VLS Newsletter – March 2026
Case Summary
Overall the number of cases stands at 145, with 8 products under investigation, 2 not compliant following investigation, 7 case escalated to Trading Standards following investigation, 1 compliant during investigation, 6 compliant following investigation, 1 compliant following six-month review and 120 archived.
Not Compliant, Escalated to Trading Standards
Case 010203 – SCT Vertriebs. Lubriage Ltd trading as Mannol UK & Ireland. 5W-30 Longlife 504/507. Complaint. Not compliant. VLS undertook a six-month review of the above case in line with its stated process. As part of our investigation into the above product and following our earlier correspondence, we procured and tested a new sample of the product (dated May 2024). The sample was tested at a laboratory which has full ISO 17025 accreditation and also is accredited for the test method. The tested sample gave a reading of 3.18 mPa.s which is consistent with our earlier test result of 3.13 mPa.s, and the complainant’s sample test result of 2.9mPa.s. In response Lubriage Ltd trading as Mannol UK & Ireland arranged testing of their own samples in Europe with SGS and committed to sending the results of the testing to VLS. The results were not received prior to publication and therefore the product is non-compliant and will be reported to Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards as part of VLS’s Primary Authority relationship. Following a change of management the Lubricant Marketer wrote to VLS outlining the steps they are taking to bring the product into compliance.
Case 010200 – SCT Vertriebs GmbH Mannol Brake Fluid DOT-4 (3002). Not compliant. Product not proven to be compliant following Investigation and has been escalated to Trading Standards. 11/03/2026 New test results have been provided to VLS undertaken by an independent laboratory demonstrating that the product is now compliant.
Case 010195 – Silverhook Supreme Plus 5W-30 API SP, ACEA C2 C3. The six- month review was completed on 3rdMay, a bulletin has been issued and the case has been escalated to Trading Standards due to non-compliance and the non-cooperation of the Lubricant Marketer. Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards have referred the matter to the home authority of the Lubricant Marketer. The Lubricant Marketer is now registered with SAIL to be able to make ACEA claims. The manufacturer has provided an updated TDS and which was considered to be much improved when reviewed by the TRP.
Case 010192 – Motor Parts Direct: Maxiflow 5W-30 Fully Synthetic. Not compliant. The case concerns PCEO 5W-30 Fully Synthetic and marketing claims against ACEA C2, C3, API SN and VW 502 00/505 00. The six-month review has been completed. VLS were earlier advised that the Lubricant Marketer was to remove the VW 502.00/505.00 claim as this is incompatible with the mid SAPS claims detailed on the Technical Data Sheet. The claim against VW 505.00 had been removed and a new claim against VW 505.01 is being made. The Lubricant Marketer was advised that the claim against VW 502.00 was to be removed and was still being made at the six-month review stage. Additionally, the way ACEA was referenced in relation to claims made was technically incorrect and the Lubricant Marketer was advised to correct this and also to register with SAIL to make claims against the ACEA engine oil sequences. The details of the case would be escalated to VLS’s Primary Authority partner Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards on a non-compliant basis. A bulletin has been issued and a six-month case publication notice published to the website.
Case 010190 – SCT Vertriebs GmbH Mannol Central Hydraulic Fluid. Product not compliant and case not resolved. The complaint concerns the OEM specifications claimed on a Central Hydraulic Fluid. The case has undergone a six-month review. A new sample of the product has been procured and has been tested. The test results are not meeting the specifications claimed, the case has been escalated to Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards on a non-compliant basis.
Case 010184 – SCT Vertriebs GmbH Fanfaro MAX 6 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil. Product not proven to be compliant following Investigation – Escalated to Trading Standards.
Case 010183 – Westway Lubricants 75W-90 Synthetic gear oil. Product not proven to be compliant. The case concerns 75W-90 gear oil. The case was subject to a six-month review in January, the product was found to be non-compliant and has been escalated to Trading Standards. 08/03/2026, Westway have provided a sample of the new product, along with a Certificate of Analysis, to VLS for testing in order to demonstrate compliance.
