Anyone ever get a covered repair under oil warranties/guarantees?

[smonska]

So for the fun of it, I registered my brand new Ram Hemi with Castrol for their engine warranty, as I planned to use Castrol Edge in the truck anyway. It was free to do. I also sent them an email asking if it's valid if I change my own oil, as the wording in the warranty is conflicting with their webpage on if it must be "professionally changed". I put little to no stock in that they would actually pay out, but I'm curious:

Has anyone seen any threads of, or themselves ever had Mobil, Castrol, Valvoline, etc. paying out on any claim under their various "lifetime" warranties/guarantees? Any one better than another?

 

[aquariuscsm]

If you change your own oil,I wonder if a log with receipts would suffice?

 

[TiGeo]

Interesting topic!

 

[Hall]

it must be "professionally changed"

These warranties are marketed towards consumers so for them to require it be "professionally changed" is silly. A consumer has no control over what oil a shop uses unless Castrol has a chain of oil-change shops. Most shops aren't using customer-supplied oil (and filter) either and even if they did, then you have to insist (make them) put on the word order "Used customer supplied Castrol XXX oil, XW-XX and XXXX filter".

 

[Hall]

On a similar note, I contacted Valvoline about their "engine warranty" because it required the oil be changed every 3000 miles or so (this was in the past 10-15 years) and I 'debated' that I should be allowed to follow the Honda OLM. They said "nope". I dropped it and won't bother with these things now. I do seem to recall that today they might say "follow manufacturer's interval" though. No way they can impose 3000 mile oil changes nowadays.

 

[Boomer]

I wonder how many Hemi failed camshaft/lifter issues were paid for by the oil folks? One can only imagine the back and forth on whether it was the oil or an engine design? Gives both parties an excuse not to pay for the repair.

 

[paulri]

I called them too in my early days here, thinking it might be an insurance policy for my engine, whose costs would be offset by the fact that I was going to pay for oil changes anyways. But then I thought of all the additional oil changes a 3K OCI would give me, and I figured that would be one expensive insurance policy, especially if the engine is still going to be running when I junk the car, without the 3K OCI with Valvoline.
FWIW what they told me was that my own oil changes would be good, I think they have a way for you to upload receipts and/or pics of oil & filters.

On a similar note, I contacted Valvoline about their "engine warranty" because it required the oil be changed every 3000 miles or so (this was in the past 10-15 years) and I 'debated' that I should be allowed to follow the Honda OLM. They said "nope". I dropped it and won't bother with these things now. I do seem to recall that today they might say "follow manufacturer's interval" though. No way they can impose 3000 mile oil changes nowadays.

 

[demarpaint]

I wonder how many Hemi failed camshaft/lifter issues were paid for by the oil folks? One can only imagine the back and forth on whether it was the oil or an engine design? Gives both parties an excuse not to pay for the repair.

My bet is zero.

 

[tiger862]

Pennzoil states change each time according to the manufacture along with air filter. Problem I have is air filter is 30k and 30.00 so by the time I reached 15 years that is an additional 750.00 plus they only pay value of vehicle if repairs are more. So let's say mine if cam got ate at 75k and vehicle will then be over 10 years old then repair would be 1500 or more and vehicle would be 1000 or less around that time then they would give the lesser value and close guarantee. So in that scenario it would cost me 750 for the air filter and 1500 for repair with them paying 1000 so total cost out of pocket is 1200.00. I'd be better off just saving money for repair.

 

[Hall]

FWIW what they told me was that my own oil changes would be good, I think they have a way for you to upload receipts and/or pics of oil & filters.

I don't recall that they had any wording related to it has to be done by a shop, it was the 3000 mile requirement that I didn't agree with so I wanted clarification. I've had the same Google email account for a while.... and still have the email ! Dated Oct 22, 2009:

Thank you for contacting Valvoline's Engine Guarantee.
In response to your question, Valvoline will stand behind any vehicle manufacturer's recommended oil change intervals. However, per the Terms and Conditions, for your vehicle to be eligible the oil must be changed every 3,000 miles. There is a 1,000 mile grace period... (snip)
Some manufacturers recommend oil changes well beyond 3,000 miles under NORMAL conditions. It’s Valvoline’s position that oil change intervals – for full synthetics or conventional oil – be 3,000 miles FOR CARS DRIVEN UNDER SEVERE CONDITIONS. Auto manufacturers' maintenance recommendations are dramatically shorter for severe driving conditions and more than 80% of consumers drive under severe conditions such as stop-and-go traffic, short trips, temperature extremes, etc.
Full synthetic oils are superior to conventional oils but it is the additive package that wears out in motor oil, no matter what kind of oil.
Finally, in order to maintain consistency of oil change interval for ALL makes and models under this Engine Guarantee, we had to require changing the oil at 3,000 miles.

I'll let others enjoy (and debate) what Valvoline says. I did add the italic formatting.

 

[nascarnation]

My bet is zero.

This reminds me of when the shingles blew off my roof in a windstorm. I was all excited because the shingle mfgr was sending a tech rep to inspect my house roof. Of course all he did was find flaws in the installation that voided the warranty and the installer of course disagreed and it would have cost me more in attorneys and expert witness fees than to get it fixed properly.

 

[smonska]

Castrol's response today regarding the Edge Warranty:

Thank you for contacting Castrol North America.

