Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Motor Oil shortages?

I've been seeing stuff here and there about this possibility getting much worse.
First question. How real are motor oil shortages getting? I have read that synthetic supply is getting noticeably thin because its mostly made in UAE and Qatar.

This is apparently an internal memo from Auto Zone to its Southeast Region. https://x.com/CostaKapo/status/2055647181676126390

Some folks online have posted pictures of Walmart shelves being picked clean but they never say which Walmart and where. Those pictures could be Walmart in Vermont or it could be a shelving switch out day for all I know.

I do know we got plenty of folks here who would have a good idea if indeed we really are getting motor oil shortages or not.

Placed a pick up order for several jugs of Mobile 1 synthetic from Jasper Walmart yesterday. They were actually on “rollback” and a few $’s cheaper than normal.

Jasper Walmart ain’t skeer’d😁

Who knows, but It seems like motor oil prices have actually dropped lately. Not sure a shortage of motor oil would cause too much inconvenience. Everyone would just run the old oil longer before changing.

Thats kinda what I was thinking too. Folks run tires till they are water skis just cause they have gotten so high.

C’mon guys, y’all quit busting the “fear” narrative.

If you have a chance to get prepared, get prepared.

I just changed oil in tractor, truck, golf cart and mower and have enough left for another round. Screw Iran

The logical answer to that is just don't change the oil in your vehicle. Just add more when it runs dry. Hey, mechanics and car salesmen have to eat too.

I've started ordering 5qt jugs of Mobil 1 5w-30 off Amazon. Same price as Walmart and don't have to go to Walmart. Order PF63 filters by the case off of Rock Auto. Way cheaper than Walmart or the parts stores.

" Back in the day," before all this fancy oil and engines "used a little" , when it got a quart low , some would just change the filter, add two quarts and keep driving. Of course , if you got 100,000+ on an engine, back then, it was a Unicorn.

Not so much oil but my local wally world has ben wiped out of oil filters for over a month.

WM in Hamilton has also been very low stock on filters lately like I've never seen.

First Brands went belly up, they were a primary supplier for Walmart and they made FRAM oil filters. They went bankrupt before this Iran mess so the oil filter shortage is unrelated.

U.S. auto parts supplier First Brands has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Here is a more detailed full story about what happened to First Brands. They supplied a crap ton of everything to everywhere. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/th...nkruptcy-is-reshaping-the-auto-industry/

I ordered 250 gallons of rotella t4 15/40 and they said they were out with no eta .

Any full synthetic motor oil is going to be unavailable very soon. This is mainly your 0W20 (most used in GMs) and 5W30 full synthetic Dexos products. It will also affect your 0W8, 0W16, 5W20, etc full synthetics. What’s on the shelves and in warehouses are what’s left.

Full synthetic oils are made from group 3 base oils. There was a refinery in Qatar that made about 40% of the world’s group 3 base oils that got bombed and is out of production. And with the Straight of Hormuz being closed, another major refinery of group 3 base oils in Korea is dry with no oil.

If your vehicles use a full synthetic, I’d stock up. Once supply dries up, this will last well into ‘27.

Rotella T4 15W40 shouldn’t be constrained. It’s a mineral based oil and should be in good supply. It’s the full synthetics that are tightening up.

I work for a large oil distributor and we have plenty. Looks like you’re in Saraland. We have a warehouse in Mobile. If I can help, please let me know.

So there is a real shortage because of the war. Thats good to know. I'll probably get a couple cases of what my VW takes.

Yes, this isn’t a tornado might be coming so go out and buy milk and bread type scenario. This a CAT 4 hurricane out in the gulf strengthening and will make landfall as a CAT 5 type scenario. It’s not getting enough attention in the media, in my opinion.

In the next 30-60 days, synthetic oils will not be available. Those in the PCMO (personal car motor oil) market are about to go through hell for the next year or so. Places like Take5, grease monkey, dealerships, etc aren’t going to have the correct oil to put in vehicles, especially newer vehicles.

The OEMs are going to have to make revisions to their oil specs and allow synthetic blends to be used. It’s going to be a mess.

Here is a deeper dive if interested:
https://ilma.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ILMA-Customer-Info-Base-Oil-Supply-Crisis.pdf

I buy Shell Rotella T6 and if you buy a 3 pack of 1 gallon oil at Sam's Club for $75.00, Shell gives you a $40.00 mastercard, so 3 gallons for $35.00. You can do this twice. Lots of stores are on their list.

I have done this a few times over the last 2 years, Shell keeps this rebate going so far.