What Is 0W-16 Oil?

This thinner synthetic is recommended for a number of new-car models.

James Tate | 

Apr 13, 2023 | 2 min read

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Most of the time, all you need to know about your vehicle's motor oil is the grade recommended by the manufacturer. Look for numbers and letters on the oil cap, on a label under the hood, or in the owner's manual. The most common grades in modern engines are 5W-30 and 10W-30, and increasingly, 0W-16.

The Basics of Oil Grades

Motor oil grades or weights (you'll find both terms used) have been in place since the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) first established a standard in 1911. There have been numerous revisions in the century since. Still, the basics remain the same: Both sides of the hyphen represent a measurement of the oil's kinematic viscosity, which is just a fancy term that means the amount of time it takes the oil to pass through an opening of a specific size at a particular temperature. The more viscous or thicker an oil is, the higher the number assigned to it. Nearly all the numbers assigned to an oil grade end in a 0 or 5 — this will become important in a moment.

The basics in understanding an oil's grade are this: The first number is paired with the letter W for "winter" and is a rating of how the oil performs at lower temperatures. The lower the number, the lower the rated temperature. That means the second number reflects the performance of the oil at higher temperatures. 5W-30, for example, is a multi-weight oil rated for performance at both relatively low winter temperatures and higher summer ones.

Some Toyota and Honda models were designed to use 0W-16 motor oil. What is this unusual grade, and is there any acceptable substitute if you can't find it? Should you worry that it's too thin?

What is 0W-16?

0W-16 is a notably thinner grade of synthetic motor oil than most popular grades, 5W-30 and 10-W30. Although it was used in Japan since the 1990s, it's still relatively new here in the U.S. A lower-viscosity oil like 0W-16 can benefit fuel economy and reduce emissions, so it's not surprising that it has become more common.

The "16" used where almost all oil grades use numbers ending in 0 or 5 is the tipoff to 0W-16's unique nature. As lower viscosity oils become more commonplace in higher temperature situations, the SAE added 4, 8, and 16 to prevent confusion with winter grades.

Which vehicles use 0W-16?

0W-16 was introduced to the U.S. market with the 2018 Toyota Camry's 2.5L four-cylinder engine and the 2018 Honda Fit's 1.5L four-cylinder engine. It is still used in select four-cylinder Toyota and Honda models today. Check your owner's manual to be sure 0W-16 is the recommended weight for your vehicle.

James Tate

James Tate has been writing about cars professionally for 15 years and he remains obsessed with them. He enjoys digging into the incredible technology of new vehicles as much as he likes the tactility and the driving experience of yesterday’s cars. He has written for a variety of legacy automotive magazines and websites.