Here ya go!
To date,
Amsoil has never had a warranty claim due to their oil causing an engine failure. My Amsoil sponsor has been selling amsoil for 25 years. He is a direct jober with over 250 downline customers and dealers. He has never ever had one engine failure by using Amsoil. None of his customers have ever had any problems either.
Here is their official stance on these issues:
To start with, a Q&A:
Extended Drain Intervals and Warranties
Q. I have read the NOACK tests and the "3,000 miles oil change" fallacy. I have been using the AMSOIL Series 2000 0W-30 synthetic oil, AMSOIL SDF-29 filter and AMSOIL Air Filter. I have been following directions cleaning and re-using the air filter on a once-a-year basis and changing the oil filter twice a year. I leave the oil in for the full year. That amounts to between 5,000 and 6,500 in the one year period.
I have recently purchased a brand new 2001 Pontiac Grand Am with the 3.4L engine. I also have purchased the GM Factory extended 6/60 warranty. I received the warranty book and read it. Much to my surprise I find the following reference under "Your Responsibilities" in the book:
"YOU must properly maintain the covered VEHICLE which includes, but is not limited to, changing the engine oil at a minimum of every 3,000 miles or as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. If requested, proof of required service, including receipts and work orders showing date and mileage of the VEHICLE at the time of service must be presented to US in the event of a FAILURE or CLAIM."
Because of this I fear switching to the AMSOIL 0W-30 synthetic oil and oil filter and leaving it in the engine for the full year or 35,000 miles thus risking voiding the factory warranty. Is there anything you can do to contact GM and convince them of the fallacy of the 3,000 mile oil change and convince them to use and recommend AMSOIL synthetic oil in their cars? They are convinced enough to use Havoline "extended" drain interval antifreeze, why won't they see the advantages of AMSOIL synthetic 0W-30 oil?
A. The language in the extended protection plan was written by an insurance company, and is definitely intended to intimidate you into changing your oil every 3,000 miles. They are doing everything they can to try to limit their liability for claims and create “wiggle” room. What’s new!
All of the vehicle OEMs in the U.S. have agreed that a warranty cannot be denied because a customer was using any brand of motor oil at any length drain interval unless an engine failure was directly attributable to the oil or drain interval. For example, if your radio, power steering unit, air conditioner, etc., broke down, they could not void the warranty that covers those items because you were changing your engine oil at 6,500 miles or one year. If it is not an oil related failure, they cannot void the warranty. The law supports this position.
If your engine failed, and the manufacturer denied your warranty for repair due to your using extended drain intervals, then you would submit your claim to the AMSOIL Technical Services Department for handling. (See the AMSOIL Limited Warranty.) Our staff will analyze the oil, and if we are able to provide documentation that proves the source of the problem was other than the oil, and that in turn allows your claim to be processed under the original warranty, then we will. If no proof can be assembled regarding the source of the problem, our insurance adjustor will be dispatched to resolve the claim. A warranty claim being denied because of the use of extended drain intervals is an extremely rare occurrence. That’s because motor oils do not cause engine failures … dirt, glycol and other mechanical problems do.
Ironically, in Europe the auto manufacturers recommended drain intervals are from 12,000-18,000 miles using petroleum products, and are moving even higher. In the U.S., it has been published that auto manufacturers are also going to be moving toward extended drain intervals of up to 15,000 miles in the not too distant future. G.M. is currently moving toward a system that tells you when to change your oil based upon a computer program that evaluates your driving habits. Some other car companies are planning on having an on-board oil analyzer to tell you when to change your oil. This will allow for shorter drains for poorer quality oils and longer drains for higher quality oils, where G.M.’s system will not distinguish between the two. As these changes develop, so will the language in owner’s manuals as well as extended warranty policies.
You’ve used our products successfully for 7 years, drive extremely low miles per year, and are following all of our directions for air filter cleaning and oil filter changing. You have our warranty coverage to fall back on in the unlikely event of an engine failure that is not covered by your vehicle warranty. I hope you will not be intimidated by the language in your extended warranty policy and will continue to use the highest quality and best performing products that you can, AMSOIL.
And now the key points:
Warranties And API Licensed Motor Oils
Fortunately, the law does not allow manufacturers to "void your warranty" simply because of the brand of oil you use, the specifications it meets or the miles you drive between oil changes. To be specific, they cannot deny to fix your broken radio, faulty valve or cracked piston because you used an AMSOIL non-API licensed motor oil, or because you've gone more than 3000 miles since your last oil change. Denial of warranty coverage must be specifically due to an oil related failure. All courts of law will find against any manufacturer or dealership that tries these warranty shenanigans. If any automobile dealership insinuates that your warranty will be void if you use AMSOIL products or utilize extended drain intervals, let AMSOIL INC. know the name of the Dealership, the address, the owner's name and the name of the employee that made this statement. Mail to:
AMSOIL INC.
