VLS Newsletter – March 2024
Case Summary
Overall the number of cases stands at 100, with 2 products under investigation, 5 not compliant following investigation, 1 case escalated to Trading Standards following investigation, 9 compliant following investigation, 1 compliant following six month review and 82 archived.
Case 010201 – concerns a claim against the OEM specification RLD-4 which has been withdrawn by the Named Party and the results of the investigation have been published. The case is subject to a six-month review in August 2024.
Case 010200 – concerns the performance claims against the DOT 4 brake fluid specification. The product has been sourced, tested and found to fail its performance claim on three different parameters, which in the view of the TRP could lead to the brakes not being effective in operation. VLS have written to the Named Party and also escalated to Trading Standards as a consumer protection issue.
Case 010199 – concerns the conflicting ACEA claims made on PCEO 5W-30. The Named Party amended the claims made on the product to 5W-30 BMW LL-04, and ACEA C3. A case publication notice has been issued and the product is subject to a six-month review in May 2024.
Case 010198 – concerns the conflicting ACEA claims made on PCEO 5W-30. The Named Party revised the claims made to 5W-30 VW LL3 & BMW LL-04, ACEA C3. A case publication notice has been issued at the end of the investigation and the case is subject to a six-month review in May 2024.
Case 010197 – concerns the compliance of PCEO 5W-30 against ACEA C2 C3 with its HTHS value. The case was accepted on the 20th October. The product is unable to be found on the market from the source stated by the Complainant and consequently the case has been suspended.
Case 010196 – concerns HDDO 5W-30 and its compliance against stated OEM specifications. VLS has published the results of its investigation on a non-compliance basis due to the non-cooperation of the Named Party. The case is subject to a six-month review in June 2024, in line with VLS’s stated processes if found to be non-compliant at this stage, it will be reported to Trading Standards.
Case 010195 – concerns PCEO 5W-30 and its marketing claims against several OEM specifications including VW 504 00/507 00 and other applications. The investigation has been published to the website and is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010193 – concerns PCEO 5W-30 ACEA C2, C3 and its claim against VW 502 00/505 00 alongside ACEA C2 and C3. The investigation has concluded, and the case is subject to a six month review in April 2024.
Case 010192 – concerns PCEO 5W-30 Fully Synthetic and marketing claims against ACEA C2, C3, API SN and VW 502 00/505 00. The investigation has concluded, and the case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010190 – The complaint concerns the OEM specifications claimed on a Central Hydraulic Fluid. The case is subject to a six-month review in June 2024, in line with VLS’s stated processes and if found to be non-compliant at this stage, it will be reported to Trading Standards.
Case 010189 – concerns hydraulic oils. VLS undertook a six-month review of the case in February and found the product to be in continued compliance and the case is closed.
Case 010188 – concerns Universal Tractor Transmission Oil. The VLS investigation is concluded, and the results have been published to the VLS website. The case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010187 – concerns the performance claims made on an aluminium synthetic cutting fluid. The case investigation notice has been published to the website and the case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010186 – concerns 75W-90 gear oil. VLS undertook a six-month review of the case in January line with its’ stated process. The product was found not to be on open sale in the UK and so the case is closed.
Case 010185 – VLS undertook a six-month review of the case in January as part of which a new sample was tested and found to be in continued compliance and therefore the case is closed.
Case 010184 – concerns 75W-90 gear oil. The investigation concluded in June and is subject to a six-month review in December. The product has been re-sourced, sampled and tested and found to be non-compliant, however the date of manufacture at 2018 predates the date of the VLS case. Consequently, VLS believes that no new stock is being made available on the marketplace and the investigation is closed. However, stock which is beyond its expiry date of five years and non-complaint at low temperatures is still available in the UK. VLS has written to the Named Party asking that they write to their distributors to recover non-complaint and expired stock for disposal, and the matter has been escalated to VLS’s Primary Authority partner Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards as a consumer protection issue.
