Is the Firestone Oil Change Price Worth It?

Firestone is one of the largest, oldest and successful tire and rubber companies in the history of the United States. Their quality of tires borders on the legendary and have become a household name; not an easy feat for a tire company. But, perhaps lesser well known, Firestone tire shops are also complete auto care centers, and they work on anything from simple oil changes to complete under car maintenance and repair.

How Much Does an Oil Change at Firestone Cost? How Much Is a Synthetic Oil Change at Firestone?

Is their service worth the price? Does a tire company provide value beyond the wheels? How much does an oil change at Firestone cost? How much is a synthetic oil change at Firestone? Here we will examine the history of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, the services it provides, the quality of that service and all of the special deals, discounts and promotions that they offer. Then, you can decide for yourself if the Firestone oil change price is worth your time.

An American Staple

The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded at the turn of the century in 1900. Henry Firestone opened his factory in Akron, Ohio with only 12 employees. However, in 1906 Henry Ford himself chose Firestone to make tires for his automobiles, and from there the company took off.

The company charted a bold direction centered on innovation and patented the first treaded highway tire. Firestone tires also propelled the very first winner of the Indy 500 and many victors thereafter. For 75 years Firestone was one of the biggest tire producers in the nation alongside Goodyear until the company was sold to the Japanese Bridgestone tire company in 1979. To this day, the Firestone brand still operates several different companies including Firestone Building Products, LLC, Firestone Industrial Products, LLC and our focus, Firestone Complete Auto Care.

Services Provided by Firestone Complete Auto Care

Firestone Complete Auto Care Centers are often, but not always attached to Firestone Tire stores. However, this partnership does not mean that the auto care centers deal only with tires. Firestone Complete Auto Care centers provide maintenance and repair services for nearly every part of your automobile. They do not do body work or glass work, but besides that, they work on virtually everything else.

The repair services that Firestone provides include:

• Brakes
• Drive Train
• Suspension
• Alignment
• Engine Repair
• Tire Repair
• Miscellaneous Systems

The maintenance services they provide include:

• Batteries and Charger Maintenance
• Oil Change
• Steering and Suspension
• A/C and Heater Services
• Transmission
• Radiator
• State Vehicle Inspections
• Service Warranties

Car Care Academies

Along with their paid maintenance and repair services, Firestone Complete Auto Care centers also provide their free Car Care Academies. These seminars are open to the public and do not require a purchase at a Firestone store of any kind. The academies are run by certified Firestone professional automotive technicians.

The courses are hands-on and interactive. They teach attendees:

• How to check their vehicle’s fluid levels including washer, brake, power steering and transmission fluid as well as engine oil and antifreeze
• Steps that they can take to make their vehicle more fuel efficient
• The differences between types of tires on the market today and how to interpret industrial codes and lettering on the tires
• Why tread depth is important and how to check it
• How to use a gauge to check tire pressure
• The facts about vehicle alignment and why it is so important
• The importance of scheduled maintenance and why it is necessary for all vehicles

To attend one of these academies, you simply contact your local Firestone Complete Auto Care center and find out when the next one will be. Alternatively, by going to the Firestone website, you can watch their many tutorial videos or schedule a Car Care Academy for an organization or school.

The Quality of Service

While the quality of Firestone tires is not often in question, the quality of their service at Firestone Complete Auto Care centers are not so beyond reproach. There are several points of concern with their repair and maintenance services, although with such a large nationwide chain of stores occasional incidents or sub-par management of locations are not uncommon. Also, very few people go on the internet to say something nice.

The Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has accredited Firestone Complete Auto Care since 1985. The company, on the whole, has an A rating from the BBB which judges on customer complaints, transparency of business practices, honesty in advertising, licensing, government actions and more.

This A rating is good, but not the best possible grade. Additionally, the BBB notes a major government action in 2016. 22 Firestone shops were accused of “making untrue or misleading statements or records during undercover operations” by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR).

The BAR found that these Firestone locations were being dishonest about what customers needed and should pay for and as such, the stores were put on probation for two years in which they must submit to random inspections.

No other state seems to have taken any major action against Firestone Complete Auto Care centers. This fact might suggest that this issue was a regional one. The persisting A rating from the BBB also is a good sign that not all locations or regions suffer from this dishonesty.

Yelp

Yelp reviews for Firestone Complete Auto Care centers are middling. Aggregated customer reviews from around the country put Firestone at around three to four out of five stars. Rarely does a Firestone location rise above four stars, but just as rarely does one fall below three stars. Again, satisfied customers rarely go to Yelp, but the scores are still a good way to get a sense of quality at a glance, although further research is recommended.

However, to their credit, Firestone representatives seem to check customer reviews regularly and offer thanks to satisfied customers as well as offers to make amends for poor experiences. The extent to which Firestone fixes these problems is not clear, but they are making an attempt.

It should also be noted that the majority of complaints are about service and not quality or price. No one is complaining about the Firestone oil change prices, for example. Many of the complaints stem from human error it would seem.

Coupons, Deals and Promotional Offers

As a large nationwide brand, Firestone is no stranger to discounts and promotions. Like most auto care companies, they provide a wealth of coupons for customers. Additionally, they have taken more modern approaches to promotions and discounts as most 21st century companies do to keep with the times.

Firestone Coupons

Firestone offers dozens of coupons which change regularly, but usually are good for tires, tire services, fluid replacements and other vehicle system maintenance. These discounts vary from set prices on goods or services, dollars or percentage of total price off, complimentary prepaid Visa cash cards, set discounted prices and even free services.

There are coupons for nearly every kind of oil change so if you are not satisfied with your Firestone oil change price, simply wait for the right Firestone oil change coupon to pop up and take it in. Their coupons also cover tire and brake services comprehensively so if you need any kind of tire services or replacement, there’s probably a coupon for that.

Many other minor systems have attractive coupons as well, which are designed to get the customer into the store to see what else is on offer. Despite this, the coupons offer significant discounts that could be worth the trip alone.

To get these coupons, simply head over to the Firestone Complete Auto Care website and go to the coupon section. From there, print out the coupons that you want and keep them on hand; you’ll need to present it to the technician to get the discount. Check back on the website regularly as the coupons change from time to time. If you have more than one vehicle or just one that needs a lot of attention, consider following them on social media for immediate updates.

The Firestone Credit Card

Firestone also offers their exclusive Firestone credit card to regular customers. With this card, customers can enjoy deferred interest payments for six months on purchases up to $150. Be careful, though, if the purchase is not paid back in full, then the APR jumps to 22 percent. Significant, but actually below average for many other store-specific cards.

In addition to the free financing, cardholders also get exclusive discounts and deals updated monthly. There is no annual fee, and the card is usable at every one of Firestone’s 1700 plus nationwide locations. You can apply online and credit approvals take less than a minute on average.

The My Firestone App

The My Firestone app is another way to get exclusive discounts for Firestone products and services. The app is free to download on Google Play and the Apple App store and keeps track of your maintenance history, so you can keep track of what your vehicle needs and when it needs it. You can call for roadside assistance, shop for tires, schedule appointments and more. It isn’t perfect, but it’s hard to beat free.