Never happens. Just urban legend.
Auto Mfg Know What Brand Lube Is Being Used?
- Thread starter Oily Ape
- Start date
Never happens. Just urban legend.
In the US arbitration is free to the consumer. The arbitrators have seen every trick in the book, trust me they rarely side with the dealer/OEM.
Besides almost every dealer will try to upsell a BG flush and additive package completely against OEM recommendations. The hypocrisy runs deep.
Besides almost every dealer will try to upsell a BG flush and additive package completely against OEM recommendations. The hypocrisy runs deep.
My VW dealer doesn’t even use it for warranty work. Same barrel that the quick lube lane uses.Dealers don't even use OEM-branded oil anyway. They use random bulk oil
The only time dealers use OEM oil is for warranty work.
And no, the car itself cannot tell the difference.
In all your years have you ever had or heard of an Amsoil customer using the Amsoil warranty to fight a dishonest dealer?
Likely because it wasn’t necessary.
Never
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
And you know how?
Worked for an Asian OEM for 21 years, in their engineering after-sales Quality department.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
OK, and you get warranty denials etc. every day?
Each manufacturer/dealership has its own ways dealing with it.
Where I worked, we got engines back for warranty return analysis, where many showed extreme neglect. Not what oil was used, ha ha, more like NO oil changes for 25k miles...at which point the engine blew up. And the company still paid to have a new engine installed.
You guys splitting hairs over oil type are laughable, in my experience. The OEM's know it doesn't matter. What matters, is to change your freaking oil.
The one time I ever had to deal with this was on my old Sienna when they did a campaign to correct sludging issues with the 1MZ-FE. Our engine did not suffer from it (mainly because of using a synthetic oil at a fairly short OCI), but all that Toyota wanted to see was evidence of one oil change in the prior history of the vehicle.
As a former owner in the installer I was told by 2 majors (Shell/Texaco) that
they put inert "markers" in their lubricants to insure that the locations that were
branded or contractually obligated to use their products were not using substitutes.
Samples were taken randomly.
they put inert "markers" in their lubricants to insure that the locations that were
branded or contractually obligated to use their products were not using substitutes.
Samples were taken randomly.
It depends on the OEM, but this is generally not true anymore. Most OEMs now require (or heavily incentivize or penalize, to the point of it basically being required), the use of OEM-branded oil. All of the local Ford dealers in my area only carry Motorcraft, with the outlier of one offering Mobil1 if you ask for it... while the GM dealers only carry ACDelco (and M1, under the GM oil program).Dealers don't even use OEM-branded oil anyway. They use random bulk oil
The only time dealers use OEM oil is for warranty work.
And no, the car itself cannot tell the difference.
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edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
An
I personally don’t have an issue with this. But question was about regular Joe.
And yet Hyundai wanted oil change receipts. I would say it depends on amount of failed engines. Picking up tab is sometimes good marketing.
I personally don’t have an issue with this. But question was about regular Joe.
I wouldn't go around making blanket statements like that. We use Motorcraft bulk and bottled oil. I know because I write all the purchase orders and see the invoices.Dealers don't even use OEM-branded oil anyway. They use random bulk oil
The only time dealers use OEM oil is for warranty work.
And no, the car itself cannot tell the difference.
GM dealer I worked at a lifetime ago used Quaker State bulk oil. You had to request AC Delco oil or M1.
Several OEMs use a tracer in their oil. This is not for warranty purposes to the end customers. But to track dealer program compliance.
Dealerships will receive money - both up front and on the back end, for being on the oil program. If they take this money, the tracer is used to track compliance with the program.
This has nothing to do with what the customer is using, in terms of oil.
The only time I’ve ever heard of customers eating warranty work, is neglect. Not brand, not using OEM, or major brand, or (licensed) house brands, etc. As long as you change your oil using a licensed, modern oil, a dealer isn’t going to refuse warranty. Unless they want a lawsuit which they will inevitably lose.
But, let’s just take my experience being the largest Ford motorcraft distributor in the U.S. Motorcraft has a tracer, it’s simply because both the distributor and Ford puts up major money to the dealership, to be on program.
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