Connecticut auto shops raised oil change prices by roughly $20 as global base oil supplies tightened amid Trump’s war in Iran, WFSB reported
Industry analysts said the increase stems from disruptions to Group III base oil supply chains tied to Middle East instability, with no relief expected before mid-2027
The added cost could total tens of millions of dollars annually for Connecticut’s more than 2.2 million registered gas-powered vehicles
Donald Trump’s Iran War is doing more than driving up the price of your gasoline and your groceries, it’s also costing Connecticut motorists tens of millions of dollars in additional costs when they have their automobile oil changed.
As Channel 3 WFSB Eyewitness News recently pointed out, some Connecticut car repair shops – like Vito’s Auto Tech Inc. in Waterbury – are now charging an average of $20 more per oil change due to rising oil prices brought about by Donald Trump’s War in Iran, which has shut down two major routes for crude oil to make its way to global refineries.
“It’s not fun. But unfortunately, at some point, if you don’t pass some of it on, your bottom line, you’re done,” owner Jeff Stango told WFSB. “It stinks all the way around.”
The increases trace back to pressure on Group III base oils, the building blocks of most finished motor oil, according to National Synthetics. The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association has warned of Group III supply disruptions connected to Middle East energy infrastructure and global supply-chain uncertainty, National Synthetics reported, noting that roughly 60% of Group III base oils go into automotive use. National Synthetics said the group does not expect conditions to normalize until at least mid-2027.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are 2,253,200 gasoline-powered passenger cars and light-duty trucks registered in Connecticut. If each of them gets two oil changes per year, that costs Connecticut drivers an extra $101 million a year if prices go up $20 per oil change, as they have in Waterbury. Three oil changes a year would cost Connecticut motorists an extra $151 million.
The skyrocketing price of maintaining your vehicle, which for many Americans is the third-largest investment they will ever make, after owning a home and paying for higher education, should come as little surprise to those who have been paying attention to the myriad, awful, and expensive consequences of Trump’s War in Iran.
National coverage has tracked similar cost pressure elsewhere. MarketWatch wrote in May that consumers should “buckle up for $120 oil changes.” The New York Post reported the cost of a routine oil change could rise 40% because of the Iran war. NPR reported in June that oil change prices were climbing and quoted Amanda Hay, an analyst with Independent Commodity Intelligence Services, who said the price of base oil used in synthetic motor oil had “more than tripled to record levels.”
The Trump regime is separately seeking $67 billion in additional funding to continue the Iran war, according to NBC News.
By Lawrence Cook
