A woman is going viral on TikTok after flagging what she says is a frustrating issue with something as basic as routine car maintenance.
Sky Neilsen (@sky.neilsen) recorded a video posing a question to viewers: “Real talk: Who bought all of the oil filters off the shelves at Walmart?” she asks.
Neilsen said she went looking for a specific filter—a FRAM PH6607, which her car uses—and came up empty. Her vehicle has about 180,000 miles, and she planned to handle the oil change herself after work.
She said she was able to find oil without a problem, but the filter was another story.
Not only were the shelves empty at Walmart, but she also said she couldn’t find one on Amazon either.
“So how am I getting an oil filter?” Neilsen says, adding that she may have to buy one from an auto parts shop instead.
She also questioned why they were suddenly so hard to find.
“Why is there none?” she asks. As of this writing, the video has just over 2,900 views.
What Are The Best Oil Filter Brands?
If you’re trying to track down a good oil filter, there are a handful of brands that self-identified mechanics and drivers who do at-home repairs tend to trust.
Names like Mobil 1, K&N, Purolator Gold, Wix, and AMSOIL come up a lot. They’re known for solid build quality and better filtration, especially if you’re running synthetic oil or going longer between oil changes. In general, those filters are designed to capture smaller particles and withstand more demanding conditions.
OEM and Wix are some of the go-tos for a lot of mechanics, according to Cartalk. Mobil 1 and Pennzoil are solid too—they filter well and hold up over time. K&N is known for being easy to get off when you’re done, while Bosch is just a reliable option that car experts say gets the job done.
FRAM is a bit more controversial among mechanics, but whether you’re a fan of it depends largely on the version. The cheaper orange can filters have a reputation for being more basic. Higher-end options like the Ultra Synthetic line are viewed much more favorably and perform more closely to top-tier brands, some car experts say.
There are also cheaper options that people still use without issue. Walmart’s Super Tech filters, for example, are often mentioned as a decent budget pick for standard oil changes.
If you’re asking yourself which oil filter is the best fit for your vehicle, it really comes down to picking a filter that actually matches your car and how you use it. The basics matter more than anything else. It needs to fit right and do its job of catching dirt before it starts wearing down your engine.
If you’re changing your oil on a normal schedule and driving under typical conditions, you don’t need anything fancy. But if you’re putting more stress on the car—long commutes, stop-and-go traffic, or stretching oil changes—it’s worth stepping up to something built a little better. Those tend to hold up longer and do a better job of keeping the oil clean over time.
Commenters Encourage Women To Use ‘Better’ Brands
Viewers who said they know their way around cars flooded Neilsen’s comments section, with many arguing the empty shelves might have actually worked in her favor. Several took issue with the brand she was looking for.
“Do yourself a favor and stay away from Fram anyways,” one man said. “Wix is the way to you.”
“Buy a [better] brand, Wix, Puralator, Mobil 1, etc.,” another suggested.
“Don’t use fram,” a third commenter added.
“Get a Mobil 1, as a mechanic, they are wayy better than Fram, just cross the Fram number to Mobil 1,” a fourth user wrote.
“Fram is garbage. Wix is way better,” a fifth person said.
Others tried to explain why those filters may be harder to find right now, pointing to broader supply issues tied to the company behind the brand.
“Last time I was there, they told me that they were going out of business,” one TikTok user wrote. “Fram was no longer going to be sold through Walmart.”
“Fram went out of business along with a couple of other guys, so if you are hung up on Fram, buy them when you find them, and for God’s sake, switch to Wix,” another added.
“You need to change oil filter brands,” a third commenter said. “Doing a quick search for Fram 6607 [shows] almost every store that still has them [is] selling them at a massive discount, which means they’re going away.”
Motor1 has reached out to Neilsen via direct message on TikTok. We’ll update this story if we hear back.
@sky.neilsen Literally where did they all go?? #carsoftiktok #funny #nc #life #fyp ♬ original sound - Sky
