MG
Michelle Ganley
Apr 15, 2026
Don't go to this Valvoline -- pleeeeeease don't go to this Valvoline, I'm begging you. I went in for routine service, they broke my drain plug, all the oil came out of my vehicle within the hour, my engine seized, my car broke down on a busy road, I lost power steering, it was incredibly scary; the whole 9 yards.
I'm almost done navigating this whole mess, but it's been the worst two-month process. I understand that this sort of thing happens (by the way, VERY often at this particular Valvoline, according to my mechanic), but working with this company has been a special kind of hell.
Let me tell you the ways ...
-The shop on Capitol doesn't have a landline, so the corporate/customer care team trying to get ahold of anyone locally was ... messy and frustrating, to say the least. The assistant manager, from the jump, admitted fault, but then to nail anyone down from there, was a disaster.
-I was promised calls back for days before the ball officially got rolling.
-When the original incident happened, the team tried to just fill me back up with oil and send me on my way (after my car had just died on Capitol). No reimbursement offered, no "let's get you to a mechanic," nothing.
-No one would ever confirm for me that we had an open case, or tell me how any of the recovery process would work. I didn't rent a car right away because of this, so I was just without a vehicle for a bit, and then fronting SO much money.
-The adjuster then fought with my mechanic about labor rates, which was fun.
-This was essentially a part-time job for me, and no one has ever apologized, compensated me for my effort, or helped me navigate the process. I am getting reimbursed for tows and a new engine, but that's not without risk. And I had to send a demand letter in order to get ANY of this taken seriously.
-The regional manager only popped on the scene toward the end of the local process, mostly to deny he heard any "knocking" when my engine troubles were being diagnosed at the dealership. Luckily, the mechanic had my back.
I will be reporting this matter to the Wisconsin State Attorney General and sharing my experience publicly—because companies of this size should be consumer-focused and take accountability when things go wrong.
Mistakes can happen. What matters is how a company responds. I had been a loyal Valvoline customer since 2019, and through no fault of my own, I was left dealing with serious consequences.
If you value transparency, accountability, and basic customer care, I strongly recommend taking your business elsewhere.
SR
Steps “Onpurpose” Robertson
Mar 21, 2026
I recently visited Valvoline Instant Oil Change and had a disappointing experience, mainly due to unclear and inconsistent pricing.
I was originally quoted $82 for an oil change and had a $25 coupon, so I expected a reasonable total. Instead, my final bill came out to $167.64.
Here’s what the receipt actually shows:
Full synthetic oil change: $105.99
Wiper blades: $34.99 each (I was quoted $31 each)
Extra oil charge: $4.40
Labor charge: $35.69
Discount applied: -$25
The biggest issue is the $35.69 labor charge. This was not clearly explained beforehand, and when I asked about it, staff could not give a clear answer. Charging over $100 for an oil change and then adding a separate labor fee—without transparency—is frustrating.
I understand prices can vary, but what matters is clarity and honesty upfront. That didn’t happen here.
Bottom line:
The service itself may be quick, but the pricing was not transparent, and the final total was far higher than expected. I recommend asking for a full, itemized total before they begin—or considering other places where pricing is clearer.