The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a stop-use and stop-removal order on REV 360 brand products from Orion Lubricants, it announced last week.
The order prohibits the sale or use of motor oil and transmission fluid manufactured, packaged and distributed by Orion, based in Worth, Illinois. The agriculture department said such products should be immediately removed from store shelves, warning that they may cause damage to vehicle engines.
The agency found Orion’s products do not contain the amount of product claimed, nor do they meet the 5W-30 viscosity advertised on the containers.
“This company is selling sub-standard product and the stop-use and stop-removal order ensures Michigan consumers and businesses are getting what they pay for and protecting their vehicles,” the department’s director, Gary McDowell, said in an order issued Sept. 10. “When products don’t meet viscosity levels it can cause lasting damage to vehicles. So it’s vital consumers and business stop using or selling these products immediately.”
Lube Report was unable to reach Orion Lubricants for comment.
The Petroleum Quality Institute of America, an independent organization that tests lubricant performance, has a consumer alert on the REV 360 5W-30 engine oil, warning customers not to buy the product.
“This product does not meet any recognized definition of ‘motor oil’ and is capable of causing damage to automobile engines,” the organization said. “The results of the tests conducted on this sample do not meet the SAE J300 specifications for the SAE Viscosity Grade listed on the product label and are not consistent with the referenced API Service Category.” The institute purchased a sample of the product in early 2016 in Illinois.
“The Noack volatility is so high it caused an auto-shutdown of the testing instrument halfway through the test,” it continued. “Use of this product in an automobile engine will likely cause serious harm to the engine.”
The agriculture department said these products were mostly sold at independent gas stations and discount and party stores within the state and were possibly sold in some oil change facilities. It advised consumers they can dispose of the product within local ordinances, take them to a facility that recycles oil or contact the company directly.