The $252 Oil Change for the MINI Cooper
This is why I change my own engine oil. Oh, and why I change my car’s cabin filter myself.
Let me brush you up on some details as I know some of you don’t follow me every day. We bought a 2005 MINI Cooper (used) back in 2007 for Stacie’s daily driver. We got it with 30,000 miles on the odometer. The MINI comes with a factory maintenance plan for 3 years or 36k miles, and includes everything from scheduled oil changes to unscheduled brake pad replacements. It’s a really nice bonus you get for paying a premium on this small car (As a note, I wrote about which car companies offer free maintenance on their cars).
We got the first oil change at around 34,000 miles, which meant we only had 2,000 more miles left on the free maintenance. That also means we would have to pay out of pocket for all other oil changes (and other maintenance). That was almost a year ago (MINI only requires oil changes every 10,000-15,000 miles, thanks to the synthetic oil). Well, it came time to get another oil change at 45,000 miles.
Since we’re still under the 4 year or 50k mile factory warranty (don’t confuse this with the maintenance plan), I wanted to get them to check out some items like the transmission computer and fan belt. I also decided to get the dealer to change the oil and also rotate/balance the tires. I knew I was in for a ripoff. I didn’t know how bad it would be until we dropped it off though.
Why I pay for dealer services
While I do change my vehicles’ oil and perform other simple maintenance myself, there are a number of reasons to send your car to a dealer for work, even though it seems they’re required, by law, to rip you off:
1. Create good will with dealer: If you take your car into the dealer for all scheduled maintenance, the dealer will more often than not consider you a “good customer”. Because of that, if something happens to your car outside of the warranty period, they’ll be more willing to fix it for free, or offer a big discount. There isn’t a dealer “code of honor” behind this, just numerous real-life examples. Getting your car into their system is also good for when you sell the car and need to show maintenance records.
2. I can get other problems checked out and get a loaner car: I’m a complainer when it comes to creaks and squeaks with my cars, and if it’s still under warranty then you better be sure I’m going to try to get them fixed for free! But oftentimes the dealer “can’t reproduce the problem” and I have to return in defeat (and the problem inevitably returns on the ride home). Whether out of guilt or clever strategy, I’ll pay for small maintenance items like tire rotations that the car needs anyway simply to get a loaner car.
But once the warranty runs out, you won’t see me at the dealer again. I’ll be doing ALL maintenance myself, or using lower cost alternatives like the local mechanic to replace brake pads, etc. (I won’t touch the brakes).
Getting *&$*^$ in the **&# by MINI Service
Ok, that heading is a bit harsh (depending on what words you insert), but I really got ripped off by the dealer. I know exactly how much it costs me to change the oil in my vehicles, although I haven’t worked on the MINI yet (as it’s under warranty, as mentioned). Here’s the breakdown of the oil service, which includes topping off fluids and replacing the cabin filter:
- Windshield washer fluid: $4.19 (I JUST topped this off last week. And I thought a $2 gallon of fluid was pricey)
- Oil Filter: $14.03 (I can get these for $5-8, depending on the quality)
- Synthetic Motor Oil: $46.90. (I get this for $5-6 per quart at Sam’s Club, and the MINI at most takes 5 quarts)
- Microfilter: $65.26 (I get these for $20-30 at Advanced Auto)
- Labor: $122 (wow. Just wow.)
Total Cost: $252
Compared with the $27 I normally spend for changing my own oil, and $20 for changing the cabin filter, this is ridiculous. I’m waiting for Dark Helmet to throw the lever to Ludicrous Speed. They basically charged double on all materials, and charged a full hour of labor for something that takes 15 minutes or less. But I expected this, and just bit the bullet, knowing this would be the last time. The MINI maintenance costs are on par for the scheduled maintenances with my Acura, but at least MINI doesn’t require one every 7,500 miles.
But that’s not all! Recall I also got the MINI’s tires rotated. Cost: $50. Again, double what a local tire shop would charge, if not more.
And alas that wasn’t the final charge. The dealer also decided to tack on two other charges. One for an environmental fee of $6. Another for “shop supplies/hazardous materials” for $17.20. Like gouging me on materials already wasn’t enough. They’re all bogus fees. It costs me nothing to take my used oil to the recycling center, except some gas. I would bet they actually make some money from recycling that oil.
So in total, our day with MINI cost an astounding $332, just for an oil change, cabin filter and tire rotation. But at least I got the transmission computer reset (stupid CVT transmission) and the brakes and fan belt checked. The brakes are still in good shape (half left) and the belt is showing some signs of wear, but not enough to replace yet. And they washed the car, which it really needed. Oh, and I balked at the $200 price for a wheel alignment since that’s also double what the chain shops charge.
Are you clueless when it comes to car maintenance? You’re not alone. There is no shame in it, the only shame is in not starting to learn. Swallow your pride and get a paperback version of Auto Repair For Dummies for only $13.99 at Amazon.
