A Walmart shopper was astounded by the cost of oil products at the ubiquitous retailer.
Giant (@thegiantant) recorded his shock at seeing how much more competitively priced its offerings were compared to other stores. In a video that’s accrued nearly 25,000 views as of this writing, he revealed his disbelief. So is he onto something?
In the video, Giant records himself in the automotive section of a Walmart. As he records various bottles of motor oil, he expresses disbelief over the prices.
“Yo I didn’t know if this is true or not, but look. At Walmart, this [expletive] like $5 bro.”
While saying this, he punches into the price tag of a red quart-sized bottle of Ford Motorcraft oil. The sticker indicates it sells for $5.82. He says the prices of other brands are low as well. Next, he walks over to a separate shelf that displays larger containers of oil. A 1.25 gallon container of Ford Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 oil retails for $25.87.
“That’s insane bro. At like AutoZone and O’Reilly this [expletive] like forty bucks, bro,” Giant says. “Maybe like $35. But like, oil at Walmart is like just a cheat code, bro. Like, it’s insane.”
Both O’Reilly’s and AutoZone’s websites state that they sell 1.25 gallon containers of Ford Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 oil for $35.99—more than $10 more than Walmart.
Maintenance costs for vehicles vary greatly, depending on the make and model of the car. When it comes to an oil change, the price is affected by whether you choose conventional, synthetic blend, or full synthetic oil.
And if your car has a bigger engine, you’re going to need more oil, which can also jack up the cost.
The price charged by a mechanic or dealer can also vary widely. For instance, if you bring a Porsche 911 into an authorized service center, expect to pay an eye-watering $532-$565, according to RepairPal.
Thankfully, most oil changes cost significantly less.
Bankrate reports that the average cost of an oil change ranges anywhere from $35-$75 for conventional fluid. If you’re opting for synthetic oil, however, that charge jumps up to $65-$125. To avoid these costs, people like Giant change it themselves. You’ll have to buy the tools upfront, but these will pay for themselves with the money you save after a few oil changes.
However, if changing oil yourself isn’t a viable solution, there’s still a way to save money on oil changes. Some service centers allow you to bring your own oil.
Money Genius writes that the cheapest place to buy oil is Costco. The retailer purportedly sells two 1.25-gallon jugs of its Kirkland Full Synthetic 5W30 oil for $49.99, or roughly $25 apiece, just a few cents less than the Walmart product in Giant’s clip.
Money Genius notes that Walmart also offers low-cost oil and says Amazon is another place you can find oil on the cheap.
While Giant was obviously surprised by how cheap oil is at Walmart, it’s not exactly a state secret.
As one person put it: “I ain’t goin lie bro you so late.”
Another person questioned why anyone would buy oil at an auto supply store. “Who the hell buys oil at auto parts stores?”
“Wait till you get a load of Costco oil,” a third wrote.
Motor1 has reached out to Walmart via email and Giant via TikTok comment for further information. We’ll update this article if either party gets back to us.