The Vehicles you Love and Loathe When it Comes to Oil Changes
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Our friends at National Oil & Lube News have an interesting cover story in their recent issue. Namely, the U.S.-based magazine presents a list of the various vehicles that shop owners are happy to see in their bays for an oil change. And then there are other models that, well… they’d prefer if the owner just kept on motoring down the highway.
Indeed, as we all know, there are some vehicles that are an absolute delight to work on. This is primarily due to their simplicity and ease of access; filters that are located in easily accessible locations; and drain plugs that are spotted perfectly.
Then, notes National Oil & Lube News, there are those nightmarish vehicles that have “drain plugs only a wizard could find. Filters wedged into places only a scarecrow could be smart enough to get to. And skid plates. Acres and acres of plastic or metal underbody shielding designed to smooth out air flow, protect critical components from rocks and stumps while off-roading, and above all, prevent easy access to drain plugs and filters, turning a 10-minute oil change into an hour-long affair of busted knuckles, burned forearms, and a choice word or three muttered under one’s breath.”
Without further ado, when it comes to oil change service, here are the vehicles that comprise The Good (“Easy to Service”), The Bad (“Difficult to Service”), and The Ugly (“Refuse to Service” – yes, some shop owners actually told National Oil & Lube News that in regard to certain makes and models, they’ll simply turn down the job because working on such cars is just way too problematic.)
Easy to Service:
1. GM full-sized pickup trucks (i.e., Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra and their Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban mechanical siblings)
2. Chrysler PT Cruiser/Dodge Neon
3. Honda Accord
4. Honda Civic
5. Chevrolet Cobalt/Saturn Ion
Difficult to Service:
1. Toyota Tundra
2. Volkswagen New Beetle
3. Volkswagen Passat
4. Hummer H3
5. Suzuki Grand Vitara
Not Going to Touch It:
1. Mini Cooper
2. Volkswagens with the 1.8L diesel engine
3. Porsche 911
Editor’s Note: How about it, readers? Do you have a personal favourite vehicle when it comes to the oil change service? And conversely, are there some cars out there that just make you cringe when it comes to performing an oil change?
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