The Petroleum Quality Institute of America Issues Consumer Alerts On Six Motor Oils

The Petroleum Quality Institute of America (PQIA) reports that eight of the twelve passenger car motor oils PQIA purchased in July of this year at convenience stores along heavily traveled roads from Illinois to Pennsylvania have quality issues.  Six of the brands showed test results serious enough for PQIA to issue Consumers Alerts, which means that using these motor oils can cause damage to a car's engine.

Thomas F. Glenn, president of PQIA, says, "Another significant concern is that some of the products PQIA tested in January and issued Consumer Alerts on still appear on the shelves." Glenn cites products purchased at the Wickliffe Shell convenience store in Austintown, Ohio, as an example.

PQIA issued Consumer Alerts for two brands of motor oil purchased at that location on January 6. Those alerts cautioned consumers that test results on the samples indicate the products do not meet any known specifications for engine oil and can cause engine damage.

Glenn points out that PQIA revisited Wickliffe Shell on July 13. "To our disappointment, the same oil was still on the shelves, and test results clearly show a product that can damage passenger car engines."  Glenn added, "Rather than replacing these products with quality engine oil, another inferior brand joined them on the shelves. That oil also does not meet its labeled specifications.

"These results reflect the ongoing problem of poor quality and potentially damaging motor oils available on retailers' shelves across the country," according to Glenn.

The tests sought out not just oil viscosity and lubricity, but contaminants and additives foreign to the necessities of motor oil. Tests showed that some of the offending product experienced poor heat distribution and may be prone to volatility.

PQIA samples, tests, and reports on the quality of lubricants in the U.S. in order to protect consumers and improve conformance with specifications and performance claims.

Details on the Consumer Alerts and more can be found at the PQIA website.

5w-30 (*- quality alert +-quality advisory) 
ProForce All Season API SF/CC+  
Super XXX Motor Oil API SB*
City Star 5W-30 Motor Oil API SA*    
Bullseye 5W-30 Motor Oil API SC/CC*

10w-30   
Star Petroleum High Mileage Formula, API SB*       
Tri Star Motor Oil  API "SC/CC"*     
ProForce All Season Motor Oil, API SF/CC+     
Everclear  API SC/CC*