DURALAST BRAKE ROTOR 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.

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

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