Do you still use the dealer for all of your car’s maintenance?
Let me know your dealer experiences in the comments. If you stil go to the dealer, have you thought about getting the service elsewhere, like NTB, Merchants, Jiffy Lube (oh I hate them) or the local mechanic? What’s preventing you from saving some dough? Do you agree with either of my reasons for using the dealer?
Comment below and let me know!
More from Cleverdude:
Oh, YUCK. When I live in Scotland in the 90s, I had an old-school Mini, about 10 years old when I got her. The technology hadn’t changed since 1957 – until the new one came out, which is what you have. I loved loved LOVED how anything I needed to do to the car was the cheapest part in the store. I even liked having a manual choke! Sorry to hear that’s a thing of the past.
dude, i don’t know why but i am dying with your “Getting *&$*^$ in the **&# by MINI Service” headline! is this beer going to my head? HILARIOUS!!!
(and yes, i never go to the dealer…the “Lube Center” all the way! you can get $5 off oil changes if you shop @ safeway – on back of receipt…but they always try to do more than change your oil, but they DO add fluids and air into tires and other niceties that normally don’t happen! am i still typing? i can’t feel my fingers anymore….)
Comment on the Lube Center- I use them too and they are great. No hard sell. I never let them replace my air filer becuase it’s much cheaper to do it myself.
Please they top off your fluids free in between changes.
If you live in MD, metro-DC its worth it if they have a location near you.
When the dealer charges one hour, they go by a book that all dealers have, and that is what they are supposed to charge. Here is the reasoning:
They can easily take 8 hours to make $$$$$. But they can charge no more than one hour, regardless. So if they are inefficient, they earn less money. If the job takes them 90 minutes they can only bill you for 60.
On the flip side if a dealer or mechanic is on the ball and can, say, do two cars at once (like we can use two computers at once) then they are rewarded by being able to bill you for an hour and get the job done in 30 minutes. This way their extra performance sees a higher profit and more satisfied customers and less wait time.
So in that way, I see the dealer charging for a full hour of labor. But as for the fluids, most dealers I know will top them all off as a courtesy. This one is obviously hurting for money.
All I can say is welcome to the world of European cars. I just had the clutch replaced on my Audi A4 and it cost 2000 dollars. The dealer wanted 3k! I also had the timing belt replaced on my wife’s jetta. Dealer wanted 1600 but we found a mechanic who was willing to do it for 800. The drivers side window on my car just broke and I’m afraid to find out how much that is going to be.
@Steve: I understand the high price of European cars. We had a VW Passat GLX. Wiper blades alone cost $40 each for something I pay $10-15 for REALLY nice ones at the auto store. We luckily sold that car (it was later ranked at the bottom of reliability by Consumer Reports)
you hide the fact you asked the dealer to do other labor things besides the oil change. you could have asked the dealer how much they charge for an oil change ahead of time. oil changes, even at dealerships, are fixed service prices these days. But, again, you make it sound like this was all for just an oil change, which it was not.
@Tim. I didn’t hide anything. I also paid for a tire rotation ($50, yet another double-the-price service) and while the wheels were off I asked them to measure the brakes. Not a hard thing to do. I’ll still stand by my statement that MINI seriously overcharges for services and parts found for half the price, if not less, elsewhere.
I don’t think Clever Dude was hiding anything… it is pretty standard for a dealer to check on other things, measure the brakes, etc., when a car is in for routine maintenance. I’ve never had my tires rotated without them telling me the amount of brakes left – anyone who would charge for that is automatically suspect!
I go to a dealership for my 2007 Prius, my first time using a dealership instead of doing the work myself, but I wanted the full service record and someone who knows how the battery works.
When I first starting going I was shocked since they usually charge around $60 for the oil change, tire rotation, and basic tune-up. I check it all off against the maintenance manuel that came with the car. The last time I went in, I called ahead and they said they would charge $80 to change the cabin air filter. I paid $15 and spent 15 minutes to do it myself, and I included the receipt in my maintenance log.
The dealerships are hurting these days, however, so trying to get them to reimburse you for the amount over what you feel is reasonable might work. (Their fees are outrageous, even after giving them room for a profit!) The last time I was at the dealership, they had a special where you could pay up front for your next five oil changes, including the tire rotation and basic maintenance. Generally I think these specials aren’t worth anything, but this time it was actually a good deal – $161 paid at that time covered not only that service, but also the next four! Naturally extras like the cabin filter aren’t covered, but otherwise it saved me $30 for that and each of the next four oil changes!