Current Cases
Case 010245 – Investigation complete. Compliant. UK Lubricants Ltd, Oscar Diamond Pro PCEO 0W-30. Investigation complete, pending six-month review due 27th July 2026.
Case 010244 – Smith & Allan. 5W-30 Stellantis claim FPW 9.55535/03. The case concerned the allegation that the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03 was being claimed for this product. The Complainant stated that it is understood that there is currently no proven market general additive technology available that supports this specification claim. They said marketer should be approached to provide documented evidence that demonstrates that the chemical, physical, performance and engine test requirements of Stellantis FPW9.55535/03 have been met to support this demanding specification claim.
VLS accepted the case and wrote to Smith & Allan asking for the technical evidence upon which the basis of the claim was made by way of a letter of support from their technology provider.
In response Smith & Allan stated that the claim was made on the product on a ‘suitable for use’ basis and no formal approval was claimed, that as far as they were aware only a limited number of companies had obtained a formal approval against the specification and questioned whether this was anti-competitive.
Smith & Allan agreed to pause sales of the product and withdraw it from their catalogue pending the formal approval of the market general package against the Stellantis specification.
VLS is content to close the investigation subject to a six-month review in line with its stated process.
Case 010243 – Suspended. PCEO 5W-30. Product not found on open sale in the UK, in line with VLS’s criteria, and so the matter has been referred back to the Complainant.
Case 010242 – Product Compliant During Investigation – Case Resolved. Anonymous. PCEO 5W-30. The complaint concerns a claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. On the 18th November VLS wrote to the Lubricant Marketer outlining details of the complaint. On the 25th November the Lubricant Marketer’s supplier responded to the complaint providing evidence of meeting the performance claim which was passed back to the Technical Review Panel. This evidence was accepted and the investigation as closed. Six-month review due 25th June 2026.
Case 010241 – Under Investigation. PCEO 5W-30. The complaint concerns a claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. On the 24th November VLS accepted the case concerning a performance claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. On the 24th November VLS wrote to the Lubricant Marketer outlining details of the complaint. On the 24th November the Lubricant Marketer acknowledged receipt of the letter and stated they had referred the matter back to their parent company. On the 23rd December the Marketer responded to the case and the response is with the Technical Review Panel for assessment. The claim has been removed from the marketer’s website but still remains on the supplying company’s Technical Data Sheet. The investigation will be closed based on the actions of the marketer, subject to a six-month review due in August 2026. The case has prompted a separate dialogue with the manufacturer and VLS has written to their Managing Director/CEO on 10th March.
Case 010240 – Aztec Oils Torotec 5W-30 STL. The Complainant alleged that the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03 was being claimed for this product where as far as it is understood there is currently no proven market general technology available that supports this specific claim. They said that the marketer should be approached to provide documented evidence that demonstrates that the chemical, physical performance and engine test requirements of Stellantis FPW9.55535/03 have been met to support this demanding specification claim.
Aztec referred the matter to their supplier through whom VLS received a letter of support to the claim based on the Stellantis specification FPW 9.55535/03 version 1 issued in July 2023 which is valid until July 2026. Aztec amended the wording on the claim to clarify that it is being made against version 1 of the specification.
Based on the claim being a recommendation made by Aztec with support from their supplier, VLS is content to close the investigation subject to a six month review due in September 2026, in line with its stated process.
Case 010239 – PCEO 5W-30. Under Investigation. The complaint concerns a claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. The marketer was contacted on the 2nd October, their supplier responded on the 3rd October and provided evidence of their justification for the performance claim by way of a letter of support from their toll blender which was reviewed by the Technical Review Panel. VLS has asked for a letter of support from the toll blender’s technology provider to support the claim being made in full. The marketer has agreed to amend the product labels and Technical Data Sheet to version 1 of the Stellantis specification FW 9.55535/03 published in July 2023 which is still a valid claim until July 2026.
