DURALAST Complaints

I replaced my rear rotors and brake pads with Duralast black painted rotors in June. I inquired about the painted rotors and the salesperson at AutoZone said the paint would wear off from the rotors where the brakes pads contacted the rotors after a few miles of use. The paint did wear off in the area of the brakes pads under normal use. In August, after driving 30-40 minutes, the parking break was applied because the vehicle was parked on an incline. This was the first time the parking brake had been used since the rotors were replaced. It was a hot day in the 90's and when the parking break was disengaged, the vehicle would not move. The vehicle had set for 2-3 hours with the break applied. Several attempts to move the vehicle and free the parking break failed. The vehicle had to be towed to local auto shop. The mechanic found the parking break pads adhered to the inner rotor surface and had to pry the pads off. After some searches on the internet, I found that this had happened to other people that had rear painted rotors installed. The rotors heat up while driving, causing the paint to become "tacky". If the parking break is applied for a few hours, it becomes like a glue and the parking brake will not release. Again, this is only for the parking brake on painted rear rotors. This would apply to any vehicle, not just my make and model. This could be a safety concern since a vehicle could become stranded on the side of the road with no way to move the vehicle except by a tow truck. The attached pictures show the inner rotor surface after the mechanic grinded the surface for a good parking brake contact area, thus removing the paint. The other picture shows the material on the parking brake surface when it was removed. The fixes would be. either to not paint the inner rotor surface where the parking break contacts the rotor or remove the paint prior to installation.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion equipped with a Duralast Brake Caliper Hose, Part Number: 777989. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal extended to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the aftermarket front passenger’s side brake caliper hose had ruptured, causing brake fluid to leak from the hose onto the ground. The contact stated that the hose was installed approximately one year prior to the failure. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2005 Lexus RX330. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle was slow to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the Duralast brake master cylinder was inoperable. The contact was informed that the piston in the brake master cylinder had become dislodged, causing the braking system to become less efficient. The mechanic replaced the part. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

Casting of rotor is bad. Cracked in half like glass causing my wheel to lock. My car was flipped and I almost died.

The right front wheel hub broke at the weld when turning in a parking lot. The part is available for inspection. Had this happened at freeway speed, the right front wheel would have departed the vehicle. The safety hazards are obvious. I attempted to contact customer service and they did not reply.There was no warning sign and the part has not been inspected. I am not a welder. It appears this part had a bad weld from the start. I suspect it was welded by a machine and there may be more just like it from the same production run.

DURALAST MASTER CYLINDER (BRAKE SYSTEM) NM55138 AFTER PART WAS PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED, EVERY TIME CAR GOT UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS, BREAKS WOULD CLAMP INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING EXTREME HEAT AND SMOKE FROM ROTORS, WARPING OF ROTORS AND CAUSING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS OF COSTLY REPAIRS TO VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD TAURUS EQUIPPED WITH BOSCH DURALAST MKD598 BRAKES. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE FRONT BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16E026000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 125,000.

I HAVE A 2010 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY, I PURCHASED THIS VAN LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BREAKS ALL THE WAY AROUND ONCE AND TOOK MY VAN BACK TO SHOP TODAY BECAUSE THE REAR BREAKS ARE ACTING SLUSHY, (JERKING THE ENTIRE VAN WHEN BREAKS ARE PUSHED, CAUSING VAN TO JERK FORWARD AND BACKWARD} I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE REAR BREAKS, ROTORS, SHOCKS, AND ABS VALVE. I JUST REPLACED THE SHOCKS RIGHT AFTER PURCHASE AS WELL, BUT BECAUSE THE BACK BREAKS ARE SO SLUGGISH WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE $150.00 HAS NOW TURNED INTO A 800.+ CHRYSLER PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE VERY SOON

I REPLACED THE BRAKES ON MY 2004 DODGE CARAVAN WITH DURALAST BRAKES FROM AUTO ZONE. THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM WITH THE TOLERANCES ON THE PADS. I HAVE BEEN INSTALLING BRAKES FOR 50 YEARS. THERE IS A SEVER DEFECT WITH THESE REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE PADS WILL NOT ALLOW THE CALIPER TO RETRACT THE PADS WEDGE AGAINST THE ROTOR-DISC. THEY CAUSED A VEHICLE FIRE FROM THE EXTREME HEAT. I CONTACTED AUTO ZONE AND INSTALLED ANOTHER SET . THIS TIME IT CAUSED THE BRAKE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE TO OVERHEAT. I GOT A THIRD SET THIS TIME I MEASURED THE PADS WITH A VERNIER CALIPER ACCURATE TO 1/1000 INCH AND THEY VARIED BY A 1/10 OF AN INCH WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS. THAT JUST ACCOUNTS FOR UNACCEPTABLE MEASUREMENTS AND NOT SPECIAL OR ORIENTATIONAL DEFECTS WHICH I SUSPECT EXIST BUT HAVE NO EXACT PATTERN TO COMPARE. THESE BRAKES ARE AN EXTREME HAZARD. *TR

LATE IN APRIL, 2013 I INSTALLED A PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM ON A 1998 VW JETTA TDI. THE CONTROL ARM WAS PURCHASED FROM AUTOZONE ( THEIR PART # 520-782) AS AN ASSEMBLY WITH THE BALL JOINT INSTALLED. THE CAR RAN FINE FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THEN WHILE DRIVING IT BEGAN PULLING TO THE RIGHT. ON EXAMINATION, 2 OF THE 3 BOLTS WHICH HOLD THE BALL JOINT ON THE CONTROL ARM WERE MISSING, AND THE THIRD WAS EASILY REMOVED BY FINGER. WHEN IT WAS INSTALLED ALL 3 WERE IN PLACE. THE ONE BOLT REMAINING DID NOT HAVE ANY LOCKING COMPOUND, NOR DID IT HAVE A MECHANICAL LOCKING DEVICE, SUCH AS A LOCK WASHER OR LOCK NUT. I INSTALLED 3 HARDENED BOLTS WITH LOCKING COMPOUND, AND THE CAR HAS BEEN FINE FOR THE PAST 5 DAYS. IF THE THIRD BOLT HAD FALLEN OUT, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL, AND THE PROBABLE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRASH. *TR