AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, Sam’s Club Do Not Do Oil Changes

A regular oil change is significant for your engine if you want your car to last for a long time. Many car services offer this service. But why do AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, and Sam’s Club not do oil changes?

AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, and Sam’s Club may be the biggest car parts store chains in the United States, but oil change service is not one of the things that they are selling. These store chains offer the best prices on almost all car parts. It seems that they don’t find doing oil change service as profitable as selling car parts.

However, you have many other options. There are a lot of car service shops that offer professional oil change services. Perhaps there is a service shop near you. Or, if you are a DIYer, you can learn how to change the engine oil of your car yourself at home. You will save money because you won’t pay labor costs, but only for the motor oil and the oil filter.

Read on to learn more about why Autozone, Costco, Discount Tire, and Sam’s Club do not offer oil change services and the other places that provide this maintenance service.

Does Autozone Do Oil Changes?

autozone, costco, discount tire, sam’s club do not do oil changes

AutoZone Does Not Offer Oil Change

AutoZone does not do oil changes. While it is one of the biggest car parts suppliers in the United States and offers the best prices and great customer service, they don’t do this vehicle maintenance service.

Sells Motor Oils

They are selling motor oils you can use after the old oil is drained out of your engine. But they won’t do the actual oil change service. Instead, AutoZone is willing to give you useful tips on how you can do it yourself successfully.

AutoZone says that you can change your engine’s oil, which will only take 30 minutes to complete. AutoZone says you will have to wait 45 minutes if you ask a car service shop to do it. So, they say it will be easier for you to do it at home.

Why Does Autozone Do Not Offer Oil Change

According to AutoZone, they have reasons why they do not offer oil change service, which include the following:

1. Lack of Personnel

Although AutoZone offers several kinds of automotive services, they don’t offer oil change services because they don’t have qualified staff. They will refer you to a reputable lube shop where you can get this service done by qualified lube specialists much faster.

2. Time-consuming

AutoZone believes that doing an oil change is time-consuming – for them. If you read between the lines, this can only mean that it is not profitable for them to do this maintenance service.

They would instead refer you to a lube shop that they know where you can get the job done better and much quicker.

Does Costco Do Oil Changes?

Costco Does Not Offer Oil Change

Costco does not do oil changes. Costco was offering this car maintenance service in the past, but it is no longer offering it now.

Sells Motor Oils and Other Automotive Products

Even then, this store still sells motor oils of different brands, including Castrol, Mobil, and Kirkland. Other than these, Costco is also selling all kinds of automotive products.

Costco’s Car Services

Some reports say Costco stopped offering oil change services in 2016. Costco’s car services are currently limited to tire services, including tire balance, rotation, installation, and replacement.

Offers Discounts on Auto Merchandise

The good news is Costco is still offering discounts on their auto merchandise, including motor oils. The United States offers two gift cards worth $50 each from Jiffy Lube at a discounted price of only $74.99.

Why Did Costco Stop Offering Oil Change Services

Here are some of their reasons:

  • Costco warehouses have limited shop space for this type of car service.
  • The company’s business model centers around selling automotive parts wholesale or in bulk, not on a person-to-person basis.
  • Overall, there are inconsistencies in customer experience in different oil change service outlets that have irritated customers.
  • Costco provided their oil changes in the past from their tire centers. Unfortunately, these Costco Tire Centers were preceded by mixed reputations.

It seems that there are Costco outlets that require customers to book first before they come for an oil change service. Other Costco outlets follow a first-come, first-served arrangement. This usually results in long queues. In addition, some customers feel that some of the Costco personnel were rude. 

Does Discount Tire Do Oil Changes?

Discount Tire Does Not Do Oil Changes

Discount Tire does not do oil changes. This tire service center never did offer oil change services in the first place. Their website says they prefer to concentrate on giving their customers the best possible tire services. That includes wheels and repairs for their tire products.

People have assumed that Discount Tire also provides oil change service because most tire shops or auto repair stores also offer oil change service to their customers, along with other tire services and repairs.

Mian Focus Is on Providing Tire Services

However, this is not the business model of Discount Tire. Their main focus is on tires and everything related to tires. They believe that if they concentrate on just one aspect of car repair, they can give better customer service than other car repair shops.

Discount Tire Automotive Services

What services does Discount Tire offer to car owners? While Discount Tire does not offer oil change services, it offers more automotive services to its customers. Here are some of the services that they offer:

  • TPMS services or Tire Pressure Monitoring Services, where they check and maintain the TPMS system of cars.
  • Tire rotation and tire balancing
  • Tire inspection
  • Tire repair and replacement
  • Rim repair
  • Force balancing – correcting vehicle vibration due to poorly balanced or unbalanced tires.
  • Heat cycling – improving the traction of competitive sports or performance tires.

Does Sam’s Club Do Oil Changes?

does sam's club do oil change

Sam’s Club Does Not Do Oil Changes

Sam’s Club does not do oil changes. Since 2022, they do not offer such service even to their club members. Instead, they only sell all kinds and brands of motor oil to their members and other customers who want to change their motor oil themselves.

Motor Oil Brands Available in Sam’s Club

Sam’s Club offers the following brands of motor oils at their outlets:

  • Pennzoil
  • Castrol
  • Green Earth
  • Mobil
  • Rotella
  • VP

Owned by Walmart

The primary reason Sam’s Club doesn’t offer oil change service anymore is that it is now owned and operated by Walmart.