@clever, you did bury the fact you ask them to do other checks which require labor. To say the oil change cost $250 is hiding this fact. As with any other dealer, you have the right to refuse specific service before having them performed. As with any other dealer, oil services are pretty standardized in price and you had the ability to get an exact price for just the oil service before even having it performed. The warranty isn’t void if you get your oil service or your onboard computer checked by someone else other than the dealer. Common service things like tire rotations and oil changes are pretty much set prices at dealerships just as if you went to jiffy lube these days.
Dealers or whoever use labor guides to determine the time it takes to do a certain service/repair. Dealers post hourly labor rates. If you went to an indie repair person, you could get less hourly labor rate and you can get a deal off of how much time the mechanic says it actually takes versus the labor guide for the service/repair. Dealerships are not competitive when it comes to labor rates or when it comes to not charging based off of labor guides for a service/repair.
If you can change your own oil, then you should have done so. I find it amazing you are complaining about this, rather than being angry at yourself for spending more than you wanted to on the service. just wanting them to check out other things because the car is under warranty is not a very good excuse for not having changed the oil yourself knowing how much mini or any other dealership charges for their oil change. again, though, you had the dealership perform extra labor hours by checking out other things that were included in the bill but were not part of the actual oil change.
I say this having spent $50 on a roundel from BMW b/c my wife said she wanted it replaced. BMW didn’t charge me to replace take the old one off and put the new one on, though. but $50 pissed me off.
You got ripped off!
Post the dealer’s name and the recepit online…
For the record, I have a 2003 Mini Cooper with 79k miles and live in San Francisco. I have successfully avoided going to the dealer since I came off warranty and have gone to local mechanics for tires, brakes, oil changes, etc. My most recent bill was when I asked my mechanic for an oil change, check the fluids and rotate the tires. Total bill: $66.
Just saying…..
my local Mini dealer called me today about my 2006 Mini. I have 43K on the car, so I am out of the 36K service warranty. he offered me the extended service plan to 100k for $1600, and said I would save at least $1000 in for services.
he said new brakes and rotors were $700/axle, the 60K service $650 and the 90K service $350, 3 oil changes $280 total and wiper blades $110.
now, do I need rotors with brakes? the 60K and 90K services aren’t mentioned in the service book, just “inspections 1 and 2” where there just seems to be alot of checking things and not alot of work. almost $100/oil change is crazy and the wiper blades forget it.
plus, he’s overcharging me for the plan. I checked and it goes for $1300+tax. I emailed him and mentioned all these things. I can’t wait to hear back.
my plan is to call an excellent local mechanic I know, who is fair with everything, and see if they can do everything for the next 57K for less than $1600. I hope they can work on Minis, reset the mileage thing, etc.
the real issue is, not much is going to happen with the car between now and 100K. it’s after 100k that things start going, ie the clutch (which I baby anyway and my commute is all highway).
any thoughts? I love the car and I do plan on keeping it.
@Lisa, I got the same sales pitch when I was in at 32,000 miles for service, shortly after buying the used MINI. They said it would be $1300 if I bought then, which is “a discount while the car is still under warranty.” The cost when the warranty ends would be higher (around the $1600 you were quoted).
Now, they’re quoting you prices that THEY charge for those services. As you and I have found, you can find those same services for a fraction of the cost elsewhere. While it might not be done by a “MINI Professional Service Technician”, what does it matter if you don’t need to conform to warranty requirements anymore? As long as you can find a trusted mechanic to do the work (one that has worked on MINIs before), then go to them.
As for rotors, depending on the wear and mileage, you may need new rotors or they might just need to “machine” the rotors. Machining takes off a thin layer (if done right) to smooth it out. During the life of the brakes, the heat can distort the surface of the rotors and machining can extend the life of the rotor, but it does actually remove surface used for braking at the same time.
You was over price, go ahead and look for other alternative, because the price was ridiculous. To spread some knowledge that some people don’t know “Kaufman Tire” will rotate your tires for free, also fix a flat (nail in your tire) for free as well but their is specs on this fairly new or in good shape tire, and the puncture should not be on the sidewall
I bought a manual transmission, at Moritz Mini in Dallas Texas, the sale person told me the transmission came full of fluid and I did not have to add more fluid and refuse to sell me trans fluid, and told me came with 12 months warranty and unlimited miles. I have a profeccional mechanic to install the transmission and I tald him obout the fluid, the next day the transmission start having problem to shift, I took the car back to Moritz after 3 days they toll me evrityng is all rigth just alittle low on flid took the car to my house after draving the car for 3 miles I start having the same problem took the car back to Moritz and after 1 week they toll me the transmission is no good and my warranty is void because draving the car with out of fluid. Can some one tell me how can I get Moritz to onore the warranty Thanks.
