Is changing your own oil actually worth it?
Doing your own oil changes cuts material costs in half compared to commercial shops, but you trade that savings for the time investment, upfront equipment needs, and hassle of disposing of used fluid. The main difficulty lies in finding a local disposal site for the old oil, which stops some people from attempting the job at all.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Paying a professional shop, dealership, or quick-lube service to perform the oil change
- 2Bringing your own oil and filter to a private mechanic who charges a lower labor-only fee
- 3Using alternative extraction methods like a vacuum oil pump to bypass crawling under the vehicle
- 4Changing the transmission fluid anyway around 40k to 100k miles despite the manufacturer's lifetime rating
- 5Performing extensive fluid flushes later in the vehicle's lifespan
- 6Crawling under the car to remove the traditional drain plug
- 7Taking the car to a professional shop or dealership
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have never done an oil change myself. This seems very easy to do. I have a 2022 Hyundai sonata hybrid”source ↗
“I’ve heard oil changes aren’t worth it due to the cost of oil and oil filter and time it takes.”source ↗
“So what say ye all? Is it worth it?”source ↗
“Mine takes 7 qts and a filter. Jiffy Lube charged me over $100 for that. Takes me about $50 and 20 minutes on the driveway.”source ↗
“You've got to get under there for the oil filter anyway. I wouldn't bother.”source ↗
“The spent oil, gunk, carbon, all collect in the bottom of the oil pan. Draining from the oil plug flushes it all out”source ↗
“curious what mechanics think when a customer comes in with 100k+ miles on the original fluid and asks whether changing it is still worth doing”source ↗
“Then you have to deal with disposal of the oil on top of it.”source ↗
“Only real challenge is finding a place to get rid of the old oil.”source ↗
“My old XC90 said lifetime.. at 155k I thought ahhh let's do it.. Bro.. was more solid than liquid.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Should I trust extended oil change intervals or stick to 5,000 miles?
- 5Should I change my transmission fluid at 60k miles?
- 6How to tell if a worn timing belt actually needs replacing
- 2Should I reuse an old plumbing drain or replace it?
- 5Is it safe to ignore a check engine light if the car drives fine?
- 5Are aftermarket auto parts safe and reliable to use?