As you probably know, Walmart offers oil changes to its customers. And since most Sam’s Club outlets are close to a Walmart, they decided not to provide this service to their club members anymore.

Again, why do AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, and Sam’s Club not do oil changes? Autozone, Costco, Discount Tire, and Sam’s Club are the biggest car parts store in the U.S., but they do not offer oil change as they do not find the service profitable. But, you can get the best deals for car parts in the said stores.

Where to Get Oil Change Service

If AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, and Sam’s Club are no longer offering oil change services, there are other automotive service shops where you can go to. These other shops are focusing on lube services. They could be a better option for this kind of service since this is their main business.

If you are looking for a service shop that will do the oil change for your car, here are some of your options:

1. Walmart

Walmart is one of the most popular places car owners go for oil change services. Why? Because their oil change service is one of the cheapest in town. A typical oil change at Walmart costs only less than $20. 

That’s as long as you bring your car the right amount of motor oil. You also don’t have to make a booking to get this service at Walmart. It’s a first-come-first-serve basis at their shops. And it’s also quick. They say it will only last around 30 minutes – if there’s no other issue with your car.

2. Pep Boys

Another car service shop that you may want to consider is Pep Boys. They also do oil changes but with higher prices than Walmart. Their oil change prices range from $34 to $75. That depends on the service package that you will choose.

You need to make a booking before you go to any Pep Boys outlet. That’s better because you won’t be queuing in a long line of waiting customers.

Consider this shop because they provide extra services for free, together with the oil change. The extra services include the following:

  • Tire rotation,
  • Tire pressure check,
  • Full vehicle inspection, and
  • Tire tread depth check.

3. Jiffy Lube

Haven’t you heard about Jiffy Lube? If you are a car owner, you must have thought about having an oil change at this service shop. Consider doing it now since you don’t need to make an appointment.

Stop by the nearest store at your convenience, and their lube staff will see you get the needed oil change service.

An oil change job at Jiffy Lube will only cost you around $40. Aside from the oil change, you can also get other services, such as topping up your washer fluids, transmission, differential/transfer case, and power steering.

4. Valvoline Instant Oil Change

Valvoline is a long-time U.S. manufacturer of all kinds of automotive oils. They started their business way back in 1866. You will wonder why it is only in the recent past that they have ventured into the oil change service business.

Yes, they are the ones operating Valvoline Instant Oil Change. Please take note of the word “Instant” in the name. Does that mean if you go for an oil change at one of their outlets, you will get it instantly? Maybe yes. Why would they tack that word in their business name if not?

So, this is another oil change service that you can consider. They claim that their oil change service is fast and very affordable. And they seem to be successful so far. In 2012, they had only 868 outlets.

Now, they have already grown to a total of 1,433 outlets all over the country. Out of this total, 663 outlets are directly owned by Valvoline, while the rest are franchises.

Apart from oil change, they also offer related services such as:

  • Headlight/taillight replacement,
  • Fuel system cleaning,
  • Battery replacement,
  • Radiator coolant,
  • Serpentine belt replacement,
  • Air conditioning replacement,
  • Transmission fluid, and many more.

5. Express Oil Change Tire Engineers

Perhaps you don’t have much time to spare and are looking for a car service shop that can quickly do an oil change. If so, you need to consider Express Oil Change Tire Engineers. Don’t you know that they can do a complete oil change in only 10 minutes?

That’s their signature oil change which is the fastest compared to all the other quick oil change services.

Apart from oil changes, they also offer full-service mechanical, including transmission service, engine light diagnostics, timing belts, AC service, brakes, and many more. Express Oil operates 251 company-owned outlets and 58 franchises in 19 states.

Frequently Asked Questions

sam's club oil change appointment

If you still have some questions about our topic today, perhaps you will get your answers from the ones listed below:

Why Is Oil Change Unavailable in AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, and Sam’s Club?

The most straightforward answer to your questions is low profitability. That may not be the reason for all these car service shops, but most are not doing oil change service because it does not bring them the profits their other merchandise is giving.

Some claim that their main focus is not on oil change services but tire and other car repair services. And then some say they lack the space necessary to perform good quality oil change service.

Are There Other Lube Shops Where I Can Get Oil Change Service?

Yes, there are plenty of car service shops that offer lube changes. Some offer quick oil changes, such as the Express Oil Change Tire Engineers, which claims that they can change your engine oil in 10 minutes.

Other car service shops that offer oil changes include Walmart, Jiffy Lube, Pep Boys, Valvoline Instant Oil Change Service, and many more.

How Often Should I Have My Engine Oil Changed?

It depends on the recommendation of the car manufacturer. On average, car manufacturers recommend that an oil change be done every 3,000 miles. That’s the standard interval. So, if you use your vehicle in extreme driving conditions, it should be more often.

In Closing: AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, Sam’s Club Do Not Do Oil Changes

AutoZone, Costco, Discount Tire, andSam’ss Club are well known in the country as car parts store chains that offer the best prices and customer service. Unfortunately, one of the things they don’t do is oil change service.

These big car parts chain stores don’t find it profitable to offer oil change services. They would instead stick to selling all kinds of car parts because these items bring in more sales and profits than doing oil change services.

However, you are not left in a vacuum regarding changing the motor oil in your engine periodically. Many car service shops offer good quality oil change services. Or you can learn how to change your engine’s oil at home. Many have already been doing it themselves.

Read next:

Where Is the Best Place to Do an Oil Change?