Emma Davies
Updated on September 14, 2022
Keeping up to date with your car’s oil changes is essential. Oil plays a vital role in your engine’s performance, it works as a lubricant to keep all the metal parts inside the engine moving smoothly. Without enough lubrication, the engine can overheat and expensive damage can be caused to key components inside.
To avoid this from happening, the engine oil should be changed at regular intervals (the exact number of miles between oil changes can be found in your car owner’s manual).
If you don’t want to do the oil change yourself and don’t want the inconvenience of finding a mechanic, you can get your oil changed at Walmart.
An oil change at a Walmart Auto Care Center takes roughly 15 to 30 minutes. The time will vary depending on how busy the auto care center is.
Oil changes at Walmart are very quick and convenient and you can go to the main store while you wait for your oil change to be finished.
Can I Change My Oil at Walmart?
When you think of Walmart you may not immediately think of it as a place to get your car oil changed. The truth is, Walmart has approximately 2,500 Auto Care centers across the USA and many customers choose to get their oil changed in these conveniently situated stores.
There are four options to choose from when getting your oil changed at Walmart:
- Power & Performance oil change.
- High mileage.
- Standard oil change.
- Pit crew.
Prices vary between the oil change services, keep reading to learn how much an oil change costs at Walmart in 2024.
What are the Walmart Oil Change Prices 2024?
Getting your oil changed at Walmart is a quick and easy process. It may be cheaper to go down the DIY route and change the oil in your vehicle yourself but the process can be messy and without the right skills, you risk damaging your engine by overfilling the oil.
Depending on what vehicle you have and what oil it uses, you will need to select the correct oil change option. Oil changes at Walmart are on average slightly cheaper than the national average price.
Here is an up-to-date list of the oil change fees at Walmart:
- Pit crew – $19.88
- Standard oil change – $29.88
- High mileage oil change – $35.88
- Power & performance – $49.88
Prices may vary between different Walmart stores but, on average, the Pit Crew oil change is one of the cheapest professional oil changes available on the market today.
How Long Does an Oil Change Take at Walmart?
No one wants to spend hours waiting around in a mechanics’ waiting room for their oil change to be completed. The great thing about oil changes at Walmart Auto Care centers is that they are really quick and if there is a delay, you can pop into the main Walmart store next door to kill some time.
On average, an oil change at Walmart takes between 15 to 30 minutes. If you have booked an appointment you shouldn’t need to wait long for the oil change to be finished, however, walk-in customers may have a long wait.
It is possible to get your oil changed at Walmart without an appointment but you must be prepared to wait for a little longer and of course, customers with booked appointments will always be seen first. If the auto center is too busy, you may need to return on a different day.
Oil changes at Walmart are much quicker than trying to change the oil in your car yourself. To change engine oil you first need to carefully drain the old oil out and then add in the new oil, checking the level with the dipstick when you are done.
This may not sound like a lot of work but it can be very messy and time-consuming if you don’t know what you are doing. The team in a Walmart Auto Care center will have all the skills and knowledge to get the job done quickly.
What Does Walmart Do During An Oil Change?
Taking your car to a mechanic for an oil change can be a bit of a hassle. You may need to leave your car at the workshop all day or have to wait for long periods in the waiting room if the mechanics have a lot of work scheduled for that day.
Also, mechanics often charge high labor fees and you may end up spending much more than you would get your oil changed at Walmart.
It is understandable if you feel hesitant about getting your oil changed in a Walmart store. But you shouldn’t be concerned, the low price doesn’t mean you will be getting low-quality service.
Let’s take a closer look at each oil change option to find out what you are getting for your money:
Pit Crew
The Pit Crew oil change includes an oil and lubrication change, a new oil filter, and the car battery and tire pressure will also be checked.
Standard oil change
For the standard oil change, you will receive a standard oil change, vacuum, an air filter, and lights check. The standard oil change package also includes a battery and tire pressure check and all of the essential fluids will be checked and topped up if necessary.
