Understanding “which cars have oil consumption problems?” helps you stay away from such vehicles to prevent major engine damages. According to automotive experts, here is the list of vehicles that are known to experience excessive oil consumption:
1- BMW 5 Series (V8)
2- BMW 7 Series
3- BMW 6 series
4- Porsche Panamera
5- BMW XS (V8)
6- Audi A4 (2.0 T)
7- Audi A5
8- Audi Q5 (2.0 T)
9- Porsche Cayenne
10- Audi A6 (A6)
11- Audi S4
12- Audi A3
13- Subaru Outback
14- Audi S5
15- Audi Q7
16- BMW X1
17- Subaru Legacy
18- BMW 33Si Sedan
19- Audi A7
20- BMW five series
21- BMW 335CI
22- Porsche Boxster
23- Audi Q5
24- Audi A6
25- Subaru Forester
26- Several Impreza
27- Mercedes-Benz
28- Volvo XC60
29- Volvo XC70
30- Chevrolet spark
Although most manufacturers work hard to produce efficient vehicles, some manufacturers are still behind regarding some important maintenance. According to a recent study released by Consumer Reports, plenty of modern vehicles are suffering from excessive oil consumption. With that, owners have to add more oil between services.
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Typically, owners of modern vehicles should not worry about such services because they have good faith and trust in the manufacturer. When they spend thousands of dollars purchasing a modern vehicle, they would never expect to deal with oil consumption issues.
If you are shopping for a used or brand-new vehicle, it is important that you first ask yourself, “which cars have oil consumption problems?” Once you know these vehicles, you can make add informed decision about whether you should buy one of those or not. On the other hand, if you are a current owner of one of these vehicles, you might already notice that your vehicle consumes more oil than needed. Thus, it is never too late to consider selling your vehicle and purchasing another more reliable one, and it is not expected to consume a lot of oil.
This article provides you with a summary of Consumer Reports findings of vehicles that are expected to consume more oil than others.
Why does your vehicle need oil?
Within your vehicle's engine, there aren't many internal moving components interacting with each other continuously. As these components interact with each other, they generate friction resulting in excessive heat. When the engine temperature exceeds a certain threshold, you could easily end up with a complete engine failure.
Luckily, your vehicle utilizes the motor oil responsible for lubricating the internal components and preventing friction from happening in the first place. With the right oil type and level, your engine is expected to receive the required amount of lubrication, and therefore, you don't have to worry about engine overheating.
Typically, most vehicle owners' manuals will recommend you with scheduled maintenance, including oil changes. In addition, the manual will tell you exactly how often you should change the oil depending on your vehicle and the type of oil you decided to go with.
Which cars have oil consumption problems?
Surprisingly, recent modern vehicles showed trends of excessive oil consumption where customers had to add more oil between services. Thus, this raised a big concern among shoppers for new and used vehicles.
Consumer Reports annual surveys results intend to raise awareness about problems that many owners might not pay attention to. In fact, many drivers think it's just their driving style causing the overuse of oil. However, they did not realize that the problem comes from the engine's design, and no matter how careful they drive, oil consumption will not be eliminated.
Consumer Reports publishes auto surveys yearly, and they highlight some statistics about trends in mechanical issues. For example, according to their 2014 annual survey, Consumer Reports highlighted the following 30 vehicles and indicated that customers needed to add more oil between services.
Customers were not prepared to check the engine oil between services, considering that they purchased modern vehicles. “Nobody really expects that they’ll have to check the oil regularly, and with service intervals so far apart, it’s possible that someone could run the oil sump dry and cause major damage to the engine,” says John Ibbotson, CR’s chief mechanic.
1- BMW 5 Series (V8)
2- BMW 7 Series
3- BMW 6 series
4- Porsche Panamera
5- BMW XS (V8)
6- Audi A4 (2.0 T)
7- Audi A5
8- Audi Q5 (2.0 T)
9- Porsche Cayenne
10- Audi A6 (A6)
11- Audi S4
12- Audi A3
13- Subaru Outback
14- Audi S5
15- Audi Q7
16- BMW X1
17- Subaru Legacy
18- BMW 33Si Sedan
19- Audi A7
20- BMW five series
21- BMW 335CI
22- Porsche Boxster
23- Audi Q5
24- Audi A6
25- Subaru Forester
26- Several Impreza
27- Mercedes-Benz
28- Volvo XC60
29- Volvo XC70
30- Chevrolet spark
What causes excessive oil consumption in cars listed above?
In an effort from Consumer Reports to understand the main causes for excessive oil consumption among the listed vehicles, they performed several investigations. First, they looked into what the automotive engine revolver association indicated regarding possible reasons behind excessive oil consumption.
The biggest reason behind overall excessive oil consumption is the way engine design changed over the years.
