Subaru Oil Change Prices Down???!!!

[berkbrzfan]

Went in for my oil change today with odo at around 19200 miles. Was asked if I wanted to do the 15000 mile package - engine air filter and cabin air filter replacement. Which I politely refused as I do them myself.

Back in 2 hours to pick up the car and was given a bill of $37.70 for oil and filter change. I immediately think they put the wrong oil in and ask about it. The guy coolly said it was the synthetic. I check the work log and it says Subaru 0W20 synthetic oil. I ask why was the cost $69 the last time and less than half of it now. He said they changed the vendor and the cost came down. And the usual marketing talk of passing on the benefits to the consumer.

I am still perplexed. It might be because of me being too vary of dealerships. Anybody have thoughts?

[Summerwolf]

You can't even buy six quarts over the counter for that price..... let alone with the washer and oil filter.

[ryoma]

the oil filter alone is about $10 lol... that's pretty worth it.

[OoLong]

The last engine oil I did was around $80... So that price is definitely fishy to me. Unless the dealership you went to had some kind of a promotion.

[berkbrzfan]

Originally Posted by OoLong

The last engine oil I did was around $80... So that price is definitely fishy to me. Unless the dealership you went to had some kind of a promotion.

There were no promotions AFAIK. The weird thing was the service personnel seemed very calm and composed when he said the rates were down. It was almost like he had given the same answer to others!

[iamjacob]

Wow, I guess buying lifetime oil changes for $600 is less of a deal now.

[extrashaky]

The dealership where I bought my car did an alternating half price deal where the first one was full price, the next one was half price, full, half, etc. alternating as long as you took your Subaru to them for the service. They didn't do a good job of explaining it, so it wasn't unusual to hear someone asking why their oil change was less or more than last time. On average it brought the cost of oil changes down below what it would cost at the quick change oil places.

Then I moved, and the dealer at my new location charges full price all the time, and their "full price" is about 150% of "full price" at my prior dealership. And they're morons. At one point they "lost" my appointment and tried to tell me I'd have to come back on a different day, until the look on my face made the service rep afraid. Then they keep sending me emails addressed to other people. So I'm trying a new dealer in the next town over in the hope that they're actually competent.