By CarCareTruth Editorial. Last updated May 2026.
DEXRON-VI is not a fluid maker and not a brand of oil you can buy. It is a trademark owned by General Motors and the name of GM's current automatic transmission fluid specification. Think of it the way you think of Gore-Tex or Dolby. GM does not bottle the fluid. Instead, a company like ACDelco, Castrol, or Valvoline formulates an ATF, submits it to GM for testing, and once it passes it is allowed to print DEXRON-VI on the label and carry a GM license number. The licensing program is administered for GM by the Center for Quality Assurance.
DEXRON-VI arrived in 2005 as the factory fill for 2006-model-year GM cars and trucks, developed for the then-new 6L80 six-speed automatic. It replaced the older Dexron III, IIIH, and II fluids and is backward-compatible with them in most applications.
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| Fluid | DEXRON-VI status | Base oil | Hazard flags | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACDelco DEXRON-VI ATF | GM-licensed (J-60301) | Group III, marketed full synthetic | Prop 65 cancer warning | GM 6-speed and newer |
| Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF | GM-licensed (J-60172), also Ford Mercon LV | Group III, full synthetic | H361 reproductive (WARNING) + Prop 65 | GM and Ford |
| Valvoline DEXRON VI / MERCON LV Full Synthetic ATF | GM-licensed (J-number not published) | Full synthetic | Prop 65 warning | The licensed Valvoline, GM and Ford |
| Mobil DEXRON-VI ATF | GM-licensed (J-60002) | GTL synthetic | None on SDS, no Prop 65 | GM, cleanest SDS of the group |
| RAVENOL ATF Dexron VI | GM-licensed (J-60331), also MB 236.41 | Synthetic, made in Germany | Prop 65 warning | GM and select European |
| Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF | Label claim, not GM-licensed | Full synthetic | None on SDS | Broad multi-vehicle (claims only) |
If you own a GM vehicle (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac) built in 2006 or later with a six-speed or newer automatic, your owner's manual almost certainly calls for DEXRON-VI. It lives in our automatic transmission fluid category alongside the other ATF specs. The spec was written for GM's modern Hydra-Matic transmissions, starting with the 6L80, where the fluid sees more heat and works harder than the old four-speeds did.
The safest move is always the same. Read the fill cap or the owner's manual and match the exact spec it names. A parts-store lookup chart is a starting point, not the final word.
DEXRON-VI supersedes Dexron III, IIIH, IIE, and II. GM ended licensing of the older Dexron III spec, so a current bottle of licensed DEXRON-VI is the service fluid for vehicles that originally called for those grades. The ACDelco bottle states this directly on the label.
There are a few exceptions worth knowing. DEXRON-VI is for automatic transmissions, not power steering systems or manual transmissions, and a handful of specific older GM models (among them the Aveo, Epica, Equinox, Optra, Torrent, Vibe, Wave, Astra, and Saturn S-Series) call for a different fluid, with the exact model years varying by vehicle. Check your manual before you assume backward compatibility covers your car.
This is the question most people are really asking when they search for DEXRON-VI, and the truth is simpler than the marketing makes it sound.
A GM license number means GM tested that exact formulation and certified it meets the DEXRON-VI specification. ACDelco is GM's own parts brand, so its fluid is what a dealer would pour. But it is not your only certified option. Several third-party fluids passed the same GM certification and carry their own GM license numbers: Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic (J-60172), Mobil DEXRON-VI (J-60002), RAVENOL ATF Dexron VI (J-60331), and Valvoline DEXRON VI / MERCON LV. For the DEXRON-VI requirement itself, a licensed fluid is a licensed fluid. Among genuinely licensed options, you can buy on price.
Valvoline makes the cleanest case for reading the label closely, because it sells two different fluids here. Its DEXRON VI / MERCON LV Full Synthetic is genuinely GM-licensed. Its MaxLife Multi-Vehicle, the best seller, lists DEXRON-VI among a dozen specs but carries no GM license number we could verify. Same brand, same shelf, two different kinds of promise. If your manual demands DEXRON-VI, the licensed bottle is the one that proves it.
This is the part nobody else explains clearly, and it is the whole reason a buyer should care.
A licensed DEXRON-VI fluid has been submitted to GM, tested, and issued a license number (these begin with a letter B through J). The maker also has to keep submitting samples for the life of the license, so the certification is ongoing, not a one-time pass. The number is printed on the bottle.
A bottle that says "meets the requirements of DEXRON-VI," "compatible with DEXRON-VI," or "recommended for DEXRON-VI" is making a self-declared claim. There may be a genuinely good fluid behind that wording, but no GM license number means GM did not certify it. That is the line. A real license number beats a "meets spec" label claim, because one was verified by the spec owner and the other was written by the marketing department.
Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF is the honest example of why this matters. It is the best-selling ATF on Amazon, it lists DEXRON-VI among a long set of specs on the label, and community owners report it working well in GM and Ford transmissions. But the DEXRON-VI claim on that bottle is a label claim we have not been able to confirm against a GM license number. That does not make it a bad fluid. It makes it a different kind of promise than a licensed bottle, and you deserve to know which one you are buying.
