From Amsoil: Regarding Warranties and extended OCI

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Okay, I was searching the Amsoil site and found this. So, If someone where to do an extend OCI, lets say 20k and the oil were okay, the vehicle manufacturer can't say it was because of the OCI?

From Amsoils site....

Synthetic Oil can NOT void your car warranty
Warranties and the Magnuson-Moss Act
You have a customer who's interested in AMSOIL motor oil, but he's concerned that using a synthetic oil or extending his oil drain interval will void his warranty.

Your customer has no need for concern. Congress in 1975 enacted the federal Magnuson-Moss Act to regulate written consumer product warranties. An examination of the law reveals warranties remain intact when AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants are used.

The law was meant to give consumers detailed information about warranty coverage before they buy.

Congress charged the Federal Trade Commission with creation of the specifics of the law.

The FTC set down three rules under the Act: the Disclosure Rule, the Pre-Sale Availability Rule and the Dispute Resolution Rule.

Those rules require warrantors to title their written warranty as either “full ” or “limited,” provide a single, clear and easy-to-read document that spells out certain information about coverage and ensure that warranties are available where the products are sold so that consumers can read them before buying.

In passing the Act, Congress meant to give consumers access to warranty information, let consumers comparison shop for warranties, encourage warranty competition and promote timely and complete performance of warranty obligations.

While the Magnuson-Moss Act does not require manufacturers to provide a written warranty, it provides specific rules when one is provided. Among those provisions, FTC regulations state: “(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if – ((1)the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and (2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.” ((42 U.S.C.2302(C))

That means your warranty stands when you use AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Vehicle manufacturers recommend lubricants according to their viscosity grade and service classification. Any oil, whether it 's conventional petroleum motor oil or synthetic, meeting the correct viscosity grade,5w30 for example, and the current API SL and ILSAC GF-3 North American service classifications may be used without affecting warranty coverage. AMSOIL motor oils are recommended for use in applications requiring these specifications.

Furthermore, the practice of extending oil drain intervals does not void warranties. Original equipment manufacturers pay or deny warranty claims based on the findings of failure analysis. To affect the vehicle warranty, the lubricant must be directly responsible for the failure. If the oil didn't cause the problem the warranty cannot be voided, regardless of brand or length of time in use.

Synthetic motor oil was introduced to the automotive public in 1972 by AMSOIL, INC., with the world 's first API rated synthetic motor oil – specially formulated for long service and superior performance and protection to that of conventional oils.

Nearly 30 years ago, AMSOIL synthetics represented a vision of the future and technology ahead of their time. Since then, every major engine oil manufacturer has introduced synthetic oils of their own. To be sure, many original equipment manufacturers would like you to believe you can only use their products. However, it 's a violation of the consumer protections set forth in the Magnuson-Moss Act, unless they 're willing to provide you those products free of charge.

AMSOIL offers a warranty that covers the cost of repair or replacement of a proven mechanically sound engine damaged as a result of using AMSOIL synthetic motor oil. However, it has never happened. Thirty years of experience proves AMSOIL can be installed in any vehicle with complete confidence.

AMSOIL further backs its products with action when a Dealer or customer reports being told their warranty is voided if they use synthetics.
 
I guess the message should be repeated every now and then. Amsoil as a company has done a good job of educating the public about synthetic lubricants. And there is always a new service writer that will play back the same old song, if you do, you'll void your warranty. We need to move on. How bout synthetic oil causes leaks, especially Mobil 1. Or go directly to, it's too slippery and way to thin.
 
Quote:


Okay, I was searching the Amsoil site and found this. So, If someone where to do an extend OCI, lets say 20k and the oil were okay, the vehicle manufacturer can't say it was because of the OCI?




The manufacturer would have to obtain a oil sample, test it, and prove that the results of the test indicate why the oil was the reason for the engine malfunction.

Anything said about voiding your warranty before that is incorrect.
 
Oil companies tout the extended drain intervals as a way to justify the price for their product. That's good salesmanship. I use them myself, and recommend them to my friends.

Personally, I don't recommend extending drain intervals beyond the light duty schedules on daily driven vehicles still in factory warranty.

If (and I stress IF) you have a failure where lack of maintaining the vehicle per the owner manual specs COULD HAVE contributed to the failure, you could be in trouble.

Your 30k/2006 vehicle engine locks up and you've changed the oil twice. The dealer (who can be charged back for bad warranty judgements) doesn't want to get stuck with a $4000 warranty chargeback, put's the monkey on the ADM. The ADM finds out how often you've changed the oil and voids the warranty.