You are able to perform the oil changes on your own. It is important, however, that you maintain the proper records to prove that the oil was changed as per the terms and conditions. Keep a copy of the receipts showing the purchase of the Castrol product and record the dates of all the changes. Also, if you ever have an issue with the vehicle, please ensure that the workshop that works on the vehicle still uses the appropriate Castrol product. The maintenance records would only be requested in the event that you were to file a claim.

Thank you again for contacting Castrol. We value your patronage!

Castrol Consumer Relations

 

[wdn]

I just went to the Castrol website as if to register. It has a box that says "I change my own oil" and if you click that box it says

I give permission to Castrol® to contact me if further information is required for the Castrol® Engine Warranty Program. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. My preferred method of contact is:

Seems pretty clear that they do not require the oil to be professionally changed. Did you actually try to register and click that box?

 

[wdn]

Only the following listed engine parts are covered:

• Pistons and Rings
• Turbo Bearings
• Timing Chains
• Cylinder Lining or Bore
• Oil Pump
• Rods and Rod Bearings
• Balance Shafts & Push Rods
• Cam Shaft & Bearings
• Crankshaft & Bearings
• Valve Lifters
• Rocker Arms and Pivots
• Distributor Drive Gear
• Wrist Pins & Bushings
• Timing Gear or Sprockets
• Valve Stems & Guides (Grinding adjustments excluded)

 

[smonska]

WDN, yes I did see exactly what you posted. The warranty certificate they sent me however, said "5. All services referred to in Section “VI” must be performed by an automotive service center, commercial fast oil change facility or auto dealer", contradicting what we both read. Hence the email to them.

For clarity, here is all of Section VI:
VI. CONDITIONS To keep this warranty valid, you must comply with all of the following requirements: 1. The vehicle engine must be serviced with the proper type and brand of Castrol ® motor oil, exclusively; unless you have converted to this program from a competitive engine lubrication warranty program, in which case you must retain all appropriate records from the prior program (in addition to this program) in order to prove that service was performed in accordance with its terms. 2. Castrol® recommends the intervals between motor oil change since registering for the Castrol® Engine Warranty not exceeding 4,000 miles or four months if using GTX® / GTX® ULTRACLEAN, 5 months or 5,000 miles using GTX® MAGNATEC® or GTX® High MileageTM, 6 months or 6,000 miles if using EDGE® /EDGE® High MileageTM, whichever shall occur first. Under no circumstances, however, shall the intervals between motor oil changes exceed the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations for drain intervals as specified in the Owner’s Manual of the vehicle. 3. The motor oil used must be appropriate viscosity grade based on ambient conditions. 4. The oil filter and air cleaner element must be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. 5. All services referred to in Section “VI” must be performed by an automotive service center, commercial fast oil change facility or auto dealer. 6. In the event of a claim, you must provide BP Lubricants USA Inc. with satisfactory evidence that all of the requested services referred to in Section VI were performed. IMPORTANT: You must retain copies of all service receipts and repair orders to collect on a claim under this warranty. These receipts must satisfactorily show that Castrol® motor oil was used; the mileage and date each time the motor oil was put into the vehicle; and the time and date that other services referred to in Section VI were performed.

 

[OppositeLocK]

I think these oil manufacturer warranties are worthless. Good luck proving the failure was due to oil itself and not something else (faulty part, improper service, excessive wear and tear, extreme usage out of spec, etc.)

If you want true peace of mind you have three options:

1. Lease
2. Buy cars with simple, reliable systems (Corolla, etc.)
3. Make so much money that it's irrelevant at that point

Even some new cars' factory warranties/extended warranties are hard to get honoured. Yeah, your engine failed but it was due to a part that isn't covered therefore we're not covering the entire thing.

 

[wdn]

I think professionally installed part refers to "The oil filter and air cleaner element must be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations" service, not the part about you changing your own oil.

In any case a more useful question to ask Castrol customer service might be "What percentage of claims accompanied by all the receipts, have been honored by your warranty program? How many engine repairs has the program paid for?"

 

[demarpaint]

This reminds me of when the shingles blew off my roof in a windstorm. I was all excited because the shingle mfgr was sending a tech rep to inspect my house roof. Of course all he did was find flaws in the installation that voided the warranty and the installer of course disagreed and it would have cost me more in attorneys and expert witness fees than to get it fixed properly.

The paint industry would do exactly the same thing. lol Most if not all of the warranties from the oil industry aren't worth the paper they're printed on. That statement carries over to other industries as well.

 

[Silver]

Seriously, it just looks to me like you've uncovered a massive scam by one of the world's largest oil companies. Age of scam and company irrelevant.

What I take away from this is their oil isn't good for past 6k miles, and that the air filter plays a critical role in engine longevity. That's sort of odd considering an air filter won't lose filtering capability as it gets dirty. It may actually filter more. But, I wonder if reduced air intake from a dirty filter might result in an overrich condition, which would lead to fuel dilution of the oil as the extra fuel gest past the cylinders? Or maybe as the filter gets extremely full, it may deform under suction and air may start to be sucked past it instead of through it?

 

[kschachn]

The real reason there likely aren't any paid claims on these oil warranties is because if you're using the correct oil for the vehicle then there won't be an oil-related failure. Even if there was, then the oil company will defer to the manufacturer for specifying the wrong oil.

But bottom line the oil isn't going to be the cause of a failure. Improper design or defective materials are what cause engine failures, not proper oil.