What Prestone makes

Prestone Products Corporation makes automotive fluids, and it is best known for the product that started the category: antifreeze/coolant. Prestone introduced the first non-flammable ethylene-glycol antifreeze in 1927, and coolant remains its flagship, sold today across vehicle-specific ranges (the MAX and Platinum lines for American, Asian, and European makes), the Dex-Cool-compatible orange range licensed from General Motors, and the Cor-Guard corrosion-inhibitor formula the company developed over roughly seven years of research.

Beyond coolant, the line covers most of the fluids a driver or shop keeps on hand: DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 brake fluid; power steering fluid, including full-synthetic European formulas; multi-vehicle automatic transmission fluid; fuel additives; windshield washer fluid and de-icer, including the Bug Wash summer formula; stop-leak and cooling-system repair and cleaner products, including the patented Triple Seal Protection line; and diesel exhaust fluid. The Prestone Command range extends the same categories into heavy-duty and commercial vehicles. For electric and hybrid vehicles, Prestone markets its EVX thermal management fluids, a low-conductivity coolant family aimed at battery and power-electronics cooling.

Ownership and history

Prestone traces to 1927 and spent decades as a widely licensed brand, passing through Honeywell and Rank Group ownership before KIK Consumer Products acquired its auto-care business in 2016. In June 2024, Recochem, a Montreal-based automotive and functional-fluids manufacturer founded in 1951, acquired KIK's Auto Care business, which comprised Prestone in North America and Holts in the United Kingdom. Terms were not disclosed. Recochem itself had been acquired by the private-equity firm CapVest Partners in November 2023, so Prestone today sits under Recochem with CapVest as the ultimate owner.

In May 2025, Recochem unified its brand portfolio, Prestone among them, under a new group name, Performance Fluid Experts (PFX) Group. Per the company, the group operates 17 manufacturing facilities and four research and development centers and sells in more than 40 countries. Prestone's corporate office is in Rosemont, Illinois, and its long-running research site, the Prestone Technology Center, is in Danbury, Connecticut. Prestone continues to operate as a distinct brand within the group, and at AAPEX 2025 it launched a new brand platform, The Future Runs on Prestone, alongside products including OEM by Prestone and a leak-detecting top-off coolant.

Certifications and quality

Prestone frames its quality claims around performance testing rather than a single posted certificate. The company describes high-stress ASTM testing of its formulas and backs its antifreeze/coolant with an engine-protection guarantee. Its parent, Recochem, is described in trade materials as ISO 9001:2015 certified at the group level. A dated, Prestone-specific quality certificate was not located on the company's site, so the certification claim is reported here as a claim rather than a verified per-plant registration. Formula development runs through the Danbury technology center, where the company says it has built its Cor-Guard and EVX chemistries.

Known customers

Prestone is a consumer and aftermarket brand rather than a contract OEM tier supplier, so it does not publish named OEM production programs. Its customers are the retailers and distributors that carry the line in North America and the 40-plus countries where it is sold, and the company describes itself as the number-one North American aftermarket brand for antifreeze/coolant, brake fluid, and power steering fluid. Prestone does hold third-party compatibility licenses that matter to buyers: its Dex-Cool-compatible coolant is made under license from General Motors, and it references DuPont Kevlar under license in certain products. Because no individual customer program is documented in public sources, the customer tile on this profile is left empty rather than filled with the retail channel.

Sourcing evidence

Prestone's US import record reads like a fluid manufacturer's, not a reseller's. Under the importing name Prestone Torrance, tied to a Torrance, California site, US customs bills of lading show 566 sea shipments on record, with the most recent logged September 22, 2026. The named foreign and domestic suppliers are chemical producers rather than parts makers: Perstorp Oxo, a specialty-chemicals and glycol producer, and Hexion, a resins and chemicals maker, are among the most active. That pattern, chemical inputs in and finished fluids out, is what you would expect from a company that formulates and blends its own products.

Coverage caveats apply. These are US ocean-freight records only, so air, truck, and rail movements do not appear, and some records name intermediaries rather than the ultimate manufacturer. Product categories come from declared manifest codes, which are noisy. Absence of a record is not evidence of absence, and the customs view captures the Torrance importing entity, not necessarily every Prestone or Recochem site. For buyers weighing nearshoring and tariff exposure on chemical inputs, the takeaway is that Prestone's sourcing is anchored to established chemical suppliers with recent, active shipping.

Frequently asked questions

What does Prestone make?

Prestone makes automotive fluids: antifreeze/coolant (its flagship since 1927), brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, fuel additives, windshield washer fluid and de-icer, stop-leak and cooling-system repair products, and diesel exhaust fluid. It also makes a heavy-duty line under the Prestone Command name and EVX thermal management fluids for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Who owns Prestone?

Prestone is owned by Recochem, a Montreal-based fluids manufacturer that acquired the brand in June 2024 as part of KIK Consumer Products' Auto Care business. Recochem is itself owned by the private-equity firm CapVest Partners, which acquired it in November 2023. Since May 2025, Recochem's brands, including Prestone, operate under the group name Performance Fluid Experts (PFX) Group.

Where is Prestone headquartered?

Prestone Products Corporation's corporate office is in Rosemont, Illinois. Its research and development site, the Prestone Technology Center, is in Danbury, Connecticut, and its US customs import activity is tied to a site in Torrance, California. The parent group, PFX Group, is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec.

When was Prestone founded?

Prestone was founded in 1927, when it introduced the first non-flammable ethylene-glycol antifreeze. The company describes itself as the creator of the coolant category and marked its 90th anniversary in 2017, giving it a heritage of nearly a century in automotive fluids.

Does Prestone make coolant for electric vehicles?

Yes. Prestone markets EVX thermal management fluids, a low-conductivity coolant family designed for the battery and power-electronics cooling systems used in electric and hybrid vehicles. The company positions EVX as part of its shift toward products for newer vehicle platforms, developed at its Danbury technology center.

How many employees does Prestone have?

Prestone's US operating company has roughly 200 employees, per industry directories. The figure covers the US Prestone entity, not the broader Recochem and PFX Group organization, which is larger and spans 17 manufacturing facilities and four R&D centers worldwide.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.