Attention: Technical Services Department
AMSOIL Building
Superior, WI 54880
or e-mail to tech@amsoil.com.
They will almost never put it in writing, but if they do, please send us a copy of that, too. Either way, we will send them a letter informing them cease the intimidation of our customers. Click HERE to read a sample letter.
Only if the oil is determined to be the direct cause of the engine problem can a manufacturer or dealership deny warranty coverage for that specific problem. In this situation the AMSOIL warranty would apply, and the AMSOIL Technical Services Department would assist you in processing your claim and in getting the vehicle repaired. That's our pledge to you. AMSOIL INC. sells millions of gallons of oil per year and warranty claims are a rare occurrence. If you ever have a warranty problem with an automobile manufacturer or dealership, AMSOIL will assist you by analyzing the problem and providing data supporting the fact that repairs should be made under the vehicle manufacturer's warranty. If this does not resolve the problem, AMSOIL will submit a claim with our insurance company and request that an adjuster have the vehicle repaired and pursue legal settlement later if necessary. The fact is there never has been an engine failure attributed to the non-performance of AMSOIL products, and we do not expect there ever will be. If it ever did, both AMSOIL and our insurance company would make certain your problem was resolved. Click HERE to see the AMSOIL Limited Warranty.
How Does AMSOIL INC. Ensure Their Products Meet Or Exceed The Minimum Specifications Of The Tests Required For API Licensing?
First, AMSOIL INC. works closely with major additive companies to select the top performing, and usually most expensive, passenger car and heavy duty diesel motor oil additives. These additives have already passed all of the API licensing requirements in a petroleum or synthetic based formulation. Then we work with the additive company to maximize the amount of additive used and to boost the additive package in selected performance areas to achieve an optimum performing additive package for reduced wear and extended drain intervals. This is unlike the vast majority of companies who, because additives are expensive, use the minimum amount of the least expensive additives required to meet the minimum API requirements.
We then utilize a blend of synthetic basestocks with known performance characteristics as a replacement for the petroleum basestocks to optimize performance in areas of lubricity, volatility, viscosity index, oxidation and nitration resistance, pour points, flash points, deposit control, soot handling, emissions, etc. We also will utilize a highly shear stable V.I. improver to ensure viscosity retention throughout extended drain intervals. This replaces the inexpensive and less shear stable V.I. improver used in the API licensed petroleum formula. We do laboratory bench tests before running field tests to verify the superiority of the synthetic formula in actual use. We also continue to monitor the performance of the oil through close scrutiny of tens of thousands of oil analysis tests per year across a wide variety of vehicles all around North America and the World. AMSOIL INC. has been collecting used synthetic oil samples from passenger cars since 1982. No other oil company has such a vast data base of the performance of synthetic lubricants over extended drain intervals.
AMSOIL INC.'s products and formulations outperform API licensed oils. They're engineered that way. Period.
Conclusion
AMSOIL INC. takes pride in never having conformed to industry norms or standards when those standards are contrary to peak performance. We introduced synthetics to the automotive world in 1972 with the first synthetic motor oil to exceed API performance specifications. At that time other manufacturers refused to recognize the superior performance of synthetic motor oils. Now, however, most companies sell synthetic lubricants, vehicles are factory filled with synthetic motor oils and gear lubes, and some manufacturers even offer extended warranties if you use synthetics. AMSOIL has always offered extended drain intervals because the oil was capable of performing for extended drains, and it was the right thing to do for the consumer. Now the entire industry is moving in that direction. Ironically, it was recently published that automotive manufacturers will be recommending extended drain intervals of up to 15,000 miles in the near future because that's what consumers want.
AMSOIL is a company of firsts. That doesn't happen by always conforming to industry norms and standards.
API licensing of lubricants is voluntary, and it ensures automobile manufacturers and consumers that the product meets a set of minimum standards. Should these standards, in the future, be raised to a level consistent with AMSOIL's standards for motor oil performance, AMSOIL will consider licensing all oils. For those that feel pressured to use an API licensed product, we have them and encourage you to use them (XLT, XLM, XLF and PCO). AMSOIL does offer better performing motor oils that are not API licensed for all of the reasons explained in this response. They provide our customers with alternatives to the commodity products typically available in the market today. If you want the convenience of extended drain intervals or the top performance from your vehicle, AMSOIL has taken time to engineer the very best money can buy.
Bill,