I just bought one of the popular WIX 51394 standard cellulose media filters (NOT the XP synthetic) at O'Reilly's Auto. This is the filter for the 8th gen Camry (same engine as 5th gen RAV4) which is larger than the OEM Denso YZZN1 filter. There were six Wix 51394s on the shelf and I examined them with an LED. Two filters said "Made in USA" on the label stuck onto the filters. The other four said "Made in Mexico." One of the Mexican WIX had a bulging red anti- drain back valve that protruded into the center hole. All the WIX had clear and unclogged louvers in the center tube. The O-Ring sealing gaskets looked good on all of them. I advise purchasers to ALWAYS open the box and examine oil filters with a flashlight at the store. Many are defective in one way or another. Obviously, you are better off with a made in USA filter from the original WIX factory.
Tazio Nuvolari
News on WIX 51394 Oil Filter
According to hundreds of posts on Bob is the Oil Guy (BITOG) forum, the standard cellulose WIX filters out much smaller micron particles than the synthetic XP. The XP is designed for 20 K mile service intervals and allows big debris to pass through so it does not clog. The standard Wix is designed for 5k miles replacement so it filters much smaller and finer.
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I have used WIX oil filters since the 1980s on all my cars--Volvos, VWs, Fords, Jeeps--and on my '21 RAV. I like them and trust them. HOWEVER, quality has slipped on ALL aftermarket car parts: spark plugs, injectors, oxygen sensors etc. You never know if a non-dealer purchased part will work OK or if it is a POS Chinese counterfeit. Recently on BITOG forum a guy purchased a WIX 57145 oil filter from Rock Auto (the longest Wix for our RAV4s.) and ALL the louvers in the center tube were BLOCKED!!! That filter was defective and may have seriously hurt an engine if used--either the filter would be in continual bypass and not filtering at all or it may have clogged oil flow through the engine. Like I said in my first post a made in Mexico WIX I inspected at the O'Reilly's Auto had the red rubber drain back valve bulging into and covering part of the center tube and that would have certainly not been good for an engine. ALWAYS, ALWAYS take an LED flashlight and inspect all oil filters before purchase and/or installation...not just WIX but any and all brands. Look at the anti-drain back valve; the holes or louvers in the center tube; the sealing O-ring gasket.
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I personally have never seen that either. I think that in the photo the louvres or slots in the central metal tube had not been cut or stamped all the way through. Please note the defective filter was made in Mexico and purchased from RockAuto. Wix has factories both in the US and Mexico and if you remove the filter from the box you can read on a label where it's made. When I bought a Wix 51394 a few of months ago there were both Mexican and US 51394 Wix on the shelf at O'Reillys. People should ALWAYS remove oil filters from the box and inspect them before purchase. Look in the center tube with an LED and make sure it looks OK. Make sure the big gasket or O-Ring seal on the base plate looks good.
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