AutoZone Duralast Brakes AutoZone's Duralast: Brake failure causes auto accident with serious injuries Internet

I've also had issues with Duralast rotors and pads.

The rotors puzzled me when I received them as they had a black finish on the friction area, which I have never seen. Typically we want a machined metal surface with enough roughness to help the pads break in and seat correctly.

Installation was typical with everything fitting correctly. I've done brakes on all of my vehicles since I started driving. We're that kind of family. I'm also an FAA certified airframe and powerplant mechanic. I work on commercial jets every day. It's not my first time with a wrench.

After installation and taking a couple drives, I began to notices a warbling whomp whomp whomp sound under light braking, similar to a warped rotor sound but much more severe. At that point, I didn't have any performance loss in braking so I decided to give them a day or two to let everything seat itself. The sound persisted. I disassembled both front brakes and inspected everything. Everything looked fine upon visual inspection. The black coating on the friction surfaces of the rotors had worn down and the surface now looked as expected for new brake rotors. I reassembled, but the sound persisted. After a few weeks, it mostly stopped making the noise and I was satisfied with the braking performeance.

However.... I still get some phantom issues with the brakes, especially while braking at low speeds such as coming to a stop at a traffic signal. Never at high speeds. Just low speeds. The brakes will make a slipping grinding sound and braking performance becomes almost nothing. It's scary.

I agree there's something not right with these parts and I have stopped using Duralast brakes on any vehicle.

Did you call the customer service for the parts? Take them to an independant person to have them inspected and see if they are in fact faulty?
That would be my advice to you. If the equipment was in face faulty than you may have a lawsuit on your hands, if not then it mayu have been install error.

LOL, do you seriously think I work for Autozone?  I don't even shop there when I can help it.  I've done enough work on car braking systems to be sure that whatever went wrong with your brakes is not due to the pads.  Considering how idiotic your first post is (antilock brakes? huh?), and the fact that you contradict it in the second post, I would say that you are full of sh*t and/or just stupid.

If these brakes pads never worked right and you had to replace them twice, why did you keep getting the same ones?  I am sure that Autozone sells other brands and after the 2nd time would have let you do an exchange.

It seems as if you are totally discounting any other possible cause other than than the pads, and I agree with the others.  That how could a brake PAD fail in such a way to be totally ineffective in stopping a car.   The only way I can see this happening is if the pad doesn't make contact, which would indicate that they are not installed correctly, or another component is bad.

It's obvious from some of the replies that some of you probably work for AutoZone and can not see beyond the realms of your parts counter or tool boxes. I expected a civil rebuttal or to collectively address the issue but not some scarpyard responce . Although, I like to thanks thoses responces with concerns and intellect. Many Thanks

Sounds like you have no idea what you are doing, and shouldn't be anywhere near a car's braking system.  There is no way for a pad to be so defective that it would completely prevent the brakes from working.  Even when the pad material is completely ground down, the brakes will still stop the car.  Your car had some other problem with the brakes, and you should have had it towed to a mechanic as soon as you noticed the brakes not working correctly.  Instead, it sounds like you drove around with non-functional brakes until you finally crashed the car.  Stop trying to blame others for your own incompetence.

Duralast pads are ISO 9001........I wish you could provide more info on the accident and what vehicle is in question......Brake pads just by themselves will not cause what happened to you.  Rear's out of adjustment, leaking wheel cylinder, air in he system.......that seems to me to be a more likely cause........Tell me more of what happened, please.......pedal issue etc.......Im curious as h**l......afterall, I am a wrench.....

I have worked in automotive machine shops since i was 17 years old for 25 years and know about turning rotors and the correct RMS ( surface finish).  The rear brake were replaced with the new hardware.  I am very familiar with simplicity of brake replacement. In addition, i have build / machined industrial diesel and gasoline engines for over 30years. These brakes are cheap and are not  D3EA certify. Or does the NHTSA regulate aftermarket brakes. There is more to brakes that just proper installation there is inferior materials and design.

First off, I am not for or against Duralast pads so my judgemet is purely based on what you have stated. Most people who do thier own brakes do not know anything about braking systems period.  Most people who cannot afford to take thier car to a shop wanna "wing it" themselves in an attempt to save some money. Now, if you have the correct tools and know how to do such an job and fully understand a braking system then and only then do i say go for it. Now you bought brake pads correct?.......now did you machine the rotors?.....if not there is a longer break in time due to an un smooth surface on the rotors and a smooth finish on the brake pads..........Once they both make thier own grooves together, the pedal will come back up.......I'm willing to bet that whatever vehicle you own, you replaced the front brake pads ONLY, didnt pay any attention to the rear brakes and they are probably drum brakes......If you dont adjust the rear drum brakes, that sounds exactly like what you are experiencing.....The brake pads arent faulty, its something you did or didnt do....