VLS closes Case 201 after Aztec Oils take swift action

VLS has closed investigation VLS010201 after the company involved took corrective action.

In December 2023, VLS received a complaint about Aztec Oils Emprotec UHPD 10W40, a Heavy Duty Engine Oil (HDDO). The Complainant alleged that Renault does not support the RLD-4 as a specification, and as such, the product cannot meet it. The performance claim was indicated in a list of recommendations on the website and in the Technical Data Sheet relating to the product.

Following an investigation, VLS upheld the complaint as Renault does not issue the RLD-4 specification for service fill, and it is not mandated for use in any of their current vehicles.

VLS contacted the Named Party, Aztec Oils, who moved quickly to withdraw the claim against RLD-4. They retained the claim against RLD-3 and amended the product's description and Technical Data Sheet accordingly. VLS was content that the product had been brought back into compliance and closed the investigation subject to the standard six-month review.

Harald Oosting, VLS Chairman, said, “We would like to thank Aztec Oils for taking swift action in this case to ensure their marketing claims, product descriptions, and Technical Data Sheets were correct. As the lubricants sector navigates immense change in response to OEM design changes and the need to meet increasing emissions legislation, it is more important than ever that we have a robust, anonymous process that holds lubricant producers or marketers to account and protects end users.

Workshops must be able to have confidence that the products they select are suitable for use in the application and can deliver what they claim. Our objective is always to bring products into compliance, and we thank Aztec Oils for taking action to protect end users."

You can keep up to date with VLS investigations at their website: https://ukla-vls.org.uk/.