I love how people can't afford an oil change...

[TurboFiat124]

Originally Posted By: doublebase
A lot of people don't properly maintain their cars, half of them (or more) are leasing them anyway and they don't care.

Has anyone ever seen some of these cars that are turned in after a lease? I know this girl who maybe changed her oil twice in two years...had her brake pads down to the metal...and when the dealer told her she'd have to replace the brakes she went nuts! Brought it to me and had me pad slap it onto her destroyed rotors, the thing sounded like a cement mixer when I stepped on the brakes, but she didn't care...she was off to turn it in again and lease/destroy something else. I always kind of imagined people would somewhat care for their leases, but I'd say more than half don't...it may be worse than buying a former rental car because at least with the rental car Hertz or whoever it is takes care of the car. And I realize people beat on their rentals, but upon further review a lot don't...you have to be a certain age to rent them, and people are petrified of damaging them. And like I said they are maintained.

A lot of people think after they buy a car that maintenance is merely a suggestion, they don't trust mechanics, they don't have the money, they don't care, they won't keep the vehicle long, it runs great, it drives great, no lights are on the dash...it's all good. Then in a couple of years they sell or trade it in...brag about how they changed the oil (probably once). And buy another one...lease another one. Smile at the dealership...put a picture of it on Facebook. Repeat.


Year ago when the Miatis first came around (early 90s) was looking at a former lease model at the dealership. The car had 10,000 miles on it but the rear tires were bald. Even if the tires had not been rotated , I wouldn't think they would have been bald. My first thought was the guy was popping the clutch doing burnouts knowing he was going to turn it back in after the lease was over.

You would think the dealership would have replaced the rear tires before they put the car on the lot.

Just for that reason, I never consider a leased vehicle.

 

[RoadRaceJosh]

Most of us here are outliers in terms of maintenance. I find it takes less time to change my own oil when it's due than to schedule an appointment, arrive close to when it's due and wait for the service. I don't even have to use a jack or ramp to get my drain pan under the engine.

I'm an outlier in terms of what I bought new too. I expect my maintenance costs to be quite low. 235/75R15 tires are super easy to find and I don't expect that to change in the 20 years I hope to own the Frontier.

Yesterday I used Craigslist to give away 2 gallons of lightly used Pennzoil Platinum that I used in the last two 5k OCIs.

 

[fdcg27]

There is little hope for the clueless. Any buyer should consider servicing costs before taking delivery of any vehicle, including the cost of tires, but many seem to miss this part.
In buying any car, one should consider the cost of maintenance.
With any German car, two buck a quart AMIR M1 0W-40 will typically meet the spec and the oil filter can be bought online for six or eight bucks if you buy some reasonable quantity, so oil changes aren't really all that costly after all for those who can and will DIY.
Those who expect to run a German car, even a hecho en Mexico VW, for the same maintenance cost as a Corolla need to do their homework a little better. Anyone expecting to drive any current Benz or BMW for Avalon level maintenance expense needs their head checked.
There should be no surprises for any informed owner when they take their car in for service and I suspect that those here have no such surprises, since we already know what the requirements of most cars are.

 

[hpb]

Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
I think it goes beyond the "can't afford it!" mentality and is more of a "I can't see the benefit" sort of thing. It's not a tangible benefit to most of the motoring public, just an extra annoyance and something they have to spend money on...


Bingo! Someone spends $100 on a new pair of shoes, they can enjoy the comfort, the looks, and the feel good factor of some retail therapy. Same person spends $100 on a car service, what difference can they feel or see? A new service sticker in the top corner of the windscreen is about it! You have to remember, the vast majority of people know nothing about cars, and don't understand or care as to why regular maintenance is necessary. Money spent on things like a service, or new tyres, is a grudge purchase.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Nothing new here. People want the flashiest car they can afford on monthly payments, barely have money to put gas in the flippin' thing and freak out when they have to do something as basic as replace wipers or an oil change. Of course, to them, oil is oil and it doesn't matter whether it's Mobil 1 or some unknown brand the tech has to scoop out from the bottom of the barrel. Don't even talk to them about brake pads, tires or heaven forbid suspension parts.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I had a friend who "couldn't afford" to do any maintenance on his honda accord. Had money for vacations, eating out, fancy clothes.

