Valvoline Class Action Lawsuit Claims Incorrect Engine Oil Used in Oil Changes, Vehicles Damaged

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims that Valvoline regularly performs vehicle oil changes with oil that does not match the vehicle manufacturers’ specifications, leading to poor performance, engine damage and loss of warranty coverage.

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According to the 16-page complaint, although auto manufacturers specify a particular engine oil viscosity (e.g., 0W-30, 5W-30, 5W-40) for their vehicles, Valvoline frequently uses Valvoline-branded motor oil with different viscosities when performing oil changes.

Per the filing, the numbers associated with multigrade engine oil indicate the flow and viscosity of the oil at low and high temperatures. The first number (e.g., 0W or 5W) represents the flow of the oil when the engine is cold, with lower numbers indicating better flow, the case says. For instance, 0W oil flows better than 5W oil at sub-zero temperatures, which can reduce wear and tear on the engine as it starts up in the cold, the complaint relays.

The second number, the suit says, represents the viscosity of the oil at normal engine operating temperatures, where a higher number means the oil is thicker at high temperatures. According to the complaint, thicker oil will offer better protection in high-heat environments or for heavy loads, while thinner oil (indicated by a lower number) can reduce internal friction to improve fuel economy.

According to the complaint, the correct engine viscosity is critical to a vehicle’s functioning. Thus, manufacturers’ specifications on what kind of oil to use—available in formal technical documentation and labeling for the vehicle—are “legally and engineering-significant, not just advisory,” the lawsuit says.

The suit claims that Valvoline’s alleged failure to use the correct oil in people’s vehicles can risk or cause significant, expensive damage to the vehicles, including decreased performance and fuel economy, engine damage and voiding of the vehicle warranty.

The lawsuit’s lead plaintiff says he paid around $100 at a Valvoline Instant Oil Change in Westfield, Indiana to get an oil change for a vehicle that required 0W-30 oil and instead received Valvoline-branded 5W-30 oil. Per the suit, when the plaintiff noticed a few days later that the wrong oil was used and requested a refund, Valvoline instead provided him a different engine oil that still did not meet the manufacturer’s specifications. The plaintiff allegedly had his oil replaced by another servicer, which used the correct oil—at his own expense.

According to the case, when the plaintiff complained to Valvoline’s customer service center, he was told that Valvoline does not carry 0W-30 motor oil at its service centers as it does not manufacture that type of oil.

The Valvoline class action lawsuit seeks to represent all individual owners of vehicles whose engine oil was replaced at a Valvoline Instant Oil Change location with an oil that did not meet the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications.

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