Some Shenzhen car owners have reported that their cars had been damaged by spurious Mobil 1 lubricant, Saturday's Daily Sunshine reported.

After tests, the lubricant was found to be substandard, and some dealers of the lubricant said they could not exclude the possibility that the lubricant was fake.

A Shenzhen resident surnamed Lan purchased a bottle of Mobil 1 lubricant this April from a well-known chain store. But his car started giving trouble after it had run 3,000 kilometers following a tune up using the lubricant. An examination found that his car engine had suffered damage, which cost him about 70,000 yuan (US$8,750) to repair.

A test of the lubricant found it to be substandard.

When the city's quality supervision agency later confiscated the store's stock of Mobil 1 lubricant, they were found to be up to standard.

Similar problems were also reported in Guangzhou and Dongguan. A Guangzhou man surnamed Lin said some of his friends had encountered car engine problems after using Mobil 1 lubricant.

A Daily Sunshine reporter visited some Shenzhen auto repair shops and learned that one of them once received four cars that had broken down in a single day. The shops confirmed that the cars were damaged by lubricant bought between April and May last year.

The reporter also visited a local lubricant dealership. A manager there said they were conducting an investigation into the lubricant and working together with the police. He said if it was confirmed that the lubricant was substandard, they would compensate the car owners.

The Daily Sunshine reported that some consumer associations across Guangdong had received many complaints about the Mobil 1 lubricant. They are working with relevant government agencies, the lubricant manufacturers and dealers on an investigation.

Editor: Yan