So I don't think this will gain any friction (see what I did there?) but I thought I would post for your thoughts. Valvoline sued in class action alleging oil changes failed to meet vehicle specifications
Valvoline class action lawsuit
- Thread starter BobsArmory
- Start date
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
plaintiff. The kind that will sue because the rep didn't say have a nice day or McDonalds didn't have ketchup packages on the counter.
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- May 16, 2022
- Messages
- 828
I had a Ford dealer use the wrong oil at my 1st oil change, the incorrect viscosity was printed on my invoice, he also cracked the coolant cap ( didn't tell me just sat it on top ) I was out of town on Vacation on a Saturday at noon, pulled away from the dealer, hit the Blue Ridge Parkway 3 miles away, smelled coolant drove back to the dealer and the dealer closed at noon not to reopen till
Monday morning!
Come Monday he had no replacement caps, I asked him please take one off a new car as I'm out of town 6 hrs from home and Sunday was my last day of vacation! Nope, refused to help me! he had to order one.
A dealer a few towns over pulled a coolant cap and gave it to me just to be nice! My HAT is off that ASHEVILLE FORD Asheville NC as that service manager didn't have to do anything to help me but he did!
I hope to drive up and buy a truck from them one day!
The dealer that did that damage was not nice , I did however after I was back home and had a new oil change I did ask for and I did receive a check for a oil change, new coolant cap and a coolant flush as he made it right but refused to give me a cap so I could get on my way when that Asheville dealer truly helped me and my family. I was out of town during that eclipse and EVERY hotel was full on the East Coast, was such a stressful time...
Monday morning!
Come Monday he had no replacement caps, I asked him please take one off a new car as I'm out of town 6 hrs from home and Sunday was my last day of vacation! Nope, refused to help me! he had to order one.
A dealer a few towns over pulled a coolant cap and gave it to me just to be nice! My HAT is off that ASHEVILLE FORD Asheville NC as that service manager didn't have to do anything to help me but he did!
I hope to drive up and buy a truck from them one day!
The dealer that did that damage was not nice , I did however after I was back home and had a new oil change I did ask for and I did receive a check for a oil change, new coolant cap and a coolant flush as he made it right but refused to give me a cap so I could get on my way when that Asheville dealer truly helped me and my family. I was out of town during that eclipse and EVERY hotel was full on the East Coast, was such a stressful time...
Honestly, Valvoline should have gone to bat with the customer against Hyundai/Kia, trying to claim that 5W-30 would not be sufficient in an engine that the OEM recommends 0W-30.
There is no part in an engine that needs 0W instead of 5W, otherwise engine damage will result.
Outside of being in someplace ridiculously cold, that is.
There is no part in an engine that needs 0W instead of 5W, otherwise engine damage will result.
Outside of being in someplace ridiculously cold, that is.
Class action for one example?
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
If you read the article, his damages amounted to spending money on additional oil changes and his time.
No mention of what the socalled engine damage was.
No mention of what the socalled engine damage was.
Simply specious! For warranty 5w-30 or 0w-30……who cares.
MolaKule
Staff member
So, a 5W30 or a 0W30 is not a 30 grade oil?
I doubt this guy ever looked at his OM regarding acceptable oil viscosities.
dnewton3
Staff member
This will be interesting to see how it plays out, if it plays out at all.
Because this is a class action attempt, the opportunity to "settle out of court" may be limited. Which means this has a chance of actually going before a jury of "peers". And as most lawyers will tell you, you never know how a jury will decide, because these "peers" are never fully predictable.
As most of us would understand, a 30 grade is a 30 grade is a 30 grade. And further, the "grade" is just a range of acceptable viscosity; it's not a single cSt value. The winter rating is a short term transient value in operation, and Westfield IN is not by any measure, a place where the 5w vs 0w would make a hoot worth of difference. (I would know; I live about an hour away and it never gets so cold that it would come into real effect).
Will this come down to the use of the word "recommended"? Can't say for sure.
I think this guy is an uninformed consumer and he's found a lawyer that sees the potential for big valuation, and they are seeking fame and fortune.
I hope that Valvoline crushes them in court.
If Valvoline prevails, it would put to rest this long-raging silly debate.
I do wonder, if Valvoline does prevail, how the OEMs will react? It would signal that vis statements in manuals are the vague guidance we suspect them to be.
Because this is a class action attempt, the opportunity to "settle out of court" may be limited. Which means this has a chance of actually going before a jury of "peers". And as most lawyers will tell you, you never know how a jury will decide, because these "peers" are never fully predictable.
As most of us would understand, a 30 grade is a 30 grade is a 30 grade. And further, the "grade" is just a range of acceptable viscosity; it's not a single cSt value. The winter rating is a short term transient value in operation, and Westfield IN is not by any measure, a place where the 5w vs 0w would make a hoot worth of difference. (I would know; I live about an hour away and it never gets so cold that it would come into real effect).
Will this come down to the use of the word "recommended"? Can't say for sure.
I think this guy is an uninformed consumer and he's found a lawyer that sees the potential for big valuation, and they are seeking fame and fortune.
I hope that Valvoline crushes them in court.
If Valvoline prevails, it would put to rest this long-raging silly debate.
I do wonder, if Valvoline does prevail, how the OEMs will react? It would signal that vis statements in manuals are the vague guidance we suspect them to be.
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wemay
Site Donor 2023
This shows how very little is understood about motor oils in the real world.
I've had the following occur at dealerships:
I've had the following occur at dealerships:
- VW used VW504.00 when VW508.00 was called for.
- Chevy used 5W30 dexos1' when 0W20 dexos1' was called for.
- Hyundai used 5W30 when 5W20 was called for.
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So, this clown says that 5W-30 damaged his engine, when 0W-30 is on the cap?
No.........
No.........
The only real reason that 0w is on the oil fill cap or in the manual instead of 5w is so they can eek out a tiny fraction of additional fuel economy for Uncle Sam. Once it's out in the wild, I don't think that the feds have any say do they?
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2021
- Messages
- 727
They saying Valvoline Restore and Protect caused that Engine failure 
Kia seems to require only an ILSAC/API oil. Specifying 5W-30 would allow the use of conventional oil. It may be that Kia specified 0w-30 to ensure that an uneducated consumer (or service center) uses synthetic oil, without Kia having to develop a dedicated specification.
The owners manual for the 2025. they do use the wording "recommended" but also do not recommend any alternative.
I suspect the jury will not know anything more than the guy filing the suit and only sees the 0w30 and comes to the conclusion 5w30 is not the correct oil.
I suspect the jury will not know anything more than the guy filing the suit and only sees the 0w30 and comes to the conclusion 5w30 is not the correct oil.
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Did the plaintiff do a VOA to see if it is just a documentation error or really a class action issue like they have internal memo telling people to use 5w30 instead of 0w30?
Seems like the guy just want to bully Valvoline into settlement and he know the lawyer.
Seems like the guy just want to bully Valvoline into settlement and he know the lawyer.
