VLS Newsletter – October 2022
Case Summary
Overall the number of cases stands at 79, with 6 products under investigation, 3 compliant during investigation, 3 compliant following investigation and 67 archived.
Case 010179 – concerning 5W-40 engine oil and the mix of ACEA and OEM performance claims made on it. The product is subject to testing to validate and verify the claims made.
Case 010178 – concerning 10W-40 engine oil and the performance claims made on it. The product is subject to testing to validate and verify the claims made.
Case 010177 – concerning 5W-30 passenger car engine oil and the performance claims made on it. The case is subject to verification with the complainant that it is available on open sale in the UK.
Case 010176 – concerning 5W-30 PCEO and the claims made against OEM specifications is under investigation.
Case 010175 – concerning 5W-30 PCEO and the ACEA claims made. VLS have concluded our investigation into the product and believe that the product is in a state of transition as the claims made against the ACEA engine oil sequences straddle across two sets of overlapping sequences, therefore the product is in compliance and the case subject to a six month review.
Case 010174 – concerning 5W-30 PCEO and the ACEA and OEM claims made and is under investigation.
Case 010173 – concerning 5W-30 PCEO and the ACEA and OEM claims made. During the investigation it was found that the product was not available on open sale in the United Kingdom and therefore the scope of the investigation lies outside the remit of VLS. VLS has therefore closed the investigation into the product.
Case 010172 – concerning 5W-30 PCEO and the ACEA and OEM claims made. The Named Party’s blender produced information from their technology provider supporting all claims made, and the parent company is registered with SAIL under the ATIEL Lubricant Marketer’s Letter of Conformance to make self-certifying ACEA claims. Consequently the TRP have determined that there is no case to answer. VLS will undertake a six month review of the case in line with its stated process.
Case 010171 – concerned claims for approvals made against OEM specifications with the investigation now concluded and the results published to the website.
Case 010169 – The product complaint concerned the way the specifications have been laid out on the Technical Data Sheet so that was alleged not to be clear whether any of these specifications are met, exceeded or official approvals held by the product. The Technical Review panel asked for the Named Party to review this Technical Data Sheet with their technology provider to ascertain what claims the product is capable of meeting, update the TDS where appropriate and submit to VLS confirmation from the technology provider that any remaining claims are fully technically supported.
The second part of the complaint concerned a third party distributor website where the complainant felt it was wrong that and misleading that the product claims were being listed as being approvals when no approvals are listed on the datasheet.
The Named Party reviewed and updated the Technical Data Sheet and also held a meeting with the third party distributor, who amended the claims on the website from formal approvals to marketing claims. Labels of the product were also sent to VLS and a copy of the internal database for the product held by the Named Party was provided to VLS as evidence of which claims were being supported.
VLS was content that the actions taken by the Named Party had brought the product into compliance and the investigation was concluded subject to a six month review in line with VLS’s stated process.
Case 010167 – concerns claims made on 5W-30 automotive engine oil. The case has been subject to a six month review and the results have been communicated back to the Named Party from whom we await a response.
Case 010159 – remains under investigation and has been passed to UEIL regarding claims made on a 5W-30 automotive engine oil. UEIL has written to the OEMs referenced on the product labelling who are pursuing the matter.
To view the case outcomes, visit http://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-outcomes/
To raise a case with VLS, visit https://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-handling-process/
Industry News
UK Competition & Markets Authority has closed its consultation into its recommendation to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to renew the UK Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation for a period of six years from 31st May 2023.
SMMT report that British car output is up but record input costs threaten recovery.
EU Commission has closed its consultation on its recommendation to renew the EU MVBER for a period of five years from expiry in May 2023 and recognise the value of in-vehicle generated data.
ACEA’s Director General Sigrid de Vries discusses the state of the European auto industry.
ILMA report that Sustainability is becoming increasingly critical to supply chain operations.
LubesNGreases report of a tractor hydraulic fluid settlement reached. A Missouri Federal District Court granted preliminary approval of a settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging some products of a tractor hydraulic fluid blender and the parent company for NAPA Auto Parts don’t meet required specifications.
F&LAsia report that Renault has extended its lubricant partnership with Castrol until 2027.
Media Editorial
Professional Motor Mechanic magazine, October 2022. VLS talks about changes to the ACEA engine oil sequences, page 42.
Lube magazine, October 2022. VLS opens two new cases following complaints about marketing claims. Page 52.
Media Advertising
Autotechnician magazine, October 2022. Half page VLS advert, page 34.
Lube magazine, October 2022, half page VLS advert. Page 52
Events
ICIS Base Oils Middle-East, Saudi Arabia 10-11 October.
Automechanika UK 6-8 June 2023, NEC, Birmingham.
UEIL Congress will take place 19-21 October, Athens.
Social Media
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Mike Bewsey
VLS Chairman
