How Often Should I Change The Oil On My German Automobile?

People who drive German automobiles often ask the Stadium Auto Service team about oil change intervals. For many, they assume that changing the oil on their BMW or Mercedes-Benz every 10,000 to 15,000 miles or once a year is adequate. However, the frequency of oil change intervals for German vehicles depends on what type of driving you do.

While some German automobile manufacturers claim that their newer models do not require oil changes until 7,500 - 13,000 miles, we believe that is unrealistic. Waiting that long to change your oil will drastically shorten the lifespan of your German vehicle. Others claim that some brand new vehicles can go as long as 15,000 miles without an oil change. Honestly speaking, our experience tells us that 7,500 - 13,000 miles without an oil change is a horrible way to treat your BMW, MINI Cooper, Mercedes, Audi, or Volkswagen vehicles. Please, don’t ever wait that long to change the oil, unless you intend to shorten the life of your engine.

Again, the oil change intervals for German-made automobiles depend on the type of driving done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Here are a few examples explaining how frequently certain vehicles require the oil to be changed.

1. Customer Aileen lives in town, spends most of her time at home, and doesn’t drive her Mercedes very often. She might put 5,000 miles on her car per year. Even though she doesn’t put more than 5,000 miles on her car annually, we advise that she change her oil at least once a year because the condensation that forms can corrode internal parts of her engine. Therefore, Customer Aileen changes her oil every year after 5,000 miles.

2. Customer Brandon is a sales rep that drives his BMW every day over long distances. He spends a lot of time in his BMW, driving from home to client sites, and around his multi-city sales territory. As a result, he tends to put 20,000+ miles on his BMW every year. He’s in stop-and-go traffic quite a bit, but he’s usually cruising between 60 - 80 miles per hour during his commute. For Customer Brandon, we advise oil change intervals with synthetic oil between 6,000 - 8,000 miles.

3. Customer Chelsea is somewhere in between Aileen and Brandon. Chelsea is an attorney who commutes approximately 10 - 20 miles per day, averaging 12,000 miles on her Audi every year. She’s in stop-and-go traffic quite frequently, commutes daily into Ann Arbor, and drives around her hometown of Saline to do errands, and serve on the Board of her non-profit organization. For Customer Chelsea, we believe the standard recommendation of an oil change every 4,000 - 6,000 miles for her Audi is just about right.

As you can see, these three customers of Stadium Auto Service have a variety of driving styles. That is why they each have different recommendations for how frequently they change the oil in their vehicles.

At Stadium Auto Service, you can count on us to provide a positive customer experience that is backed by honesty, integrity, and quality work. If you’ve never tried Stadium Auto Service for quality European auto repair, we are located at 2405 W Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Give us a call anytime at (734) 369-6787 if you would like us to inspect your European vehicle and recommend an oil change interval that is right for you. You’ll be glad you did.