VLS Bulletin – March 2026 – Case 010212
VLS 010212 – General Motors GM Genuine Oil 5W-30 dexos2 ACEA VW 502 00/505 00/505 01
On 18th July 2024 the case was accepted by VLS.
The complaint alleged that the Total Base Number (TBN) for the product when tested was 8.6 mg KOH/g and Sulphated Ash (SA) at 0.73% m/m which is not compliant against the stated performance claim for VW 502.00/505.00. However, the High Temp/High Shear (HTHS) value observed of 3.45 mPa.s is within test reproducibility limits as is the Noack volatility of 10.3% for the MB specification claimed.
VLS accepted the case, sourced and tested a sample of the product.
The test results were as follows:-
TBN 8.0mgKOH/g
SA 0.65%m/m
VLS found that the product was therefore compliant against the claim for dexos2 but not compliant against the claim against VW 502.00/505.00 specification requiring a TBN ≥10.0 mg KOH/g and SA >1%m/m<1.5%m/m.
GM Europe were approached concerning this matter and they referred it to GM’s legal counsel in America. GM’s legal counsel in America initially claimed that the product was not genuine as it did not show a dexos2 licensing number on the pack. So VLS approached the marketer’s toll blender in Europe to validate that the product was genuine and they confirmed that it was.
The toll blender acknowledged the non-compliance and investigated along with their contact at GM Europe. The non-compliance concerned the product’s Sulphated Ash content at 0.65%m/m which was below the VW specification limit of 1.0%m/m, and Total Base Number which had been tested at 8.0mgKOH/g against a minimum specification requirement of 10mgKOH/g for the claim against VW 502 00/505 00/505 01.
The toll blender confirmed that the product had not been commercialised or made available in the market for many years now, although VLS had found that residual stock was available for sale through distributors and other outlets. They advised that when the claim was initially made it was possible to make the combination claim VW 502 00/505 00/505 01 but VW had since changed the specification limits and it is no longer possible to make the claim.
In response the toll blender confirmed that they would remove the claim against VW 502 00 which would bring the product back into compliance. The toll blender also stressed that the main purpose of the product was to support applications requiring dexos2.
VLS then informed GM legal counsel of the steps the toll blender was taking to bring the product back into compliance.
VLS accepted this resolution and closed the investigation subject to a six-month review in line with its stated process.
On 12th March 2026 VLS undertook a six-month review of the above case.
As part of the review, VLS found that the toll blender put all measures in place to overcome this issue. Revised label designs and orders of new labels were issued in May 2025. Incorrect labels were scrapped and all new fillings-labelling were carried out when new labels were available.
VLS found a few incidence of stock showing the old label still available in the marketplace which was outside of the control of the toll blender.
Consequently, VLS is content to close the investigation and the case.
David Wright, Company Secretary of VLS said “We want to ensure we have the highest standards in Europe for lubricant manufacture, blending and marketing, and we want a ‘level playing field’ for all participants, so that we protect the interests of the consumer and other end users.
In the Verification of Lubricant Specifications (UK) Ltd, we have set our course for stronger industry self-regulation by working positively towards more open and transparent competition that benefits all lubricant organisations.”
March 2026
