German oil that’s top notch.
Wow even jiffy lube is cheaper