Called my car brand dealerships in town for a price quotation for an oil change for the first time "in die Schwiiz" and got a CHF100 to CHF200 range...just for an oil change!!! This is legalized swindling to me.

I mean, I used to pay $39.95 to $59.95 tops back in NYC and they even throw in a free car wash plus topping off the windshield washer fluid.

Given, CHF200 ain't nothing and it's a different country with her own ways BUT I just can't get it in my head.

I guess my question will be:

Is Oil Change service that "pricey" around here?

Hi There
My hubby has been in Switzerland for 5 years and still moaning about the mafia-prices of carrepairs..... Which I totally agree upon. Just assume dealers want to ripp you off and you will not be disappointed. By the way doing it by yourself is legal (although you will have to pay for getting rid of the used oil....) and cheaper. Forget about US oil-prices too.....

You could always do it yourself. It's not hard

And if you do, you'll find out why it's so expensive. Oil is at least double price here compared to the U.S. Depending on the particular oil, it could cost between 70-100 CHF for the oil alone (they will likely use a semi-synthetic if not full synth); add in the filter, and labor and it's not really a rip off. Us Yanks are just used to dirt cheap oil.

I think it's been said here before. However, you enjoy your relatively well paid lifestyle here, so let the guy who changes your oil enjoy his relatively well paid lifestyle as well. It's not like you have to change the oil every week is it?

Seriously though, those little jobs that you used to pay next to nothing for in the USA probably involved somebody on the bare minimum wage doing the work. It's not like that here. Everybody who works can expect a bit more than simply survival.

It costs that much to change oil almost anywhere in CH.
Oil cost around 20chf per liter. (close to a quart in the US)
You aren't expected to change your oil as often in Europe as you are in the US. The 3000 mile change interval is not observed in Europe.
In my BMW, it is like 18 or 20 thousand kilometers between oil changes.

If you are really upset about the prices you can go to France and they will do it for less than 100chf, or so I am told.

20 thousand km for an oil change? I would say that is way to rare even for a diesel BMW (I assume its diesel?). More like 8 to 10 thousand perhaps at the most...but 20?

As for the price, you can always do it yourself, as long as you are sure you know what you are doing. Even if it seems pricier oil changes are crucial for the engine. If you mess something up (put something inside by mistake, dust or if you don't close the screws as you should) you are facing major engine overhaul on the short term which can be more expensive than the 100 CHF.

Hmmm, I change my oil when the engine management computer tells me to do so. Of course the faster and harder one drives the shorter the change interval becomes.

What car do you have?

I shall then tell you if it is worth doing it yourself.
Not only would you save money but you might get satisfaction out of doing it.

Nope, oil disposal is FREE. (at least in Basel) Just take it to a designated pharmacy dropoff point for hazardous chemicals.

Yes, the oil is mucho dinero here. 20 Fr a liter easy. If you can, pop over to Germany and pick it up for half the price.

its not just oil...I have order car parts from the state...german,italian,etc were half the cost, but it is slowly changing. 5 years ago oil filter 30.sf now I pay 12.sf...non swiss took over the parts store. its not labor cost that make the cost high...its the importers and wholesellers that have been making the big bucks

Swiss don't bring in their car for an oil change. Oil change is just part of say, a 10'000 km service which you combine with the mandatory exhaust emission check. Break discs and pads should also be checked/replaced when the car is in for a service. Handling a car just for an oil change is simply too expensive here.
Option: Buy some Migros semi or full synthetic motor oil for the fraction of gilded Castrol and do it yourself. The used oil can be disposed of at the "Gemeinde" recycling facilities.

My VW polo has an oil change (and service) every 2 years or 30,000kms...

Do you drive new cars?????

Pretty much every new car now is 20,000km or more. BMWs run a dynamic service interval - and have done for years. Steady driving will have well over 20,000km between services.

Additionally, not all services are equal - Oil, Minor, Oil, Major, etc etc

Some items should also be replaced at certain points.

I wish the oil change on our car only cost 100chf

just nip into coop home and hobby etc and look at the price of any half decent brand of oil, its shocking.

I did an oil change at the weekend, paid stupid amounts for the semi synthetic, then got distracted, left the oil cap off and dumped it all over the engine and road, doh, car smells lovely now

There's a gratuitous pity Thanks.

The only thing more horrible than what you did is not getting the oil plug or filter tight enough and not realizing that you don't have enough oil until it is too late. Never done that particular thing myself but have had friends that have.

One must also not forget it is not just that the wages are more decent here.. the social insurances (invalid, unemployment, etc) are also much more expensive because they are actually substantial and function more effectively.

Switzerland has been cushioned from the GFC somewhat because the domino effect of recession unemployment (ie. cascading job losses from reduced consumption, etc) have been absorbed by Switzerland's generous short-term unemployment benefits.

Factor all this in when baulking at service/labour related costs.

I have a Mercedes SLK 280. The car is brand new and it's manual said I need an oil change and filter at 20K km but the odometer is barely over 11K km and the system computer is recommending an oil change.

I'm not really a hands-on kinda guy when it comes to auto mechanics. I'd rather pay a professional just so that I can have someone to blame, legally, later if something goes wrong

I doubt the exorbitant prices on certain things has any correlation to the "substantial" benefits. Prices of some goods and services just don't seem justified using the supply and demand theory.

I think as with BMW this is dynamic and depends on how you drive. Try one of the tyre places. Euromaster are quoting oil change "ab Fr 59".