Man Brings Car To Valvoline For Oil Change. Then They Ask Him A Shocking Question: 'They Make Us Ask You'

'I worked [at Valvoline]. It's almost a cult.'

Customer Brings Car To Valvoline For Oil Change

Photo by: AdobeStock

Stacy Fernandez

By: Stacy Fernandez

Mar 10, at 6:00pm ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

This man pulled up for a simple oil change and left feeling like he'd been cross-examined by the technician.

His experience hits a nerve with anyone who's ever tried to get in and out of a quick lube shop, and it's not just customers who have complaints.

Valvoline Customer Just Wanted An Oil Change

In a trending video with more than 2,900 views, content creator @justramblin01 vents about a recent Valvoline visit that started with a basic service request.

"Valvoline, so I'm over here trying to get an oil change," he says. "First of all, quit pressing me. Like, calm down with the interrogation about my vehicle. I came over here strictly for an oil change."

He says the techs kept checking this, checking that, going beyond what he came in for, and at one point told him he was going to need a whole new engine.

He explains that he has a 2014 car, so there are all those "electronic doodads and doo-hikis and sensors." Then the technician started asking him questions that further confused him, at which point @justramblin01 stepped out of the vehicle and was done with it.

"Uh-uh. Do your thing. You heard me. Do your thing. I'm not paying you to walk me through nothing. That's why I brought you my car. Do your thing," he says.

"Let me get out your way so you can do your job," he concludes in the caption.

The Quick Lube Upsell

The pressure he's describing at Valvoline is something customers at quick lube chains have been complaining about for years, and it's baked into the business model.

A CBC News investigation found that quick lube shops routinely recommend unnecessary services, with costs for unneeded add-ons ranging from $180 to $250 on top of a basic oil change.

A veteran mechanic interviewed in the piece put it plainly: "The reality is, they're not technicians and they are not mechanics." And because regulations don't require staff at oil change shops to be licensed mechanics, Cheapism notes, customers are often getting service recommendations from employees whose primary training is speed and upselling.

What An Oil Change Actually Costs And How Often You Need One

Before you even pull into a quick lube bay, it helps to know what you're actually supposed to be paying and how often you need to go.

According to NerdWallet, a basic oil change runs $30 to $100 at a quick lube shop, and that range alone leaves plenty of room for shops to nudge you toward the pricier end. The spread comes down to a few factors: your car's make, model, and engine size; where you live (labor costs more in high-cost-of-living areas, and prices can vary even between locations within the same chain); and the type of oil used.

Conventional oil is the cheapest option, full synthetic sits at the top, and blended synthetics land somewhere in the middle.

On frequency, NerdWallet notes the old "every 3,000 miles" rule is outdated for most modern vehicles. And if you're hitting that interval more often than your car actually needs, you're not helping your engine; you're just spending more money. Instead, check the owner’s manual for your car’s actual recommended oil change interval.

Commenters React

“They wanna rebuild the [expletive] engine,” a person said.

“I worked there it’s almost a cult bro they make us ask u that so the managers can get a fat check at the end of the month,” another wrote.

What do you think?

View

Comments

“I worked there, it annoyed us as much as yall. But some people genuinely never change their engine or cabin air filters,” a commenter added.

Motor1 reached out to @justramblin01 for comment via TikTok direct message and emailed Valvoline. We'll be sure to update this if either party responds.

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motor1.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The Motor1.com Team

Share this Story

GO TO COMMENTS

(

)

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@motor1.com

View all comments ( )

Popular

The Rotary Engine Should Be Everywhere. Why Isn't It?

The Mercedes-AMG GLE53 Makes The 63 S Feel Unnecessary: Driven

Honda's Mitsubishi-Based Truck Is Official, Coming In 2028

For Around $40,000, You Can Buy BMW's Sports Car Of The Future

Volkswagen Wanted An Electric Bugatti Tourbillon, But Mate Rimac Pushed For A V16 Engine