(CONSUMER REPORTS) - If your car has seemed to burn oil and you have needed to top off your oil frequently, you have company. Consumer Reports’ latest auto survey covered almost 500,000 newer cars and identified several popular engines that burn quite a bit of oil.
Consumer Reports has listed 30 cars with model years 2010 to 2014 as top oil burners. The worst were the BMW 5, 6, and 7 Series and X5; the Porsche Panamera and Cayenne; and the Audi A3, A4, A5, A6, Q5, and S4. You can get the complete list on ConsumerReports.org.
Consumer Reports’ auto experts said it’s normal for cars to burn a little bit of oil as they age and get closer to 100,000 miles. But for an almost new car that’s still under its warranty, you shouldn’t have to be topping off the oil between changes.
Audi, BMW, and Subaru said oil consumption was a normal part of a car’s operation. But Consumer Reports found that 98 percent of owners of newer cars don’t have to add oil between oil changes.
Subaru, Audi and Toyota were subject to class-action suits regarding the problem of oil consumption. And Honda recently issued a warranty extension to cover the problem. For 2008 to 2011 Accords and 2010 to 2011 CR-V four-cylinder engines, the warranty was extended to eight years or 125,000 miles. And Toyota amended its powertrain warranty on its four cylinder 2AZ-FE engines, to 10 years or 150,000 miles.
Consumer Reports believed any engine that burns oil, if it’s still under the manufacturer’s powertrain warranty, needed to be repaired or replaced.
If your car has required oil frequently, Consumer Reports said to take your oil receipts to your dealer and ask for a fix.
Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website. Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