I believe he went like 13000 on a dealer oil change and then I ended up bringing the car to valvoline oil change (I didn't want to touch it) and he went about 10K on that oil change.

The car also had the original timing belt at 11 years / 130K miles. Supposed to change a 7/105K.

Timing belts irritate me because it's an expense that can be avoided, but if you buy a vehicle with one - you need to budget that in or pick a different vehicle.

He ran tires that were super bald on this car and then complained how poorly it did in the snow, too. After a while he blew them all out because he wouldn't keep an eye on the pressure

 

[Solarent]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27

Anyone expecting to drive any current Benz or BMW for Avalon level maintenance expense needs their head checked.


My wife's car seems to cost $1000 min every time we take it in. Mounting winter tires and oil change... replacing brakes and wiper blades... etc. I call it the BMW tax.
I happily pay it because they are a pleasure to drive and it keeps her happy.

 

[2KBMW]

Originally Posted By: Solarent
Originally Posted By: fdcg27

Anyone expecting to drive any current Benz or BMW for Avalon level maintenance expense needs their head checked.


My wife's car seems to cost $1000 min every time we take it in. Mounting winter tires and oil change... replacing brakes and wiper blades... etc. I call it the BMW tax.
I happily pay it because they are a pleasure to drive and it keeps her happy.



If your doing a break job etc. on top of an oil change then you will be spending big bucks.
When I had my Bimmer, I took it to a Euro shop. It was cheaper than the dealer. In fact, I used to
bring my own oil and filter and the oil change was half the cost total from the dealer.

 

[barryh]

Maintaining a Mercedes needn't be expensive if you are lucky enough to only need routine maintenance. It's the part prices that are the killer.

I've run an MB for 23 years and it's been very cheap to run because almost nothing went wrong. Doing an oil service is a breeze with a vacuum extractor and the new design of oil filter means you don't even get your hands dirty.

 

[bchannell]

All too true, lots of reasons, keeping up with the Jones, poor financial planning, not doing their homework when buying, just being cheap, whatever. Most people want everything, so they stretch their selves so thin financially, they can't afford to take care of anything, crazy to me, but as someone said, we're outliers. That's the new USA where they want the nanny state to take care of them because they don't have the discipline to take care of their selves. Socks, but that's the way it is.

 

[Toy4x4]

This has boggled me for ages!

Complain about spending less than $20 for an oil change that will last X months/XXXX miles, drive down the street and spend twice that on fuel that will last two weeks (varies, of course)!

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Oil is expensive, cars are cheap.

I can do a synthetic oil change on my Mercedes myself. Cost me about $27, the $20 5 quart synthetic deal at Pep Boys with a filter deal on black friday plus some $2/quart Autozone clearance oil. Sure beats the dealer, I think they call it Service A and want about $300.

It was $150 in 2000 at my local dealer, then $200 around 206-2008 and $250 2010-2012. I don't know the latest cost of 8.5 quarts M1 0W40 plus MB fleece filter at dealer, probably more than $100-120 in parts alone.

Yes, do it my self with a fluid extractor and oil filter cap wrench is so easy and fast and no mess.

Hmpf. I can see why they call it a "fleece" filter.

 

[nthach]

If you can't afford to maintain a car, go ride a bike or the bus or take Uber. That's all I'll say.

A friend of mine has me do all the maintenance on his Subaru, I tell him be lucky it's not a German car. However, more and more cars are coming with low-profile tires, and from his reaction he was shocked.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral

Hmpf. I can see why they call it a "fleece" filter.

