Are NAPA GOLD Oil Filters Still Quality?
 

I'm getting ready to change oil in my SDs .I've used Gold Oil Filters in both street cars and race car for many years. Stories now they are made in China not USA now.I was thinking Baldwin. This has been hashed before I know. Just now I wondering. Thanks Bob.

There made by Wix who indeed have shifted most of the manufacturing to China.

There seems to be a concern about changes that may have taken place with that product switch in regards to passage sizes.
Since they still have to screw on it would seem that the size of that passage can’t change.

I use NAPA Gold filters on almost everything that comes through here. Yes it's true since they were bought out 4-5 years ago, their filters are made all over the world in Wix facilities and other factories. On my shelf as I write this I have filters made in the USA, Mexico, China, Vietnam, Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and I think a few others. Haven't had a problem with any of them. Their are subtle differences between almost all of them depending on where they are made. The black paint is different, the crimps and welds look a little different, the size, shape and number of holes in the base plate vary, the actual outside diameter of filters with the same part number vary slightly. This seems to be the "new normal" now. It all began during COVID when NAPA and others could not get product on the shelf and scrambled to buy from anybody.
As mentioned, no problems with any of them so far. As much as it pains me to say this, the Chinese ones visually look to be the best of the bunch from the outside. Personally, I believe oil filters get way, way more attention on the internet than they probably deserve. If they don't leak and are changed every 5000 miles, I think the failure rate is minute.

Thanks guys. I noticed Gold filters have clear plastic around them so no contaminants get inside. I thought about changing to Baldwin,from Tom's posts, since made in USA. Decisions.

I get my Baldwins from Rock Auto. Even living in England the price is really good.

Any opinions on Purolator filters, especially the Boss version or their mid- level?

Wix was bought out by Mann & Hummel in 2016 and have consolidated their filters with Chinese manufacturers on a lot of filters, our beloved 1258 being one of them and are not the same quality they once were. I worked for NAPA for 20 yrs and am sick because I used to sell them.
An example, had a friends Ram 3500 Cummins collapse an air filter in the smoky mountains and we opened it up it had a Chinese manufacturered filter in it after it was serviced before the trip. I won’t buy them anymore

Baldwins are made in Nebraska....js

i think napa dropped wix racing filters

Where are the Wix racing filters made these days?

I got the NAPA GOLD 1049 today. Its white,says made in USA right on filter. High capacity. List $33, $22.99.

$19.75 on Amazon
 

With FREE shipping if you have Amazon Prime.

https://www.amazon.com/NAPA-Gold-104.../dp/B01M3STWPH

Napa has moved most of their filters to Premium Guard away from Wix due to multiple issues caused by Mann & Hummel. PG makes a great quality filter but not made in the US so the filters that are still made in the US in a Napa box are probably old stock.

I repped PG for a few years with ZERO problems, doing about $250k in filter sales with one customer per year. With that being said if you want a great filter you can run Baldwin, they are a major player in the CV market with 1,000’s of filters on commercial vehicles with very expensive engines that need to run every day.