Case 010238 – PCEO 5W-30. Anonymous, Compliant, Published and Bulletin issued. The complaint concerns a claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. The case concerned the claim against Stellantis FPW9.55535/03 for which it is claimed that market general technology to support the claim is not widely available. In response the Lubricant Marketer provided evidence by way of a letter from their technology provider supporting the claim made. VLS accepted the evidence from the Lubricant Marketer and closed the investigation and the case which will not be subject to a six-month review as there is no case to answer.
Case 010237 – PCEO 5W-30. Under Investigation. The complaint concerns a claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. Evidence has been provided by the Lubricant Marketer and is being assessed by the Technical Review panel. The letter from the technology supplier implies that the technology met the requirements of the July 2023 version of the specification. As Stellantis FPW9.55535/03 was updated in June 2024 VLS has asked if an extension on the original formulation was given by the OEM beyond the usual six-month period to allow for a claim to be made against the revised specification.
Case 010236 – Product Compliant Following Investigation – Case Resolved. MANNOL Energy Formula PSA 5W-30 7703. The complaint concerns a claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. In response SCT Vertriebs GmbH advised that the Stellantis FPW9.55535/03 claim on the product has been removed. An updated Technical Data Sheet and updated product label has been provided. The website description for the product has also been updated. VLS is content to close the case subject to a six-month review in June 2026, in line with its stated process.
Case 010235 – Under Investigation. PCEO 5W-30. The complaint concerns a claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. The marketer was contacted on the 2nd October, their supplier responded on the 3rd October and provided evidence of their justification for the performance claim by way of a letter of support from their toll blender which is with the Technical Review Panel for review. VLS has asked for a letter of support from the toll blender’s technology provider to support the claim being made in full. The marketer has agreed to amend the product labels and Technical Data Sheet to version 1 of the Stellantis specification FW 9.55535/03 published in July 2023 which is still a valid claim until July 2026.
Case 010234 – Product Compliant – Case Resolved. The case concerned the claim against Stellantis FPW9.55535/03 for which it is claimed that market general technology to support the claim is not widely available. In response the Lubricant Marketer provided evidence that the product was a rebrand of a product carrying a formal approval against the July 2023 version of Stellantis specification and therefore the claim is valid. VLS accepted the evidence from the Lubricant Marketer and closed the investigation and the case which will not be subject to a six-month review as there is no case to answer.
Case 010233 – PCEO 5W-30. Under investigation. The complaint concerns the product’s claim against the Stellantis specification FPW9.55535/03. The marketer was contacted on the 2nd October, their supplier responded on the 3rd October and provided evidence of their justification for the performance claim by way of a letter of support from their toll blender which is with the Technical Review Panel for review. VLS has asked for a letter of support from the toll blender’s technology provider to support the claim being made in full. The marketer has agreed to amend the product labels and Technical Data Sheet to version 1 of the Stellantis specification FW 9.55535/03 published in July 2023 which is still a valid claim until July 2026.
Case 010228 – 5W-30. Complaint. Anonymous. Investigation complete. Compliant. Concerns the compliance of the product against SAE J300 Low Temperature Pumping Viscosity requirements. The Lubricant Marketer has provided evidence that the product is compliant which has been accepted by the Technical Review Panel. A six-month review of the case began on the 5th March 2026, and VLS are waiting on some new test results from the Lubricant Marketer to demonstrate continued compliance.
Case 010227 – Product Compliant Following Investigation – Case Resolved. Silverhook 0W-20 Fuel Efficient. The case concerned compliance with the following market standards. SAE J300 Low Temperature Pumping Viscosity and the phosphorous requirements to meet ACEA C5 & C6. Silverhook have advised that the formulation has been amended. Six-month review due 3rd April 2026.
Case 010226 – Product Compliant Following Investigation – Case Resolved. Silverhook Ultra V 0W-30 PCEO. Investigation closed in October 2025 and six-month review due May 2026.
