Should I Get My Oil Change at a Dealership?

Car ownership 101 teaches us that we need to get our car’s oil changed routinely, it’s that simple. For most of us, however, that raises a lot of questions. As a fairly straightforward piece of routine maintenance, finding somewhere to perform a cheap oil change quickly is a top priority. Unfortunately, there’s a misguided notion out there that you can’t get a cheap oil change at a dealership. For people who believe that they often drive into a random garage and roll the dice on their oil change. We’re here to correct the interpretation that oil changes at dealerships aren’t as cheap or fast as they would be at an independent shop. It could save you a lot of headaches.

Before we extoll the dangers of going to an independent shop for a cheap oil change, we should take a look at why oil changes are so important.

Oil changes are mainly important because they keep the most vital part of your car, the engine, running smoothly. Using the proper type of oil will ensure that things flow smoothly and you can continue to get around in your car without damaging your engine. Proper oil changes also help to prolong the life of your car, which could mean hundreds of dollars back in your packet if you ever decide to sell your car to get a new one.

As you drive, the oil in your car will become dirtier and degrades, which reduces its effectiveness and causes it to flow less smoothly increasing heat and friction. This is a natural cycle of oil and varies depending on which type your car’s make and model requires. If you use a type of oil not recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer, the pattern of degradation is hard to follow and you could end up damaging your engine, not to mention that it might flow correctly through your entire engine. If you’re using the right oil, it will flow through the whole engine and reduce friction and help every part move well. The dirtier the oil becomes, the more friction within the engine and the higher the risk for dangerous and expensive oil damage. This risk can be mitigated with a quick and cheap oil change.

Overall, changing the oil on a car or truck is a pretty easy process for someone with the right know-how and tools. Vehicles are manufactured so that quick oil changes are possible and oil has been improved to the point where you can often go thousands of miles without needing an oil change depending on your vehicle’s type. All of this results in a routine service which is quite inexpensive, especially when compared with other types of services. Because the process is so simple, dealerships offer cheap oil changes just like other garages, despite having better facilities and staff. So why do dealerships and independent shops want me to bring my car in for a cheap oil change if they aren’t going to make much money on it? Well, the answer is quite different for each.

Independent shops want you to come in for a cheap oil change because they can use it as an opportunity to up-sell you. Some will up-sell you in an ethical way, pointing out that winter is approaching and you might want some new snow tires, but others will act more nefariously and try to get you to pay them to service something in your car that isn’t a problem. We all know of someone who got deceived by a car mechanic at an independent garage. They might have been overcharged for a simple service, something was “fixed” that wasn’t even broken, or a part might even have been intentionally broken so that they could fix it! Of course, not all independent shops would stoop this low, but this isn’t a risk that you run at a dealership.

The team of technicians at an independent shop might not be very high quality either. They might be employing their neighbor’s kid over the summer for all you know. This increases the chance that something goes wrong during your oil change. Even though this is a fairly simple procedure, someone who isn’t familiar with the proper way to change you specific car’s oil could easily do it incorrectly. They could use the wrong type of oil, forget to put any oil back in, not tighten your oil filters properly or even cross-thread them. Without proper attention, the technician could put the new filter on without realizing that an old filter’s gasket is still stuck to the engine. Any number of issues could occur if you get a cheap oil change from a technician who isn’t properly trained, experienced, and who has good motives for servicing your car.

At a dealership like McCluskey Chevy, you can be confident in the fact that they want you to bring your vehicle in for a cheap oil change because they want to build their relationship with you. At McCluskey Chevy, we value our commitment to the community and want to get to know you and your car. We know that your vehicle is highly important to you and that you want to have the best service provided to it, and we believe that in offering you fair, cheap, and quick oil changes along with other routine services we can earn your loyalty. Quick and cheap oil changes at McCluskey Chevy aren’t about earning a quick buck, they’re about building trust and respect with our clients.

Not only is a dealership like McCluskey Chevy more likely to respect the driver who stops in for a quick oil change, they’re also more likely to have highly skilled staff on their team. Our staff is comprised of fully trained professionals who are dedicated to getting your vehicle in and back on the road as quickly as possible and at an affordable price. And unlike at a garage that services any car that comes in for service, we specialize in only a few top car types. This means that our technicians perform work on cars similar to yours day in and day out, making them highly experienced and comfortable servicing your car. We also have excellent manufacturer relationships, so you can be guaranteed that we’ll use only the best oil and parts when you come in for a cheap oil change.

No matter whether you decide to stop in at McCluskey Chevy for a quick oil change or go elsewhere, we hope that you’ll take a look at your vehicle’s routine maintenance schedule and get an oil change when needed. This will help to keep your engine going and prolong it life. If you decide to stop in for a no-appointment required oil change at McCluskey Chevy, we will get you in and out in no time without breaking the bank. Unlike many garages, there’s no need to call ahead to book a time-slot at McCluskey Chevy and we won’t keep you waiting around for hours while a dock opens up.

Since we are a dealership, our relationship with you is crucial to us and giving you fast, efficient oil changes is about building our relationship with you and earning your trust. When you drive off our lot with a new or used car, an oil change, or after a service appointment, we hope that our relationship with you doesn’t drive off as well. Let us prove to you why getting a quick and cheap oil change at McCluskey Chevy will have you coming back for all your car needs in the future!