It's time to put an end to this CAFE conspiracy nonsense for good. It's as if the car manufacturers don't know anything about how to recommend oil or don't care if the cars break down during the warranty period because of improper viscosity grade. Perhaps the biggest falsehood that is used to support this conspiracy nonsense is the claim that USA is the only country that recommends thin oil for the same car, for which the rest of the world recommends thick oil. Like any nonsense conspiracy theory, this could be disproved with some real evidence.
Let's pick 2016/2017 Toyota Corolla and 2016/2017 Toyota Hilux (pickup truck) and let's pick a country that is both in Europe and Middle East -- Turkey. You can download all the Toyota owners' manuals here:
https://turkiye.toyota.com.tr/KullaniciElKitabi/KullaniciElKitabi.aspx
Let's look at the Corolla first:
1NR-FE and 1ZR-FAE engines
Preferred viscosity: 0W-20
API SN/RC, SM/EC, or SL/EC
Acceptable viscosity based on temperature (only when 0W-20 not available -- 0W-20 must be used for next oil change):
Toyota Hilux (pickup truck):
2TR-FE engine (for Euro IV or V [emission standards] models)
Recommended viscosity based on temperature:
API SN/RC, SM/EC, or SL/EC
(non-RC or non-EC for 15W-40)
2TR-FE engine (except for Euro IV or V [emission standards] models)
Recommended viscosity based on temperature:
API SN/RC, SM/EC, or SL/EC
(non-RC or non-EC for 15W-40 and 20W-50)
As you see the oil recommendation is the same as in USA. The only difference is that they recommend a wider range of API categories and viscosity because of limited availability of newer API categories and thinner viscosity or, alternatively, widespread availability of older API categories and thicker viscosity in some markets (countries). Addition of 20W-50 for the non-Euro Hilux (pickup truck) is one example of market-dependent oil availability. They just want to make it more convenient for people to find oil in developing countries.
RIP CAFE conspiracy theory nonsense.
Let's pick 2016/2017 Toyota Corolla and 2016/2017 Toyota Hilux (pickup truck) and let's pick a country that is both in Europe and Middle East -- Turkey. You can download all the Toyota owners' manuals here:
https://turkiye.toyota.com.tr/KullaniciElKitabi/KullaniciElKitabi.aspx
Let's look at the Corolla first:
1NR-FE and 1ZR-FAE engines
Preferred viscosity: 0W-20
API SN/RC, SM/EC, or SL/EC
Acceptable viscosity based on temperature (only when 0W-20 not available -- 0W-20 must be used for next oil change):
Toyota Hilux (pickup truck):
2TR-FE engine (for Euro IV or V [emission standards] models)
Recommended viscosity based on temperature:
API SN/RC, SM/EC, or SL/EC
(non-RC or non-EC for 15W-40)
2TR-FE engine (except for Euro IV or V [emission standards] models)
Recommended viscosity based on temperature:
API SN/RC, SM/EC, or SL/EC
(non-RC or non-EC for 15W-40 and 20W-50)
As you see the oil recommendation is the same as in USA. The only difference is that they recommend a wider range of API categories and viscosity because of limited availability of newer API categories and thinner viscosity or, alternatively, widespread availability of older API categories and thicker viscosity in some markets (countries). Addition of 20W-50 for the non-Euro Hilux (pickup truck) is one example of market-dependent oil availability. They just want to make it more convenient for people to find oil in developing countries.
RIP CAFE conspiracy theory nonsense.