Lifetime maintenance-free? A myth with consequences for workshops

Workshops are sitting on significant untapped business potential when it comes to oil changes for automatic transmissions. That is the central finding of a new international market survey conducted by MEYLE in partnership with the market research institute INNOFACT. Workshops in seven markets were surveyed: Germany, Sweden, Spain, USA, France, Poland and the United Kingdom. The key takeaway: although vehicles with automatic transmissions are no longer a niche, only a fraction of them undergo transmission oil maintenance and changes. Without this service, however, the transmission oil loses its lubricating properties, which can lead to increased wear, shifting problems and, in the worst case, complete transmission failure. However, the myth of lifetime transmission fluid fill is even more persistent than these arguments, leading to a substantial service and revenue gap, potentially harming both workshops and vehicle owners.

The MEYLE survey forms part of the company's ongoing market monitoring program, through which the Hamburg-based spare parts manufacturer tracks developments in the Independent Aftermarket and works with industry partners and experts to develop solutions for the workshops of tomorrow. Within the framework of the IAM:CONNECT dialogue platform, the opportunities, challenges and needs of the sector are systematically captured to help shape change together.

The lifetime myth: particularly persistent in Germany

Oil changes for automatic transmissions are being held back by the persistent myth of the “lifetime fill”: only around 11 percent of the workshops surveyed have never encountered the argument that an automatic transmission comes with a lifetime fluid fill and therefore needs no oil change. The lifetime myth is particularly widespread in Germany, where nearly half of all workshops are regularly confronted with this misconception. Outside of Germany, the myth is especially entrenched in Spain and USA.

“For years, this myth has meant that essential maintenance has been neglected, valuable preventative work has not been carried out, and potential revenue for workshops has been left untapped,” says Andreas Raulf, master automotive technician and TV personality.

Service gap: 72 percent carry out a maximum of five oil changes per month

The survey data points to a clear imbalance. Nearly half of all workshops surveyed (around 46 percent) service eleven or more vehicles with automatic transmissions every single month. Yet the majority (around 72 percent) carry out a maximum of five oil changes for automatic transmissions per month.

Part of the explanation lies in customer behavior: only a quarter of workshops find that drivers proactively and regularly request an oil change for automatic transmissions themselves. At the same time, around 60 percent of workshops say they only actively recommend an oil change for automatic transmissions once a specific fault or malfunction has already become apparent. One third of respondents report that technically necessary oil changes regularly go unperformed. Patrick Stüdemann, Head of Technical Trainings at MEYLE AG, explains why: “In addition to the right training, workshops also need the right tools and arguments to document this in a clear and comprehensible way. The lifetime fill myth is persistent, and in economically volatile times customers find it harder to understand the need for preventive measures.”

Around 80 percent cite cost as the biggest hurdle – cover against damage is a compelling counterargument

When customers decline a recommended oil change, the reason is almost always the same: the price. Almost 80 percent of all workshops surveyed rank cost among the three most common reasons for refusal; in Germany, it is even the number one reason for half of all workshops. This is precisely where the survey results identify a powerful communication lever: while maintenance costs act as a deterrent, the argument that the service protects against costly consequential damage proves persuasive across all markets (around 28 percent), closely followed by the associated long-term cost savings (around 26 percent). “Those who cut corners on maintenance end up paying more,” summarizes Raulf.

The same cost logic applies on the workshop side: when selecting a transmission oil change kit, value for money is an important criterion for 79 percent of respondents. It is surpassed by completeness (93 percent), oil quality (89 percent) and availability (87 percent). Anyone looking to win over workshops with a complete kit must therefore deliver on these three points in particular.

Up to ten additional oil changes per month

The latest survey data confirms the revenue gap within the workshop sector. If barriers such as a lack of training, materials or parts availability were removed, almost 60 percent of businesses believe they could offer three to ten additional oil changes for automatic transmissions per month. To achieve this, reassurance and convincing arguments are key: “Workshops want certainty and support in their day-to-day operations. It takes tangible communication to make the case for a service that can seem expensive, and of course the right parts need to be available. That is precisely where we come in as a partner to workshops: with complete automatic transmission oil change kits, reliable availability and advisory support, we provide workshops with the tools to turn this potential into real business,” says Stüdemann.

About the survey

The survey data cited is drawn from an international online survey conducted by MEYLE in June 2026 in collaboration with the market research institute INNOFACT AG. A total of 388 employees from independent automotive workshops in seven countries were surveyed: Germany, Sweden, Spain, USA, France, Poland and the United Kingdom. All participants work in independent repair businesses in the automotive service sector and are between 18 and 65 years old. The German results are based on a subsample of 99 workshops.