1, taking your car to a dealer, in regards to an oil change, the majority of them top of all fluids and give a complete inspection of your vechile. I am a mechanic for 10 years now and every oil change i do even if its a new car with 5000miles on it i still lubricate all door hindges, trunk hood….etc, top up all fluids, do all tire pressures including the spare tire, and give a complete inspection of your vechile, by checking all components from brakes, suspention, electirc, aif filter……etc i can go on..
the reason why the dealer is so “expensive”…………wait one sec, do you know a technician gets paid for doing your oil change, unfortunatley like all other jobs, wer do not get a guraranteed salary, nor are we paid by the hour. We are flat rate technicians for for the .5 of an hour we just got paid to change your oil, and give you the peace of mind checking over your vechile completley we get half and hour of our rate per hour……in most cases a licenced technician will make approx 25-27/HR.
If you think its a rip off, you can go to the local “shop” which has no particular traing in your vechile, meanwhille at mini/bmw, we are trained to know all complete update on all new mini/bmws…
It might be expensive but well worth it. I have friends that tell me about how their mechanic at a small shop tells them they need this and that, yet when i seem to check their vechile……no repairs were necessary 70% of the time.
……….condiser not being so cheap and pay for what is necessary…….
@Mike, You said it yourself that the technician only makes $25-27/hr, so why is MINI charging me over $200? If the tech was getting even half that, well, I still wouldn’t want to pay over $200 again, but I would be on the tech’s side. But if MINI is making a 5x profit (more like 3-4x after materials and facilities costs), it’s just not fair to the consumer, which is why I’m going to take my business elsewhere. Specifically, I’m going to begin changing the oil on the MINI myself now (or look into the extended maintenance plan, which is also a ripoff, but only because I’m closer to the MINI dealer in my new job).
Would you pay $200+ to get your oil, filter and air filter changed? No, you would probably do it yourself or get your employer to pay for it, if they do that. I think that makes you frugal, not cheap, just like me.
Interesting. But curious, why won’t you touch the brakes? Replacing pads is a breeze, heck even the rotors are no problem. This is a job that so many people are afraid of because, “they stop the car!”, yet it is probably the most simple system/part of the car.
Oh, even synthetic oil breaks down and should not be used for extended periods like people think. When the companies went to all synthetic *AND* dealer covered oil changes the mileage between oil changes jumped to 10,000 – 15,000 depending on vehicle. Coincidence? Of course not, they really say you should change the oil at about 4,000 miles if you are going to keep the car longer than the typical 3-4 year ownership.
@Bob, it’s the whole “they stop the car” thing with me. I’m sure I could easily do it, but I just don’t want to be the one responsible for killing myself, my wife or my fellow passengers :(. We’ll let the mechanics be responsible for killing us 🙂
Hi CleverDude, I understand the fear and concern on the brakes, but do you really trust that other guy? 😉
Just kidding, but seriously, you should try it. It is a rewarding project. Heck I know some guys who track their cars and switch pads every few weeks when they have a track event.
You can do it. 🙂
BTW, love the MINI, is it Laser Blue? My wife just got a Mellow Yellow Clubman, and it is amazing.
@Bob, I’ll think about it when the time comes, but I’ll check, recheck and triple-diple check what I do!
The color is Hyper Blue Metallic (a 2005 Mini color).
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. My problem though is I took my car to a Jiffy Lube for an oil change and found out a few months later when I went to have it changed by my mechanic, that they must have stripped the threads and put on a larger bolt? and my mechanic now won’t touch it so I have to go back to the Jiffy Lube folks or I guess buy a whole new oil pan and start over? Any thoughts?
Ha, that sounds about right. We recently hit a mega pothole which resulted in our Cooper being towed to the dealer. I always find that the service guys are pretty pleasant to deal with, but when you get the bill you can see that their pleasantness is just a distraction to what’s coming around the corner… the final bill. We got a bill for $785.30 to replace a wheel hub with bearing and tire for the driverside front with $386.95 going toward labor. Now the only reason I feel at all comfortable with going to the dealer is that they see these vehicles daily and follow the specs laid out by BMW/Mini Cooper, so I trust the work being done. On the other hand, the prices are through the roof, and I agree that their products are grossly overpriced for the same items you could probably find at most local auto repair shops at 1/3 the cost.
They have to charge DOUBLE in order to supply Starbuck’s Coffee in the lobby. I’d rather pay normal mechanic costs and bring my own, though!
One thing I have found it makes sense to go to the Mini dealer for, TIRES.
Other tire places I’ve tried having my run-flat tires changed at, always say they cannot guarantee they won’t ruin the rims. Apparently (??) those type of tires are difficult to change.
i bought my mini used so the first time my oil change was 470 canadian. This also included getting a full inspection of the car- and two leaks were fixed. I did this for a piece of mind because i bought the car used. After that i take it to a local garage for all my needs. I don’t regret taking it to the dealer initially
Dealership=stealership
Wait until the transmission/CVT goes out anywhere from 50,000 and up-just out of warranty and the dealer tells you they will be able to fix the problem for between $6,000 and $8,000 dollars. Good luck Mini owners