Oil and Filter Change Cost
The short answer
An oil and filter change costs £80 in labour with SV Autos, plus a £20 call-out and the oil and filter themselves, which are quoted for your car. We do it at your home or work, and the old oil goes away with us to be recycled.
An oil change is the job most cars actually need between services, and it's the one that gets put off most. Here's what it costs with us, split into labour and parts, and what makes the parts side move. If you'd rather have the oil done as part of a fuller check of the car, that's a service rather than an oil change, and those are priced separately.
What it costs
| Job | Labour | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Oil and filter change | £80 | Correct-spec oil and a new oil filter, sump plug washer replaced, and the old oil taken away and recycled. |
| Interim service | £100 | The oil and filter, plus an air filter and a safety check over the car. £20 more than the oil change on its own. |
| Full service | £160 | Everything in the interim, plus a cabin filter, a coolant flush and a fuller look over the car's systems. |
Labour only. The £20 call-out and the oil and filter go on top. Oil is quoted for your car, because how much it takes and which spec it needs vary a lot between engines.
How our pricing works
Labour
The prices above. Fixed for the job, not charged by the hour, so a job running long is our problem rather than yours.
£20 call-out
One flat fee to come to you, anywhere in our area. No mileage charges and no surcharge for being further out.
Parts
Quoted for your exact car. They vary too much between makes and models to publish honestly, so we price them properly rather than guessing.
You get the three added together, in writing, before any work starts. If the job changes once we are looking at the car, you hear it from us first.
What changes the price
Any price that starts with "from" needs explaining, or it is just a hook. Here is what actually moves the number for your car.
- How much oil your engine takes
- This is the biggest one. A small petrol hatchback might take under four litres. A larger diesel or a big petrol engine can take seven or eight. It's the same labour either way, but it isn't the same bill.
- Which oil it needs
- Plenty of modern engines, particularly in the VW group and BMW ranges, need a specific long-life oil rather than a generic one. Using the wrong spec to save a few pounds is a false economy, and on some engines it'll do real damage.
- Where the filter sits
- Some filters are a cartridge on top of the engine and take two minutes. Others are a spin-on canister buried behind something else. It doesn't change our labour price, but it's why you'll see some garages charge more for certain cars.
- Whether you want it as part of a service
- If the car's due a proper look over anyway, an interim service is £20 more than the oil change alone and includes an air filter and a safety check. That's usually the better buy.
Your questions
How much does an oil change cost?
£80 in labour with us, plus the £20 call-out and the oil and filter for your car. The oil is the part that varies: a small engine taking four litres and a big diesel taking eight are the same job but not the same bill, which is why we quote the oil per car rather than publishing one number.
How often should I change my engine oil?
Follow the handbook first, because manufacturers differ more than people expect. As a rough guide, most cars are on a yearly or 10,000 mile interval, whichever comes first, though some long-life schedules stretch further than that. Short journeys, a lot of town driving and towing all shorten it, because the oil never gets properly hot and degrades faster.
What happens if I don't change my oil?
Oil stops doing its job gradually and then suddenly. It thickens, picks up combustion deposits and loses its ability to protect the moving parts, and on modern engines it also feeds the timing chain tensioners and the turbo. Neglected oil is one of the more expensive ways to kill an engine, and it's entirely avoidable for what a change costs.
Is an oil change the same as a service?
No. An oil change is oil and filter and nothing else. A service also includes an air filter, checks over the brakes, tyres, lights, suspension and fluid levels, and on a full service a cabin filter and a coolant flush too. Our interim service is £100 against £80 for the oil change, so the extra checks cost £20.
Can you do an oil change on my driveway?
Yes, it's one of the most common jobs we do. It needs the car on reasonably level ground with access underneath, and it doesn't need a ramp. We bring a drain tray and take the old oil away with us to be recycled, so nothing is left on your drive.
Should I use the cheapest oil I can find?
No, and this is where people lose money rather than save it. Engines are built around a specific oil grade and specification, and modern ones are fussier about it than older ones. The right oil for your engine is what we fit. If you've bought your own oil and it's the correct spec, that's fine, we'll use it.
Prices on this page are labour from £80, plus the £20 call-out and parts. Confirmed with James and current at the time of writing.
Tell us what your car's doing
A clear price agreed before anything is booked. No obligation, no pressure.
We reply within 48 hours, and if it's urgent it's quicker to ring or send a WhatsApp. There's a flat £20 call-out and then a clear price for the work, agreed before anything starts. Nothing to pay up front, no cancellation fee, and you settle up once the work is done, by card, cash or bank transfer.