Oil change cost calculator

What the number means

The result is how much more one oil plan costs than the other over a year of your driving, plus each plan's yearly cost and cost per mile. Cost per change is not the whole story, because a plan that costs twice as much per visit but needs half as many visits costs about the same. The calculator turns both into a yearly figure so that you can compare them fairly.

How it is calculated

The number of changes per year is the larger of two counts: miles per year divided by the mileage interval, and 12 divided by the interval in months. That matches the usual wording "every X miles or Y months, whichever comes first". The yearly cost is that count times the cost of one change. At a shop, the cost of one change is the price you enter. At home it is the quarts the engine takes times the price per quart, plus the filter and whatever else you add per change. The break-even figure answers a practical question: what could plan B cost per change before it stops being cheaper than plan A, which is plan A's yearly cost divided by plan B's changes per year.

Worked example

Take 12,000 miles a year and these example prices. Plan A is conventional oil at a shop for $45, changed every 5,000 miles or 6 months: the mileage rule gives 2.4 changes, more than the 2 that the time rule gives, so the year costs $108. Plan B is full synthetic at $85 every 10,000 miles or 12 months: 1.2 changes and $102. Plan B is $6 cheaper, and would stay cheaper until one change cost $90. At home, five quarts at $5 and $9 with an $8 filter costs $33.00 and $53.00 per change, which is $79.20 and $63.60 a year. If you drive only 3,000 miles, the time rule decides both plans: $90 against $85.

Common mistakes and limits

The biggest mistake is a wrong interval. Take the interval from the owner's manual or the oil-life monitor, not from habit: "every 3,000 miles" is not a universal rule, and a longer synthetic interval only counts if your engine and driving allow it. We do not publish interval recommendations because they differ by engine and by manufacturer, and we have no standard to cite for a general figure.

Second, the grade. Fueleconomy.gov says the manufacturer's recommended grade can improve gas mileage by 1% to 2%, and that using 10W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-30 can lower it by 1% to 2%. A bargain oil of the wrong viscosity can cost more at the pump than it saves at the counter. Third, the EPA recommends recycling used oil and filters rather than throwing them away, and warns that the used oil from one oil change can contaminate a million gallons of fresh water. Many drop-off sites are free, but not all, so check yours before counting disposal as zero. Fourth, prices are examples: shop prices vary by region, oil type and what the shop adds, and DIY savings disappear if you value your time or buy tools. Use the gas mileage calculator to see the effect of oil on mpg, the fuel cost calculator for the fuel side of owning a car and the road trip cost calculator to count wear per mile on a trip.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an oil change cost per year?

Multiply the cost of one change by the changes you make in a year. With the example prices on this page and 12,000 miles of driving, a conventional-oil change at $45 every 5,000 miles or 6 months happens 2.4 times a year and costs $108. A full-synthetic change at $85 every 10,000 miles or 12 months happens 1.2 times and costs $102. Your prices and intervals will differ: this is a tool, the numbers are placeholders.

Is synthetic oil cheaper in the long run?

It can be, when its longer interval cuts the number of changes enough to offset the higher price. In the example it breaks even if one synthetic change costs $90; at $85 it saves $6 a year. It stops helping when you drive little: at 3,000 miles a year both oils are limited by the time interval and cost $90 and $85 a year, and the synthetic oil saves only $5 a year. The manufacturer's recommended oil is the one to buy: check the owner's manual or the oil cap for the viscosity grade and specification.

What interval should I enter?

The one in your owner's manual, or the figure on the car's oil-life monitor if it has one. Many manuals give miles or months, whichever comes first, so enter both: the calculator uses whichever produces more changes per year. If you leave the months box empty or 0, only mileage counts.

Is changing the oil myself cheaper?

Usually the parts cost less than a shop's price. In the example, five quarts at $5 plus an $8 filter is $33.00 a change and five quarts at $9 plus the filter is $53.00, so the yearly cost is $79.20 and $63.60. The calculator does not count your time, a drain pan, a funnel or a jack; put anything extra per change in the "other" box.

What do I do with the used oil?

Recycle it. The EPA says used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water, a year's supply for 50 people, and it recommends taking used oil and the filter to a collection center. Check with local auto maintenance facilities, waste collectors or your local government for where to drop it off.

Does the wrong oil grade cost me fuel?

It can. Fueleconomy.gov says using the manufacturer's recommended grade can improve gas mileage by 1% to 2%: using 10W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-30 can lower mileage by 1% to 2%, and 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 by 1% to 1.5%. The agency also recommends oil with the Energy Conserving mark in the API performance symbol. A cheaper oil that your manual does not call for is not a saving.

Why does a low-mileage car still need oil changes?

Because most manuals give a time limit as well as a mileage limit. Enter the months interval, and the calculator will count one change every 12 months at least when that comes first, however few miles you drive.

Estimates for planning only. Follow the oil specification and change interval in your owner's manual. Sources: U.S. Department of Energy and EPA, Gas Mileage Tips: Maintain Your Vehicle (fueleconomy.gov), section on the recommended grade of motor oil; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Managing, Reusing, and Recycling Used Oil. Prices and intervals are your own inputs. How we check our calculators.