Valvoline Sued After Using the Wrong Oil in Customer’s Engine (USA)

[Clark Kent]

And in other news:

https://www.autoblog.com/news/valvoline-sued-after-using-the-wrong-oil-in-customers-engine

TLDR.
A Valvoline Instant Oil Change center in Indiana put 5W-30 oil into a customer's 2025 Kia Sorrento instead of the Kia recommended 0W-30. The owner has commenced a nationwide class action against Valvoline.

[the owner] claims that Valvoline is guilty of a “breach of contract, breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, violation of the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, and unjust enrichment,”

Edit: typos.

 

[Tazzieman]

That'll send a few shivers up a few spines.

 

[AngusMacG]

A classic action? That persons lawyers are using that plaintiff

 

[Jeffrey]

Why do we have to see this crap here? Who cares?

 

[Zimm]

Why do we have to see this crap here? Who cares?

It’s called “off topic” for a reason Jeffrey. Like…. It’s off topic.

 

[Zimm]

Betcha the attorney this guy hired… is really the one that’s paying him.

 

[Tazzieman]

Why do we have to see this crap here? Who cares?

People are playing around with different oil weights for their Grenadiers.

 

[INEOS OG]

"The Indiana plaintiff, Robert Campbell, claims that because Valvoline used a different grade of oil during his service, this resulted in additional expenses, decreased performance, an increased risk of engine damage, loss of warranty coverage, and a reduction in the value of his vehicle."

 

[Clark Kent]

Why do we have to see this crap here? Who cares?

If you read the article Jeffrey you might see that for this claim to be successful the Court would need to be satisfied that 5W-30 is sufficiently different to 0w-30 to an extent that the plaintiff's claims can be substantiated. That outcome will require a deep dive into oil viscosity and performance. Oil viscosity has had quite a bit of discussion in the on-topic threads so the Court's eventual finding might be of interest to some here. It's not often a Court weighs into something as obscure as motor oil viscosity.

From Autoblog:

Was the Oil Really Incorrect?
The two numbers in the SAE Viscosity standard are not too far apart in Campbell’s case, but the difference between 0W and 5W matters when the engine is cold and when ambient temperatures drop below a certain point.
The recommended 0W-30 weight oil should flow more easily when cold than the 5W-30 that was put in by Valvoline, per the SAE J300 standard. Oil is more viscous when cold; at low enough temperatures, 0W oil flows more easily than 5W oil, which means it can reach the engine more quickly and provide better protection on cold starts. However, once the engine reaches operating temperature, the “30” at the end of the grades indicates that both engine oils should perform similarly.

 

[NQ94]

0w30 has good startability at -35°C, using 5W30 for -30°C usability might have issues in an extreme cold snap. Valvoline service center using a higher viscosity oil will probably be better for the Kia Sorrento engine. That engine already has a bad wrap for premature failures, oil consumption and recalls. Looks like a money grab. The plaintiff, like most car owners likely has little understanding about oils or the standards.
Valvoline has a large real world testing facility in the US where they use common engines and cars for testing, strip engines down and assess oils and engine wear. This will be an interesting case to follow.