Lubrication warranties?

[troyh]

Are these for real, or just a marketing gimmick? I am looking at the ones for Quaker State and Pennzoil. I signed my truck up for the Quaker State, since the mileage is 74,870 and their requirement is prior to 75,000 miles. Added the Synthetic Ultimate Durability, as they offered a rebate which essentially made it free. Last time I looked at these warranties, it was expected to change every 4,000. Now as long as you follow manufacturers advice and document. I wonder though how difficult (or a PITA) it would be to file and have a claim approved.

I also have a 2011 Mustang, and added that to the Pennzoil's. I am not as worried about this as it is still under factory warranty. Still scored a $25 rebate on Ultra, so seems to be well worth just signing up.

Do many participate in these warranties? I have not checked the detail of the others (Valvoline, Mobil 1). Any info or feedback on these warranties would be appreciated.

 

[Quattro Pete]

They're for real. Chances of your engine suffering a lubrication-related failure are so low that it costs the oil mfg practically nothing in occasionally having to fix someone's engine compared to the huge revenue stream they obtain by having a bunch of people buy their oil for years to come.

 

[troyh]

That is the line of thought I had. The customer that purchases your oil exclusively for the life of their vehicle would be valuable.

 

[bullwinkle]

If you add up what QSUD times every 4K until 300K is-you could buy a COUPLE new motors!!

 

[fdcg27]

The whole point of these engine warranties or guarantees from my point of view was that you could score some syn oil cheap or free after MIR.
I got 15 qts each of QSUD and Ultra FAR, so with tax and postage, around .40/qt.
The Valvoline Synpower was a little more dear, at around 1.80/qt including tax and postage after MIR, with clearance pricing of the gallon jugs at Meijer.
Will your engine ever suffer from a lubrication related failure using anything close to the recommended grade and spec oil changed on something close to a reasonable interval?
It could happen, but then there may really be a tooth fairy, and she's soaring along with the flying pigs.

 

[chubbs1]

Others above said it perfectly. The oil co.s come out on top BIG TIME, so they are not doing you any favors. If you change your oil with one brand (say Valvoline Synpower) at 3k intervals you should go ahead and sign up. Am I going to pay $28+ every 3k....like bullwinkle said, over the course of 300k I could buy a new engine every 100k anniversary.

I just sign up for the rebates.

 

[troyh]

I mentioned that the terms had CHANGED. It USED to be that you had to change oil @ every 4,000. Now you just follow manufacturers schedule. Since we all usually change our oil anyway according to manufacturer spec, doesn't seem to be spending any extra money right? Actually I think spending less, as Pennzoil/QS offer all those rebates. I now have about 8 5qts jugs PP, 4-5 qt jugs of QS SYN, and now just bought 4- 5 qt jugs of PU, all covered by rebates. My Tundra every 6mos/5,000 miles and the Mustang specifies every 12 months/10,000 miles. This is even reflected when you add vehicle.

According to Pennzoil warranty website:

MAINTAINING THE WARRANTY

Change your vehicle’s oil and oil filter at least as often as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
Replace the air filter and air cleaner elements, maintain the emission control system must and follow scheduled engine maintenance in accordance with the vehicle’s manufacturer recommendations
Update your oil change records online at least once every twelve (12) months, even if no oil change has taken place, on this website
Remember: Save all service receipts in order to be eligible for reimbursement under this warranty

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: troyh
I mentioned that the terms had CHANGED. It USED to be that you had to change oil @ every 4,000. Now you just follow manufacturers schedule.

It varies from one oil mfg to another. Valvoline for example still forces you to change the oil every 4K miles under their warranty program.

From that standpoint, the Pennzoil one seems to be a better deal.

The only downside of such warranty is that you have to stick with one particular oil mfg. Most people here on BITOG switch oil brands like socks, always wanting to try something new in their engine. It's a sickness...

 

[fdcg27]

Still, this is an opportunity to get some oil quite cheaply after MIR.
Who's really worried about the warranty?
Very few of us will own a vehicle long enough to wear out the engine.
It will get wrecked, salt destroyed or we'll get tired of it long before the engine has turned its last rev.
Engine wear doesn't kill cars, salt and time kill cars.

 

[Ayrton]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Still, this is an opportunity to get some oil quite cheaply after MIR.
Who's really worried about the warranty?
Very few of us will own a vehicle long enough to wear out the engine.
It will get wrecked, salt destroyed or we'll get tired of it long before the engine has turned its last rev.
Engine wear doesn't kill cars, salt and time kill cars.


Sadly, this certainly seems true (still knocking on wood just in case).

It does make me wonder.

How do we all find our oil so interesting ,when most of us admit to this fact, that our engine isn't the part of our car that is going to quit on us first, most likely.

Nevertheless, we're still always on the look for the "best."

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
They're for real. Chances of your engine suffering a lubrication-related failure are so low that it costs the oil mfg practically nothing in occasionally having to fix someone's engine compared to the huge revenue stream they obtain by having a bunch of people buy their oil for years to come.


On top of that, what they cover, at least with Pennzoil's warranty that I'm enrolled with, is pretty limited. They cover a fairly wide range of parts, but only for a certain ceiling (i.e. you're not going to get a Ferrari engine replaced under Pennzoil's warranty) and only one claim per vehicle. So, if I have an oil pump go and Pennzoil covers it, and let's say the repair is $500, and I have my bearings go 100,000 miles later, and that costs $2,000, I'm on my own for the second repair.

I kind of like Exxon Mobil's wording a bit better, that certain parts are covered over the OCI, regardless of vehicle mileage, and no glut of fine print. Nonetheless, I like the PYB additive package, it's a great product, and the price is right, and the odds are that I'll never have the opportunity to take advantage of any oil company's warranty anyhow.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Still, this is an opportunity to get some oil quite cheaply after MIR.
Who's really worried about the warranty?

Agreed. Take advantage of the sign-up promotion, then move on to whatever next best promotion is around.

 

[OldCowboy]

I drive 30,000 mi per year. So the Quaker State warranty program is good for me since I'll hit 300,000 in 10 years. I like the idea of getting a check for up to $3,000 that I can spend on my next car.

 

[linkbelt]

I just signed up to get a good rebate on their oil.
I dont think I would keep a car long enough to worry about engine failure. I change my oil @ no more than 5000 miles anyway.