Oil Shortage Incoming?
It’s no secret that the war in Iran has put a strain on the world’s oil supply. Fuel prices have shot up, but now it appears a motor oil shortage is on the way, at least according to a post on X about a Toyota bulletin issued to North American service managers.
The document, dated late last month, April 30, 2026, details that there will be a shortage of certain oil weights at North American Toyota dealerships and that dealers might have to substitute these oils for something else in the meantime. Other sources, such as The Drive, have picked up on the story, going so far as to reach out to a Toyota rep to verify the story. So far, no further comment has been logged.
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Parts and Accessories News Today (PANT)
What may sound like another automotive maintenance blog is actually an internal bulletin issued to dealers that informs them of changes and incoming news that could affect them. The latest was sent to Toyota parts and service managers under the subject line “Temporary 02-8 and 0W-16 Oil Supply and Maintenance Guidelines.”
“Toyota and our supplier ExxonMobil may experience challenges in fulfilling demand for Genuine Toyota Motor Oil (GTMO) 0W-8 and 0W-16 oils due to production and logistics constraints within the global petrochemical supply chain. While Toyota and ExxonMobil continue to work diligently to maintain supply, the following substitution guidelines are recommended for dealers to help manage the demand for the affected products. These measures may allow ExxonMobil to maintain a consistent service-level fill for dealers and help provide continued support for our guests.”
“TMNA [Toyota Motor North America] recommends dealers follow these substitution guidelines one day per week for 0W-8 and 0W-16 or use the substitution percentages set forth below until further written notice. This approach is intended to temporarily reduce demand for both oil weights and support continued national supply.”
This is a PANT Bulletin – but I expect a further move as supply shortens pic.twitter.com/1PPZHwWPqi
— Costa Kapothanasis (@CostaKapo) May 12, 2026
Recommended Substitutes
To alleviate supply woes, the bulletin also instructed dealers to field substitutes in light of storage, albeit only for one service interval. According to the bulletin, 20% of incoming cars that require 0W-8 GTMO will use 0W-16 GTMO instead, and 10% of incoming cars that require 0W-16 will use 0W-20 GTMO. The bulletin further clarifies:
- “Toyota Genuine 0W-8 motor oil can be substituted with Toyota Genuine 0W-16 for one service interval.”
- “Toyota Genuine 0W-16 motor oil can be substituted with Toyota Genuine 0W-20 for one service interval.”
- “Always use Toyota Genuine API SP (0W-16) / GLV-1 (0W-8) multigrade oil of the specified viscosity.
As for the substitution, certain issues may arise, but given that Toyota issued the memo themselves, you could say that anything related to the manufacturer’s warranty and car insurance should remain intact. The memo doesn’t detail whether a price increase is on the way; in fact, the guidelines in the memo speak more about inventory management than a price hike. As for Toyota’s supply, one can infer that they’re in the yellow zone for now. As the situation develops, we can expect more bulletins to come out, not just from Toyota but from the rest of the industry as well.
In the same X thread, Kapothanasis stated that Mobil and Shell are also informing their retailers that they have nothing to send, so customers might see the brands’ shelves “bare” in the next few weeks as demand outpaces supply. In that case, Toyota’s already managing its consumption given the current shortage environment.
