The manufacturer has occasionally given a dealer permission to repair, rebuild, or replace the engine under warranty in response to a customer complaint. In other instances, meanwhile, some automakers are justifying the oil usage as compliant with the vehicle’s technical requirements or they hold the user responsible for poor driving practices.
Shelly Shugars, a training director from Tivoli, New York, purchased a brand-new 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport hatchback and scheduled her first oil change at the car’s 3,000-mile mark. She claims she has been adding a quart of oil every 800 to 1,000 miles since that oil change, though. Shugars claims that despite the automaker offering her $500 for her trouble, the Subaru dealer assured her that her car’s oil usage is normal. The expense of rebuilding the engine would be much higher.
Shugars is not alone himself. Class-action lawsuits relating to the issue are now being filed against Subaru and Audi.
In a statement sent by email, Michael McHale, director of corporate communications for Subaru, stated that “the rate of consumption can be altered by such factors as transmission type, driving style, topography, and temperature.
Subaru has permitted its dealers to conduct oil-consumption tests on vehicles to see if they are operating outside of manufacturer guidelines in response to customer complaints about excessive oil use. Subaru started altering the engines in some models in 2010, but it took until 2014 to modify the engines in other models.
In the meantime, an agreement in a class action lawsuit against Audi would increase the powertrain warranty on its CAEB 2.0-liter turbo engines for model years 2009 to 2011 to eight years or 80,000 miles. Regarding the legal dispute or issues with oil use in general, Audi declined to comment. Our data demonstrates that more recent 2.0-liter turbo and V6 engines from Audi are likewise oil-burning.
Audi suggested that “the customer always have a spare quart of engine oil in case the engine oil needs topping off while driving” in a recent technical service notice.
Such usage is described by BMW in its manufacturer specs. You can also get an oil travel case that you can put in the trunk of your automobile.
Oil consumption is typical for all engines, according to a statement from Hector Arellano-Belloc, a spokesman for BMW.
BMW automobiles require frequent oil changes (10,000 miles). Under specific driving circumstances, BMW engines (apart from the BMW M) may need up to one quart of engine oil every 750 miles. He continued by saying that BMW’s M performance variants might use even more oil.
Corrective measures are being taken by other firms who have displayed instances of oil use.
Honda recently extended the warranty for the four-cylinder engines in the 20082011 Accord and 20102011 CR-V to eight years or 125,000 miles. As long as low-quality fuel is used for an extended period of time while the engine is cold, Honda observed that sticky piston rings can increase oil consumption.
Additionally, Toyota changed the powertrain warranty on its four-cylinder 2AZ-FE engines sold in some 20072011 models to 10 years or 150,000 miles in response to the filing of a class action lawsuit in California. “This program gives comprehensive assistance to owners who are currently affected, as well as those who have already paid for repairs,” a Toyota representative stated.
Automakers are in a pickle because they want to lower both the cost of ownership and the environmental effect of their vehicles. Internal combustion engines require routine oil changes, and used motor oil can be dangerous if improperly disposed of. However, if you put off changing your oil for too long, it could turn into sludge and harm your engine.
When we followed up with some customers, they admitted that if they had known how frequently they would need to check their oil, they would not have purchased their oil-burning vehicles. According to a recent CR nationwide poll of 542 American drivers of vehicles with model years from 2000 to 2016, 39% either never check their oil or only do so when their cars are in for service.
If customers are denied rebuilds and repairs for engines that use too much oil, those vehicles may be dumped on used-car lots by people who are tired of adding oil. That merely transfers the issue to the subsequent owner.
Consumer Reports thinks the company should not simply improve the engine’s design for future consumers, but also pay to top off the oil between changes if a car under warranty does need repairs.