Spec aside, these fluids do not all carry the same hazard profile, and our product data captured the differences.
ACDelco DEXRON-VI carries a California Prop 65 cancer warning on the bottle, with the petroleum base stock as the likely basis. The SDS does not classify the product as hazardous at mixture level.
Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic is the one to read closely. Its SDS classifies the mixture as Toxic to Reproduction Category 2 (hazard code H361, signal word WARNING), and the SDS specifically says to avoid exposure during pregnancy. The bottle also carries a California Prop 65 warning for cancer and reproductive harm. These are real classifications from the SDS, not generic boilerplate. Nitrile gloves and washing up after handling are the standard mitigation the SDS calls for during a drain and fill.
Two more of the licensed fluids carry a California Prop 65 warning without an SDS health hazard code: the Valvoline DEXRON VI / MERCON LV and the German-made RAVENOL ATF Dexron VI. Their SDS sheets list no GHS signal word and no health H-codes; the Prop 65 label is the disclosure to note.
Two fluids have the cleanest sheets of the group. Mobil DEXRON-VI, on a gas-to-liquid synthetic base, and Valvoline MaxLife both carry no Prop 65 warning and an SDS that does not classify the product as hazardous. Mobil is the standout here: a genuinely licensed fluid with the cleanest disclosure sheet on the page. Gloves during the pour are still sensible for any petroleum fluid.
DEXRON-VI is a strong, well-understood spec, but a few things are worth saying plainly.
It is a GM spec, full stop. A bottle that is licensed for DEXRON-VI is not automatically right for a ZF eight-speed (most 2012-and-newer BMW, Audi, and Land Rover), a Toyota WS application, a Honda DW-1, or a Chrysler ATF+4 box. Those need their own separately licensed fluids, and a multi-vehicle bottle that lists them is usually making a compatibility claim rather than holding each maker's license.
Drain intervals are also softer than the marketing implies. GM's recommendation varies by vehicle and how you drive. Community consensus on forums and BITOG lands around 30,000 to 50,000 miles for most use, shorter for towing or stop-and-go, and we could not find independent used-oil analysis for these specific bottles to settle it. Long-life label claims are not the same as verified field data.
Is DEXRON-VI a brand of transmission fluid? No. DEXRON-VI is a trademark and an automatic transmission fluid specification owned by General Motors. GM does not make the fluid. Companies license the name from GM and must pass GM certification to print DEXRON-VI on the bottle, the same way Gore-Tex or Dolby stamp their name on another company's product.
Do I have to buy GM-branded DEXRON-VI fluid? No. ACDelco is GM's own brand, but a licensed third-party fluid like Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic passed the same GM certification and carries its own GM license number. For the DEXRON-VI requirement, any genuinely licensed fluid qualifies, so among licensed options you can buy on price.
Which transmissions use DEXRON-VI? GM vehicles built in 2006 and later with six-speed and newer automatics. The spec was introduced in 2005 as the factory fill for the 2006 model year and was developed for GM's 6L80 six-speed Hydra-Matic. Always confirm against your owner's manual.
Does DEXRON-VI replace Dexron III and Dexron II? Yes. DEXRON-VI supersedes Dexron III, IIIH, IIE, and II and is backward-compatible in most applications. GM ended Dexron III licensing, so current DEXRON-VI is the back-service fluid for those older vehicles. The exceptions are power steering systems, manual transmissions, and a short list of specific older GM models that call for a different fluid, so check your manual.
What is the difference between a licensed DEXRON-VI fluid and one that says "meets DEXRON-VI"? A licensed fluid was submitted to GM, tested, and issued a GM license number (printed on the bottle, beginning with a letter B through J), with ongoing yearly samples required. A "meets spec" or "compatible with DEXRON-VI" bottle is making a self-declared claim with no GM license number behind it. The licensed bottle was verified by the spec owner; the claim bottle was not.
Is Valvoline MaxLife a licensed DEXRON-VI fluid? Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF lists DEXRON-VI among many specs on its label, and it is the best-selling ATF on Amazon with strong community feedback. But the DEXRON-VI claim on that bottle is a label claim we have not been able to confirm against a GM license number. It may serve you well, but it is a different kind of proof than a licensed fluid.
Why does the Castrol DEXRON-VI fluid carry health warnings the others do not? Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic's SDS classifies the mixture as Toxic to Reproduction Category 2 (hazard code H361, signal word WARNING), driven by an antioxidant additive, and the bottle carries a California Prop 65 warning for cancer and reproductive harm. ACDelco's bottle carries a Prop 65 cancer warning but no reproductive classification on its SDS, and Valvoline MaxLife's SDS does not classify the product as hazardous. These come straight from each product's SDS.
How often should I change DEXRON-VI fluid? GM's interval depends on the vehicle and how you drive. Community consensus on forums and BITOG is roughly 30,000 to 50,000 miles for most use, shorter for towing or stop-and-go driving. Independent used-oil analysis for these specific bottles was not available, so treat long-life label claims as optimistic.
Price subject to change.
Castrol
Transmax Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission FluidPrice subject to change.
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