According to experts at the automotive engine rebuilders association, manufacturers worked extremely hard in improving the fuel economy while sacrificing some of the engine's durability aspects. These manufacturers decided to upgrade the engines by using either 8, 9, and probably ten-speed automatic transmission to enhance the efficiency; however, this came with adverse effects on overall oil consumption.
For example, when Subaru decided to upgrade their vehicles to use the 2.5 liters 4 cylinder engine, they had to sacrifice some design elements resulting in additional oil consumption. If you look closely at their engine, you'll see that the Pistons and the piston rings were set up, resulting in oil reaching the cylinders and getting burnt.
Were there any recalls that address excessive oil consumption?
With common trends and excessive oil consumption among modern vehicles, many customers wondered whether any issued recalls addressed the issue. Unfortunately, most oil consumption issues were not taken into consideration among recent recalls because they're not considered safety concerns, according to auto regulators.
“It always astounds me how they don’t recall these things,” says Jill Trotta, vice president of industry and sales at RepairPal and an ASE-certified technician with 30 years of experience. “They don’t have to because it’s not a safety issue. They can put out a technical service bulletin (TSB), so there can be some assistance, but that doesn’t fix the problem.”
Furthermore, most manufacturers consider it's the driver’s responsibility to watch the oil level and prevent any oil reduction.
How can you tell if your car is burning oil?
If you own one of the mentioned vehicles in the previous list, it's always a good idea to keep an eye for any signs indicating that your car is burning oil. The good news is that automotive experts have done a lot of research and put together a list if possible, sometimes indicating that your vehicle is burning a lot of oil. Once you notice any of these symptoms, you must take your vehicle to the nearest repair shop and have the car fixed as soon as possible.
Let's take a closer look at some of these symptoms below:
1- Measure the oil levels
The fastest and easiest way to check whether your car is consuming too much oil or not is by measuring the engine’s oil. Use the dipstick and take a look at the mark. If you notice that the oil level is below specified in your vehicle's owner’s manual, you need to top it off.
It's also a good idea to monitor the oil level between oil services. For instance, if you notice that your vehicle complains about a low oil level immediately after an oil change, this is a critical signal indicating an internal issue causing your car to consume a lot of oil.
2- Check for blue smoke out of the tailpipe
Typically, the smoke that comes out of your tailpipe should not have a clear color. It is usually a very light white color, and in some vehicles, you might not even see the color. However, if you started noticing a cloud of blue smoke coming from the tailpipe, this is a clear indication that your vehicle is burning oil and it's using too much oil than it should.
Obviously, suppose your car has this issue. In that case, you will not pass the emission tests because this situation is considered hazardous to the environment. It will impact not only your safety but also the safety of the people around you.
3- Monitor the behavior of the engine
The engine is not supposed to burn oil, and when this happens, your engine will not behave as it should. For instance, if you heard some signs of the engine running rough or engine misfiring, the issue could be linked to overconsumption of oil. However, engine misfiring and running rough is not the only symptom you should rely on because it can also be linked to other internal problems that might not be related to oil consumption.
4- Check for oily spark plugs
Finally, consider inspecting the spark plugs because they also can give you some hints about the overconsumption of oil. Take a closer look at the spark plug and see whether you can notice penny oil symptoms on it, indicating that some oil made its way to the spark plug.
What to do when your car has oil consumption problems?
If you notice some symptoms indicating that your vehicle is consuming a lot of oil, you must take immediate action to prevent further damage is. According to experts, here is all that you need to do when your car consumes too much oil:
1- Stop the vehicle
When you notice some warning lights on the dashboard indicating that your vehicle is running on low oil, it is important that you immediately pull over and stop the vehicle. This situation is critical, and your engine can get damaged immediately without any other previous warning because it cannot run at very low to no oil.
2- Inspect the oil levels
If your vehicle did not throw any warning lights, you must monitor the behavior of the ancient oil and check its level frequently. For example, experts recommend that you check the oil level once every 1000 miles. However, if your vehicle is one of the ones listed in the previous list, you must check the oil level more frequently to avoid dealing with undesirable situations that could cost you the engine's price.
3- Learn more about your vehicle
When you know your vehicle more, you understand whether it's common for the car to consume a lot of oil or not. Therefore, experts recommend that you go through some articles and other information to learn about your car and its expected problems.
4- Modern cars still burn oil
Many owners of brand new or modern vehicles think they don't have to worry about oil consumption. However, as you noticed in the previous list, your vehicle is not oil problem-free, which means that do not assume that your car won't deal with major excessive oil consumption without doing some deep research.
Conclusion
Excessive oil consumption is one of the things that could happen to your vehicle. When your vehicle consumes a lot of oil, there is a very high chance that the engine might overheat, resulting in significant engine damages if you're not paying attention.
Surprisingly, Consumer Reports discovered that a clear trend and modern vehicles consume a lot of oil across the years. This article highlighted a list of 30 vehicles expected to consume a lot of oil that you should be aware of. If you're planning to purchase your next brand new or used vehicle, you must monitor the trend and prevent buying a car with such issues.
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