The CAM2 hydraulic oil lawsuit was a nationwide class action, consolidated as a multidistrict litigation in federal court in Missouri, accusing Smitty’s Supply and CAM2 International of selling “303” tractor hydraulic fluids made with waste oils and labeled to an obsolete specification. It produced more than $77 million in combined settlements across the manufacturers and their retailers. The final piece, a $31.9 million manufacturer settlement, received final approval on March 27, 2025, and the case was formally terminated on April 1, 2025.1White, Graham, Buckley & Carr, L.L.C. Federal Judge Grants Final Approval of $31.9 Million Settlement2PACER Monitor. In re Smitty’s/CAM2 303 Tractor Hydraulic Fluid Litigation The claim-filing window has closed, but the settlement administrator is still distributing funds.
What the Lawsuit Was About
Four products sat at the center of the case: Super S Super Trac 303, Super S 303, CAM2 ProMax 303, and CAM2 303 Tractor Hydraulic Oil.3303tractorhydraulicfluidsettlement.com. Manufacturer Settlement Class Action Notice All were labeled as meeting the “John Deere 303” specification. That specification has been obsolete since 1974. It originally relied on sperm whale oil as a friction modifier, and once sperm whale oil was outlawed under the Endangered Species Act, John Deere retired the standard and replaced it with newer ones. Because the original testing protocol no longer exists, no modern product can actually be validated against 303.4Lubrizol. Perilously Obsolete: The Dangers of 303 Tractor Hydraulic Fluids
The consolidated complaint went further than mislabeling. Plaintiffs alleged the fluids were manufactured with used transformer oil, used turbine oil, and line flush, with “down-treated” additive packages to cut costs, producing inconsistent viscosity, pour points, and additive levels. Either the manufacturers’ own testing revealed those deficiencies, plaintiffs said, or there was no testing at all to confirm what the labels claimed.5303tractorhydraulicfluidsettlement.com. Retailer Settlement Long Form Notice
Farmers, ranchers, and equipment owners reported real damage: scratching and scoring of gears, seal leakage, sludge buildup, wet brake failure, corrosive wear, and pitting in pumps and clutch systems. The complaint said the fluids “should not be used as tractor hydraulic fluid” and recommended they “be flushed from equipment systems.”6PR Newswire. RG2 Claims Administration LLC 303 Tractor Hydraulic Fluid Products Class Action Settlement Regulators had already reached similar conclusions. Missouri’s Department of Agriculture issued a stop-sale order on 303-labeled tractor hydraulic fluid in November 2017, and Georgia and North Carolina followed with their own actions.7ClassAction.org. Wurth v. Smitty’s Supply, Inc. et al. Class Action Complaint Both Smitty’s and CAM2 denied all allegations of wrongdoing.3303tractorhydraulicfluidsettlement.com. Manufacturer Settlement Class Action Notice
Who Was Sued
The manufacturer defendants were Smitty’s Supply, Inc. of Roseland, Louisiana, and CAM2 International, LLC, headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The two companies were closely linked: CAM2’s CEO and company lawyer both served as directors of Smitty’s, and Smitty’s had contracted with CAM2 to package its products.8CBS News Colorado. Evergreen’s CAM2 International to Move Headquarters to Mississippi
Retailer defendants included Tractor Supply Company, Rural King, Orscheln Farm and Home, and Atwood Distributing.9U.S. District Court, W.D. Missouri. Smitty’s/CAM2 303 THF Litigation Related actions swept in additional companies that sold similar 303-labeled fluids: CITGO, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Warren Oil Company, and Genuine Parts Company, the parent of NAPA.10Clayton Jones Law. Tractor Supply $7.2M Settlement
The Settlements
Five separate settlements resolved the litigation over roughly five years, totaling more than $77 million.
- CITGO and Orscheln — $18.25 million (October 2020). The first major deal reimbursed class members up to 100% of the purchase price plus repair and damage costs. More than 30,000 class members received payments.11White, Graham, Buckley & Carr, L.L.C. Court Finalizes WGBC’s $19M Class Action Settlement Against CITGO, Orscheln
- O’Reilly Auto Parts — $8.5 million (June 2021). Resolved claims that O’Reilly used the retired John Deere product name for its own tractor hydraulic fluid.12Law360. $8.5M Tractor Fluid False Ad Settlement Gets Final OK
- Retailer defendants — $7.2 million (January 2022). Tractor Supply, Orscheln, Rural King, and Atwood settled without admitting wrongdoing and agreed to stop selling any tractor hydraulic fluid labeled as “303.”13Missouri Lawyers Media. Judge OKs $7.2M Settlement in Tractor Fluid Class Action5303tractorhydraulicfluidsettlement.com. Retailer Settlement Long Form Notice
- Warren Oil and NAPA — $10.85 million (final hearing February 2023). Covered NAPA Quality Tractor Hydraulic Fluid, Warren 303 Tractor Fluid, Carquest 303, Coastal 303, and Lubriguard, purchased between July 26, 2014, and August 10, 2022.14warrentractorhydraulicfluidsettlement.com. Warren Tractor Hydraulic Fluid Settlement
- Smitty’s and CAM2 — $31.9 million (final approval March 27, 2025). The largest settlement covered anyone in the United States, other than Missouri residents whose claims were handled separately, who purchased one of the four Smitty’s/CAM2 303 products between December 1, 2013, and October 4, 2024.1White, Graham, Buckley & Carr, L.L.C. Federal Judge Grants Final Approval of $31.9 Million Settlement
What Class Members Could Recover
Under the $31.9 million manufacturer settlement, class members received cash equal to 50% of the average sale price of each container purchased since December 2013:
- Five-gallon bucket: $12
- Two-gallon jug: $6
- One-gallon jug: $4
- Fifty-five-gallon drum: $90
Claimants without receipts could still file, but their product-purchase recovery was capped at $100. Those with documentation could go higher. A separate claim category offered up to $1,000 for equipment repairs, parts, and damage, with more available for claimants who documented costs above that threshold. All payments were subject to pro rata adjustment depending on the total volume of valid claims filed.15ClassAction.org. $32M Smitty’s CAM2 Tractor Hydraulic Fluid Settlement Preliminarily Approved by Court
Can You Still File a Claim?
No. The deadline to file a claim under the manufacturer settlement was March 1, 2025.3303tractorhydraulicfluidsettlement.com. Manufacturer Settlement Class Action Notice Final approval followed on March 27, 2025, and the multidistrict litigation was formally terminated on April 1, 2025.2PACER Monitor. In re Smitty’s/CAM2 303 Tractor Hydraulic Fluid Litigation The earlier retailer, CITGO, O’Reilly, and Warren/NAPA settlements each had their own, earlier deadlines and are also closed to new claims.
If you filed a timely claim, distributions are still underway. RG2 Claims Administration is handling the payouts, and monthly status reports have been filed with the court through at least May 2026.16303tractorhydraulicfluidsettlement.com. Manufacturer Settlement Documents Claim-status questions go to the administrator through the official settlement website.