Beware of the Quick Lube

I worked at a quick lube place many years ago. Most of the employees just know how to change oil and rotate tires. The reason I say this is because they want to sell you other services, such as fuel injector treatments or transmission flushes. Unless you see an ASE certified sign out front, I would advise against it. I don't know about you, but I don't want a 16 year old kid who worked at a fast food joint yesterday trying to service my car. Not to mention these services are outrageously priced. Most people who work at these places make less than $10 per hour. Think about how much you would care about the quality of your work for $350 a week. Don't get me wrong, they're not bad people by any means, they're just not skilled enough to do more than change oil or rotate tires.

If you buy a new/newer vehicle, READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL, and for the first 36,000 miles or so, take it to the dealership for all repairs and services. The dealership is just as inexpensive as the quick lube, but you get better quality service. After 36k miles or 3 years (standard warranty time) it's really up to you.

Quick lube is actually a pretty decent choice if you own a vehicle more than about 7 years old. It's probably out of warranty now, and that's when the dealerships will start getting expensive. Just remember--only oil changes and tires, maybe wiper blades--that's it. Any more than that and you're just wasting your money.