Getting a car serviced can be expensive. Even if you try to limit what gets done to the car, a mechanic may spot serious issues before they become problematic, resulting in a much higher price tag than you planned on spending. Many may see this as an unavoidable part of car maintenance, but one car dealer took to TikTok to offer an alternative, which he says many people don’t think about.
TikToker Cheese (@thankucheese), a professional car flipper, filmed a brief video claiming Walmart Auto Care Center is the cheapest place to get a car serviced. The video garnered over 65,400 views, and commenters were divided on whether Walmart’s Auto Care Center is worth the savings.
“I don’t understand why people give Walmart Auto Center so much hate, man,” Cheese began. “I woke up this morning, and I took a car that I purchased from an auction there to get a slight oil change and fix a brake light. No problems at all. I walked out only paying $45 for everything.”
According to Cartalk.com, oil changes can range in price from $20 to $100; it all depends on what type of oil and vehicle a person drives. Standard 10W30 and 10W40 oil changes are very affordable. However, if your vehicle requires synthetic oil, then the cost rises significantly. Express oil change companies like Take 5 and Valvoline price oil changes from $40+, while Jiffy Lube’s and Pep Boys’ prices fluctuate from $20 to $50. Currently, Walmart lists its starting oil change price at $24.88 and a premium oil change for $54.88.
AAA reports that auto shop pricing is due to a mix of specialized expertise and high overhead costs. Auto shops have to charge for both labor and parts to generate a profit. Going to an auto shop gives a customer access to highly trained professionals who have more than $100,000 invested in advanced tools and equipment needed to diagnose an issue. Also, most mechanics spend roughly 40-60 hours training every year to keep up with technical changes. Another benefit is that repair facilities generally have the knowledge and access to specific parts, while a DIY car owner may misdiagnose an issue and cause more problems down the road.
On the other hand, some mechanics take advantage of people’s inexperience when it comes to pricing. One TikToker warned women that mechanics often charge them more because of their perceived ignorance of mechanical issues.
According to Cheese, Walmart differs from regular auto shops and express oil change shops because they only perform what the customer asks and don’t try to add on any items or services. He said companies like Jiffy Lube and Valvoline often charge a customer more than a listed price through upsells and taxes.
“When you go to Walmart, you won’t have to deal with any of that. You tell them what you need to get done, and they are not trying to upsell you at all,” he said.
He also added that Walmart allows professional car flippers to pocket as much profit as possible on a sale. “I think Walmart is a great option for people who are trying to resell vehicles, especially if they don’t plan on keeping cars too long,” he concluded.
@thankucheese #greenscreen Easily the cheapest and best place to get work done on your car is at walmart auto center #walmart #walmartautocenter #walmartfinds #oilchange #mechanic #cheap #prices #recommendations #fyp #fy #viral #trending #resell ♬ Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
Multiple viewers shared how Walmart’s Auto Care Center offered serious savings on maintenance compared to other companies.
“Got 4 brand new tires for 265 at they got me for life,” a viewer said.
“I work at the Toyota dealership they charge $120 for oil change,” another added.
“I’ve been getting my oil change there the last year and they always charged me $50 bucks it’s cheap comparison to other places and they vacuum my car as well for free,” a viewer added.
“Walmart is a good choice for cheap cars that are easy to work on and don’t cost a lot. But if you have a car that is over 30K avoid it,” a fourth advised.
Others warned against using Walmart’s Auto Center.
“They damaged my engine after they did an oil change,” one wrote.
“They wired my dad battery backwards fried his elctric system,” a second remarked.
“Went there 2x. 2nd time they snapped off my oil pressure sending unit,” a third added.
One viewer expressed reservations, claiming that Walmart Auto Care Center employees do the bare minimum compared to other companies.
“I knew a guy that worked there and he told me if the oil filter that was hard to get to he wouldn’t even bother changing the filters lol,” they wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Cheese via email and Walmart via contact form for further information.
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