Folks, it happens. Let's say you decide to sue.

If you can find a lawyer to sue the manufacturer over a warranty claim (most won't) you don't win even if you do win. They can tie you up in court 2 years easily, and they have a heck of a lot more money to spend on legal fees than you do.

Well, you say there's Magnuson/Moss. True. When you signed a contract to buy the vehicle, whether cash or finance, you also said you understood the manufacturers warranty policy. It says if you don't maintain the vehicle per THEIR specifications, the warranty is void.

The judge might see it your way, might not. I have seen consumers win. Trust me after they get through with you, you haven't won anything. Your time is worth something.

Easier and cheaper to follow the maintenance schedule.
 
Okay, granted that the dealer has to prove the oil caused the problem which is virtually impossible to prove. However, the hassle in getting the dealer/manufacturer to admit to that can be years in the making and what do you do inbetween? Main reason people go to dealers is to protect warranty and today, you can trust no one!

as to Amsoil yep, a warranty, however, the engine must be in good operating condition (a huge out) and the oil itself has to have been manufactured wrong. basically 99% of the time someone seeks coverage from Amsiol (or any other oil company) the reply is, it was engine design, or not operating properly or something similar. it is almost impossible for oil to cause catastrophic failure long term gradual wear but never catastrophic failure unless the engine is at fault or OCI too long or some nut at the plant used water in the containers in lieu of oil!
 
I agree with MrCritical 100%. My 2007 2.7 Tacoma calls for 5W-20 changed every 5,000 miles. My oil of choice is Mobil 1, but I will use the 5W20 weight for 60,000 miles. At the conclusion of the 60K, I will use the same oil, except in 5w30, because I'm old school & because Summers are very, very hot in West Texas. Point is, at 60K, engine repairs will be at my expense. Before then, Toyota's...and I'm NOT going to give them any reason to deny or delay coverage. It's the same rationale I used in my 2003 Tundra V-8 during the 60K powertrain warranty. The manual calls for T-IV ATF. That's what I used. No problems with the A/T, but had there been, I would not have had to deal with the possibility of Amsoil's ATF not being a 'certified' (except by Amsoil) T-IV ATF, enabling Toyota to deny coverage for using a non-certified oil. No hassles...no worries.
 
I wouldn’t want to be an owner who experiences and engine failure under warranty while using any oil with OCI’s beyond the manufacturer’s stated interval. It’s foolish to assume or believe that the burden of proof will be on the manufacturer to prove that the owner’s disregard of the manufacturers stated interval and adoption of an extended OCI caused the failure. If the manufacturer refuses to repair the engine, it’s almost certain that the burden of proof will rest on the owner to prove that the failure wasn’t OCI related. And unless the oil maker rushes to the rescue of their customer, the owner will be faced with paying the service department, or hiring a lawyer and renting a car with the hope of “winning” in the end. The owner’s best chance is the possibility that the dealer will come down on his side and go to bat for him with the vehicle manufacturer. But that’s something I wouldn’t want to rely on.

The only good news is, oils rated for extended OCI are designed for such use and it’s unlikely that the use of such oils and extended OCIs will lead to an engine failure. However, there are motors that are hard on oil, and motors that are sludge prone. And some of those engines experience failures during the warranty period. If the owner goes the premium oil/extended OCI with one of these engines and experiences a warranty period failure, he’ll quickly find out where the burden of proof lies. And he’ll probably find the experience frustrating, inconvenient, and costly.

P.S. Now that I’m finished, I see that MrCritical’s post above was quicker and probably clearer with his similar response.
 
McCritical hit it on the head.

An issue we've argued about in the past but some won't admit it can be an issue. Having written warranty claims for years I've seen such issues.

So go ahead Amsoil salespeople, flame me again.
 
I'll not flame anyone on the topic.

My jaw drops as far as anyone's when somebody buys a new car or truck, drops in Amsoil at 1000 miles and drives to 21,000 miles and returns to my house and says "Time for a change". It plain worries me. But I can honestly say I've never actually seen a ruined engine, warranty claim denied, or any hassle. I just tell them to listen to me next time. NO super long OCI's so young in the car's life.

Do I do super long OCI's with my new cars? No. Too many oils to try! Will I now double the OLM change next go around on the Odyssey? Yes! 12,000 miles or so. Will my Honda dealer know? No. Will I have an issue? NO.

Again - stick with 10K or under with Amsoil until 30K or so. Then go 15K, until your warranty is done, then go for 20k+.
 
My above post in no way is derogatory toward Amsoil. In my experience both personal and investigative, it's one of (if not the) finest lubricants on the market.
 
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