- Nissan has begun rationing synthetic motor oil and cutting shipments to dealers.
- Stores are being told to prioritize certain customers over others when it comes to oil.
- Issue only appears to impact Nissan-specific formulations of 5W-30 and 0W-20.
Following the United States’ attack on Iran, much of the initial focus was on soaring gas and diesel prices. However, in the past few weeks, a new dilemma has become increasingly clear.
We’re talking about the motor oil crisis, which seems to be getting worse with every passing day. The latest warning sign is that automakers are rationing oil and deciding who gets what.
More: AutoZone’s Alleged Memo On Motor Oil Supply Is Ugly, And Your Next Oil Change Could Prove It
According to Automotive News, Nissan is rationing 5W-30 and 0W-20 oils that are specially formulated to the automaker’s specifications. Starting this week, dealership supplies of the two synthetic oils have reportedly been slashed to 70% (5W-30) and 55% (0W-20) of what they received last year.
Those are pretty significant cuts and the publication cites a service bulletin telling dealers to “prioritize the use of Nissan Genuine 0W-20 (and 5W-30, where applicable) for warranty, extended warranty, recall repairs, goodwill, and prepaid maintenance.” This suggests that if you go in for a regular oil change, you might not necessarily get the specially formulated version.
Nissan isn’t alone as Auto News reported Toyota has warned dealers about possible shortages of 0W-8 and 0W-16 from ExxonMobil. As a result, dealers have been encouraged to make “motor oil substitutions.”
While the United States is a major oil exporter, it imports nearly half of so-called Group III base oils used to make synthetic oil and other lubricants. This is a huge problem as the publication reported the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association expects America will “run out of Group III base oils from the Gulf region by June.” They added that the motor oil shortage could last until mid-2027 and this could threaten new vehicle production as well.
Unfortunately, fear seems to be ruling the day. As Petra Automotive Products CEO Arnold Gacita explained, “We’re all grabbing it and we’re all paying stupid prices … to have it.” Of course, those costs will ultimately be passed onto consumers.
