Oil filter gasket (Fram) separated

I have a 2003 ZTW Focus. I'm sure anyone who has that year or close to it knows the oil filter is about as inaccessible as it can be. You really have to feel your way unless you have it up on a lift or can fit your whole body under it on jack stands. When changing the oil, the old Fram filter gasket stayed behind. You can imagine the mess when I put in the new oil and there was a bad seal between the new filter and the block because of that old gasket. 5 quarts of oil in the driveway and the whole underside of the engine coated with oil. My fault for not checking but who would have suspected that to happen, and apparently Fram's are the worst about that. I see that Fram has a minimal website with no mention of a guarantee and nothing but a phone number. I'm going to find a corporate e-mail and send them some pictures along with my opinion of their products. Last time I'll use one. An FYI for fellow owners....

So ya had a bad day.You admit it was your fault but still "want justice" of some kind? I work in a truck fleet operation for 37 yrs and I'd hate to tell ya how many times a filer gasket has stuck behind. You only need to clean that mess up once or twice at the most before ya learn to check for 'em as second nature. Who put the last filter on? It seems that over tightened filters and under lubed gaskets are more prone to do this. Learn from experience and move on.

I have a 2003 ZTW Focus. I'm sure anyone who has that year or close to it knows the oil filter is about as inaccessible as it can be. You really have to feel your way unless you have it up on a lift or can fit your whole body under it on jack stands. When changing the oil, the old Fram filter gasket stayed behind. You can imagine the mess when I put in the new oil and there was a bad seal between the new filter and the block because of that old gasket. 5 quarts of oil in the driveway and the whole underside of the engine coated with oil. My fault for not checking but who would have suspected that to happen, and apparently Fram's are the worst about that. I see that Fram has a minimal website with no mention of a guarantee and nothing but a phone number. I'm going to find a corporate e-mail and send them some pictures along with my opinion of their products. Last time I'll use one. An FYI for fellow owners....
This is a common problem happens with all filters.

Left one behind 30yrs ago, not since.

I have a 2003 ZTW Focus. I'm sure anyone who has that year or close to it knows the oil filter is about as inaccessible as it can be. You really have to feel your way unless you have it up on a lift or can fit your whole body under it on jack stands. When changing the oil, the old Fram filter gasket stayed behind. You can imagine the mess when I put in the new oil and there was a bad seal between the new filter and the block because of that old gasket. 5 quarts of oil in the driveway and the whole underside of the engine coated with oil. My fault for not checking but who would have suspected that to happen, and apparently Fram's are the worst about that. I see that Fram has a minimal website with no mention of a guarantee and nothing but a phone number. I'm going to find a corporate e-mail and send them some pictures along with my opinion of their products. Last time I'll use one. An FYI for fellow owners....

Hello,
I am the tech manager at FRAM. Believe it or not, this happens to everyone who changes oil at least one time. The reasons for the gasket sticking to the block are directly related to two things- Overtightened filters and not lubricating the gasket before installing. The O ring has to expand when tightened to properly seal and therefore cannot be attached so tightly to the filter that it has no room to expand. I am very sorry this happened to you, I know it's a mess and alot of trouble to clean up but it was not the fault of the filter. Fram filters have the highest efficiency in the business, I hope you will still use our products. If you have any follow up questions I can be contacted at [email protected] or 248-808-4551.
Best Regards