High mileage oil change
This oil change includes up to 5 quarts of either semi-synthetic or high mileage oil. If the odometer on your vehicle reads at 75,000 miles or above, it is recommended that you use the high mileage oil. With the high mileage oil change, you will receive all the same checks as the standard package.
Power and performance oil change
With this option, you will receive all of the checks and top-ups of the standard package but you will also receive fully synthetic oil. This is the best oil available and will enable your engine to perform to the best of its ability.
It is important to note that different Walmart stores will drain the old oil using different methods. Some Walmart Auto Care centers will remove the old oil by using an extraction tool and suck the oil out via the dipstick tube.
In other stores, they may choose to do things ‘the old-fashioned way’ and get underneath your vehicle and remove the plug to drain the oil out.
Walmart oil changes are widely considered to be great value for money. The team performing your oil change is unlikely to be certified mechanics but you should not let this put you off.
Walmart ensures all of their Auto Care center staff work to a high standard and follows the strict guidelines they have in place for changing the oil and other maintenance work. If you want to know if the oil changes in your local Walmart are any good, search online for recent customer reviews.
From time to time someone is going to have a bad experience, but if you notice several bad reviews, all within a short space of time, this is a good indication that your local Walmart maybe isn’t the best place to go for your oil change.
On the other hand, if all reviews are positive, you should not hesitate in heading to Walmart for a great value oil change.
FAQs
How much is an oil change at Walmart?
The price of an oil change at Walmart varies depending on which package you choose. The Pit Crew oil change is $19.88, a standard oil change is $29.88, the high mileage oil change is $39.88 and the Power & Performance oil change is $49.88.
Do you need an appointment to get your oil changed at Walmart?
You do not need an appointment to get your oil changed at Walmart. If you want to guarantee a quick turnaround or need to get your oil change done at a specific time, it is best to make an appointment in advance.
While it is possible to walk into your local Walmart and have an oil change without making an appointment, walk-in customers are not given priority over those who have booked ahead and you may need to wait a while to be seen.
Can you bring your own oil and filter to Walmart?
Yes, you can bring your own oil and filter to Walmart when you are booked in for an oil change. Buying your own oil ahead of time may seem like the cheaper option but it is important to note that Walmart charges an additional fee when using a non-featured oil.
What is a Pit Crew oil change at Walmart?
The Pit Crew oil change is the cheapest out of the four oil change services performed at Walmart Auto Care centers. A Pit Crew oil change costs $19.88, this includes a full oil and filter change and checks the tire pressure and vehicle battery.
What are Walmart oil change hours?
If you want to get your oil changed at Walmart, you will need to go within their working hours (these may differ from the main Walmart store opening hours).
For example, the Auto Centre at the Walmart in Selma, CA is open 7 am – 7 pm every day but the main store stays open until 11 pm. You can check your local Walmart Auto Care center opening times by looking up your local store on the Walmart website.
Conclusion
Getting your car’s oil changed has never been easier and Walmart Auto Care center offers amazing value for money.
With the Pit Crew oil change package costing just $19.88, you can have your oil changed for less than twenty bucks and your tire pressure and the battery will be checked too. The Walmart oil change packages vary and the price increases depending on which feature oil is used.
When you have your oil changed at an Auto Care Centre, the staff will also change the filter, and check the battery, tire pressure, and essential fluid levels. If any of the engine fluids are low, these will be topped off at no extra cost.
There is no need to put off an oil change when you can easily get it done on your next trip to Walmart! Keeping up to date with your vehicle’s oil changes is essential; when old oil is left to circulate in the engine, many problems can occur.
If you don’t change your engine oil as per the manufacturer’s instruction you may void your warranty, cause the head gasket to blow, warp the engine components, significantly impact your vehicle’s performance and even cause a complete engine meltdown.
It is very important that you take good care of your car and change the engine oil whenever you are alerted to do so. At Walmart you can receive a good quality oil change in just 15 to 30 minutes, there is no need not to get the job done.
For more related articles, check out these posts:
How Much to Change Oil at Valvoline in 2022?
Can You Bring Your Own Oil For An Oil Change?
When Should You Get Your First Oil Change on A New Car?
