The New Jersey authorities have issued a statewide ban on 19 motor oil products.
The oils failed lab-based viscosity tests set up by the State's Office of Weights and Measures. Some of the brand names included in the ban are “Auto Club Motor Oil,” “Black Knight Motor Oil” and “Lube State Motor Oil.”
The identified products failed the tests because their labels were deemed to be misleading in relation to the viscosity according to the watchdog.
Examples of the State’s testing found:
- A sample of “U.S. Economy SAE 10W-40 Motor Oil” had high-temperature viscosity measures that in some cases were 48% and 26% lower, respectively, than the minimum measurements allowed for motor oils classified as 10W-40.
- A sample of “Auto Club Motor Oil SAE 10W-40” with certain cold-temperature viscosity measures that were 181% higher and 67% higher than the maximum allowed for 10W-40 lubes.
- “MaxiGuard Motor Oil MG 10-40” samples with some high-temperature viscosity measures 51% and 25% percent lower than standard classification.
Acting Attorney General, John J. Hoffman, stated: “Many of these allegedly mislabelled motor oils are sold at cheap prices, thereby luring those consumers who can least afford the extra maintenance costs or early engine failure that may result from using the wrong type of motor oil. We are rightly removing these potentially harmful products from New Jersey’s marketplace, and will penalize retailers who continue to sell them.”
Retailers who sell the banned products could face a civil penalty of at least $100 per package or container of the banned product.