Case 010225 – PCEO 5W-30. Complaint. Under investigation. Concerns the compliance of the performance claims VW 504.00/507.00, MB 229.31, 229.51, 229.52 against the HTHS test limits, the compliance of the claim against the Fiat specification 9.55535-S2 and the claim against ACEA C2. The test results have been reviewed by the Technical Review panel. The Lubricant Marketer has responded to the issues raised and revised the claims on the product, VLS is awaiting further information from them before closing the investigation. A reminder has been sent to the Lubricant Marketer on the 11th March 2026.
Case 010223 – Case archived.
Case 010221 – Granville Hypalube FS C3 5W-30. Complaint, Case concluded, to be archived on the 16th April.
Case 010212 – GM Genuine Oil 5W-30. Not Compliant. Six-month review undertaken showing the product is compliant. Case to be archived in May 2026.
Case 010206 – Product Not Compliant Following Investigation – Case Not Resolved. Lubrex Nano Velocity GTR 5W-30. The case concerns the product’s compliance for Phosphorous and HTHS against an ACEA C3-16 claim, HTHS against a VW 504 00/507 00 and Porsche C30 claim, and Noack Volatility against a MB 299.51 claim on a 5W-30 PCEO. A sample of the product has been sourced, tested, and found to be non-compliant by the Technical Review Panel. VLS has written to the Lubricant Marketer setting out the non-compliance issues, who responded. The Lubricant Marketer is disputing the test results and findings of VLS. A new sample of the product is being retested for HTHS and Noack through accredited laboratories. A sample of the product has been sourced and was sent to the test house on the 16th May and mislaid, a second sample has been sent on the 24th July and has arrived for testing on the 25th July. The results have been communicated to the Lubricant Marketer and their response prompted a formulation optimisation, improved QC, QA and traceability processes. A six-month review of the case has begun and a sample of the product has been procured and will be tested.
To view the case outcomes, visit http://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-outcomes/
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/
VLS marketing claims guidance can be found at https://ukla-vls.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/UKLA-VLS-Specifications-and-Marketing-Claims-Guidance-4.3.24-v2.0.pdf
UK Industry News
UK Government Department for Transport. Personal safety on transport. Study exploring how safe people feel on the transport network and their experience of incidents impacting their personal safety.
UK Government Department for Transport. Driver licensing common framework. Explains how the UK government and devolved governments propose to work together on driver licensing.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Vehicle production down in January amid weak global markets.
BBC News. How Slovakia became the world’s number one carmaker.
Road Haulage Association. EU driver shortage could hit 1 million as retirement rate outpaces recruitment.
The Independent Garage Association. SERMI Launches with Rigorous, Credible Security Standards.
National Franchised Dealers Association. NFDA-CV Urges Government to Reject Truck ZEV Mandate.
International Industry News
ACEA: ACEA sets out critical conditions for a stronger EU automotive package.
Reuters: Ford to recall 1.74 million vehicles in US over rearview camera issue, NHTSA says.
Brookings: Challenges and opportunities for the North American auto industry in the 2026 USMCA renegotiation (research).
Media Editorial
Professional Motor Factor Online, 06 February 2026. VLS closes Silverhook investigation.
Autoscene Online, February 2026. VLS closes investigations after Silverhook takes positive action to reformulate engine oils.
Garage Talk Online, February 2026. VLS closes investigations after Silverhook takes positive action to reformulate engine oils.
CAT magazine, February 2026. Probe into Stellantis wet belt engine oils sees claim withdrawn.
Aftermarket magazine, February 2026. VLS Chairman Darren Frogson underlines the importance to workshops of low temperature properties for engine oils. Page 12.
Commercial Vehicle Workshop, magazine, February 2026. VLS issues update on Stellantis investigation.
Garage Talk Online, February 2026. VLS issues update on investigation into engine oils making claims against Stellantis specification.
Auto Repair Focus, February 2026. VLS provides update on Stellantis ‘wet belt’ oil investigation.
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Autotechnician, March 2026. Half page VLS advert Page 29.
Lube magazine, February 2026. Half page VLS advert, Page 59.
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