They're not too bad cost-wise on Amazon or RockAuto - and I'd trust those to the full OCI.

Similar material is found in a Fram Ultra/Purolator Boss or one of the heavy-duty filters(I'm looking at you, Fleetguard StrataPore).

 

[Benzadmiral]

Before I bought the 2011 Regal, I researched it and various maintenance costs. The OEM Michelin tires were (gulp!) about $225 each, but I also saw that there were many other and cheaper choices in that size. So I was not shocked when I had to replace the set earlier this month.

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: Miller88


The car also had the original timing belt at 11 years / 130K miles. Supposed to change a 7/105K.

Timing belts irritate me because it's an expense that can be avoided, but if you buy a vehicle with one - you need to budget that in or pick a different vehicle.

He ran tires that were super bald on this car and then complained how poorly it did in the snow, too. After a while he blew them all out because he wouldn't keep an eye on the pressure


I'm sure you meant that the expense of timing belts (the one INSIDE the engine and not the serpentine belt outside the engine) can NOT be avoided...that said...

I've a co-worker who was thinking new tires until I showed him a gouge in one SHOWING STEEL, and a bubble in another. He got tires two days later...$1000 for 19" Mich Pilot A/S sports on his Accord.

Ironic as he changes his oil every 3k miles!

 

[mark pruett]

Originally Posted By: bunnspecial
One of the things about Volkswagons is that their(relatively) low initial purchase price draws people in.

When it comes time for service, though, you're still paying the "German tax" although it's not a BMW or Mercedes.

I'm often blown away when I hear repair costs on what I'd regard as relatively trivial items on other cars.


I half suspect this is more the case than any kind of literal inability to afford the oil change. When people go in to buy a car, the question of "How often do I change the oil?" and "Does it require 'special' oil?" are probably rarely spoken, if ever. People just assume that every car takes regular old conventional API rated oil on a 3k or 6k interval. And that they can get wiper blades, oil filters, air filters, light bulbs, etc... readily at the local Wal-Mart.

They buy a VW or some other car that takes synthetic oil (like say.. Dexos 1), and that's something unexpected and unwelcome, and if someone's not flush with cash, it can be a real hardship, considering that it costs at least 2x, if not 3x or 4x the conventional oil change price.

That's what I think's happening- people have a sort of fixed idea that things cost a certain amount, and then feel like they're getting ripped off if it costs more, or if someone says their vehicle requires something special, and they probably aren't quite so in-tune with their vehicles that they're doing their own maintenance, or even read the manual. Not to bash women, but this attitude is very common among them- cars are basically like a toaster or refrigerator that you drive around, put gas in every now and then, and otherwise it magically runs.

 

[CaravanPower]

I bought a truck a couple of years ago and I really wanted a diesel. I had recently performed a service on my Grandfather's Duramax and the price of the materials about caused me to fall over. It was around $51 to just change the oil. Some research revealed how expensive diesels were and I backed off. I ended up buying a Ford F250 V8 Gas. I can afford to maintain the truck and therefore it can stay on the road longer with a happy driver. If I had to do a round of injectors on a diesel I would have to let it sit for a few months before I managed to scrape the money together.

A bit off topic, however people tend to see how flashy something is and don't think about the overall cost of ownership. Sadly an oil change isn't expensive and quality oil can be had for next to nothing.

 

[barryh]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
I can see why they call it a "fleece" filter.


There might be something in that because as far as I'm aware the fleece filter concept doesn't exist in Europe certainly not in the UK. I use a normal paper filter of reputable brand at £5 or £6.

 

[HTSS_TR]

"Mercedes-Benz Engine Oil Filter Fleece Mann-Filter OEM HU718/5X" for 2000 E430 and many other MB models.

https://www.amazon.com/Mercedes-Benz-Man...filter+mercedes


I don't know why Mercedes calls synthetic "Fleece".