🇺🇸⛽️ Costco Is Now Rationing Motor Oil Because the Global Shortage Is Getting Real

A Kirkland Signature oil change has nearly doubled in price, but that's not the most concerning change to how Costco's selling lubricants these days.

Not only does 10 quarts of Kirkland Signature full-synthetic now cost $58 when it used to go for as low as $30, but stores are now imposing a two-per-customer, per-week limit.

The obvious culprit is supply—or, rather, a lack thereof. Demand remains strong as ever as global stock has dwindled due to our ongoing Middle East entanglement. As The Auto Wire highlighted in its own story unpacking the factors at hand, motor oil ultimately comes out of the same barrel that also gives us gasoline and diesel, and right now, refineries can earn more money finishing crude into gas compared to what Costco stocks on its shelves. We’re all getting the short end of the stick at the pump as it is, so it’s not difficult to imagine the pressure the motor oil market is facing.

In the background, though, this is more than a matter of simple economics. Over the years, oil chemistries have gotten more sophisticated to cope with the stresses of tinier engines pushing bigger boost while also mitigating their environmental impact. That’s led to more rigorous testing and higher standards, including a set of rules by the American Petroleum Institute that took effect at the start of the decade.

🔗 https://www.thedrive.com/news/costco-is-now-rationing-motor-oil-because-the-global-shortage-is-getting-real