Case 010183 – concerns 75W-90 gear oil. The case was subject to a six-month review in January and was found to be non-compliant. Subsequently the product has been notified to Trading Standards.
Case 010182 – concern hydraulic oil ISO 46 AW and its compliance against the DIN 51524 Part 2 standard. The investigation is closed, a case investigation notice has been published to the website and the case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010181 – concerns PCEO 5W-30. The case publication notice has been published to the website and the case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010178 – The case is archived.
Case 010176 – At the six-month review the product is in continued compliance and we have asked the Named Party to ensure that all technical specifications and performance claims for the product are fully aligned on their corporate and retail websites.
Case 010159 – the case is archived.
To view the case outcomes, visit http://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-outcomes/
To raise a case with VLS, visit http://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-handling-process/
VLS can only investigate complaints made against products available on open sale in the UK. For case submission guidance visit https://ukla-vls.org.uk/publications/
Industry News
UK Government Department for Transport have issued guidance on Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes: how to comply. What participants need to do to meet their obligations under the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (VETS) Order 2023.
SMMT: Car industry urges ‘fair tax for a fair transition’ to put EVs back in the fast lane. New research shows almost half of would-be EV buyers will now wait until after 2030 to switch – compared with just one in 10 last year.
IMI: 2024 Spring Budget: Urgent focus is needed to support the automotive businesses that are critical to the road to zero.
IGA: As of February 22nd, 2024, a significant number of MOT testers, totalling 29,459 have yet to complete their annual MOT Assessments.
ACEA: The global electric car race: Europe needs to wake up! The European auto industry is up against massive global competition as it makes the seismic shift from combustion engine to battery-electric cars in a very short time frame.
The European Union Commission DG Comp. Commission approves up to €6.9 billion of State aid by seven Member States for the third Important Project of Common European Interest in the hydrogen value chain.
The European Commission DG Grow. New mobile machinery rules to ease safe circulation on public roads across the EU. The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached yesterday by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the road approval and market surveillance of non-road mobile machinery.
Reuters: Tesla rolls out new incentives in China as price war escalates.
Hydrogen Central: Department of Energy Announces $10,5 Million to Advance Hydrogen Combustion Engine Innovation.
ILMA : The Hill. Biden administration considering delaying switch to electric vehicles: Report.
ILMA : WSJ. The Boom in Battery Metals for EVs Is Turning to Bust. Producers of lithium and nickel pause projects after prices collapsed, and momentum slows for electric-vehicle sales.
Media Editorial
Garage and MOT magazine, February 2024 features VLS’s press release on receiving its 100th case.
Garage Talk Online 15th February 2024, VLS opens its 100th case on a complaint regarding heavy duty diesel oil.
Commercial Vehicle Workshop, March 2024 features an article ‘slippery customers’, VLS Chair Jacquie Berryman gives an insight into the HGV and LCV cases received by VLS. Page 25-26.
Autotechnician, March 2024, Pages 38-39. VLS Chair Jacquie Berryman outlines the organisation’s role in supporting independent garages.
Car Mechanics, March 2024 Page 43. ‘Pour performance’ an article featuring VLS and its role on supporting the industry’s compliance.
CVW Online, January 2024 features an article by Alan Outhwaite, Chairman of the VLS Technical Review panel on Complex Chemistry.
As a member, we would encourage you to disseminate the materials and content generated by VLS through your own communication channels.
Media Advertising
Professional Motor Mechanic February 2024, half page advert. Page 19.
Commercial Vehicle Workshop, February 2024, half page advert. Page 25.
Lube magazine, February 2024, third page VLS advertisement, Page 51.
Aftermarket March 2024, half page advert. Page 15.
Autotechnician March 2024, half page advert. Page 34.
Events
UNITI Mineral Oil Technology Congress, Stuttgart, Germany, 16-17 April 2024.
Lubricant Expo, Stuttgart, 17-19 September 2024.
UEIL Congress, Revolutionising the Lubricants Industry. Porto, 16-18 October 2024.
Social Media
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Jacquie Berryman
VLS Chair
