I'm not a fan of fram, however I used to use them exclusively. This was before the black grip stuff was put onto every single can.
The black "grip" was a complete joke to me, it did nothing at all to help with anything, except to have my filter wrench not fit.
I can honestly say 1 time my 2.8L Firebird motor had valve noise for about 5 minutes when I had a fram OCOD on. back in 1992 there was no BITOG or forums. Not even BBS's had this type of forum.
I ran pyroil motor flush through the engine (with my synthetic oil with only 600 miles on it) and changed the filter and oil again. the valves were quiet, but I couldn't say if it was the filter or not.
My beef with fram boils down to construction.
carboard endcaps, a weak can, my carpal tunnel'd hands can dent a fram can. the mediocre ADBV, barely nitrile. Plus the lack of pleats. A Wix or Purolator looks to have double the fram.
So I pay $1 more for a filter that won't leave black dust on my hands, won't crush under pressure from a filter wrench, and I know it will last 7500 miles and I know the can is strong.
Appearances sell more than colors.
I now cut my filters open just to look. the fram ones I cut open from friends cars, they're ok, they look like they were crushed in that can. but I haven't yet seen the fram media split apart at the end caps.
yes, fram makes millions of filters and sells them.
Just because they have a capacity to make and sell, doesn't mean I personally will buy one, nor will I recommend one.
the quality of the can just feels cheesy to me, and the fact that fram has gone out of their way to introduce youtube video's of pressure tests and their 'quality' controls, and tours of the factories. No other mfgr has done this, not even champion labs with their mediocre e-core filter.
fram IMHO is doing a damage control which means they know something "could" happen with their orange can.
Their Ultra filter is the filter that is highly regarded.
but at $10, why should I pay that much when $4 less I can get a Wix or Purolator?