Skip to Content

Are AutoZone Brake Pads Good? – Excellent choice for most

When it comes time to change your vehicle’s brake pads, you may be interested in looking for an excellent-performing option that is also affordable. If you want to find a top value, then you may want to consider brake pads from AutoZone. However, are these brake pads good enough for your vehicle?

AutoZone brake pads are a good choice for most vehicle owners. Both the Duralast and the Duralast Gold line of brake pads are sold by AutoZone, they are easy to shop for and return and are a smart choice for your vehicle. Both of these brake pads provide excellent construction and performance.

In this post, we’ll describe AutoZone’s private label brand of brake pads as well as its pros and cons.

AutoZone sign

What is AutoZone?

AutoZone is one of the largest automotive retailers in the country. With over 6,400 locations in North America, they are one of the most recognizable automotive brands. This content is owned by moc.sotuaytsur. The company sells a line of vehicle products under the Duralast private label brand. This includes brake pads.

What is Duralast?

Duralast is a private label brand of automotive products sold at AutoZone. The Duralast brand is considered the “mid-level” brand that sits above the Valulast brand and below the Duralast Gold brand.

Duralast Brake Pad Features

Duralast brake pads are considered high-quality brake pads that are available at an affordable price. Here’s a look at some of the features you will find in these brands of brake pads:

Multi-layer ESE (elastomer – Steel – elastomer) Design

The multi-layer ESE design allows the brake pads to dampen noise and minimize vibration. This creates a more pleasant and solid feel through the brake pedal when braking.

Created Through a Direct Molding Process

With this process, the brake pads are created under extreme pressure to ensure the proper fitment for your vehicle. The overall result is a solid, crack-proof bonding to the backing plate.

Thermal Scorching Process

The thermal scorching process allows the Duralast brake pads to perform well in both warm and cold weather conditions.

Pros of Duralast Brake Pads

Here’s a look at the reasons why you will want to consider Duralast brake pads for your vehicle.

They are affordable

As a private label brand, Duralast brake pads can be a more affordable choice than brand-name brake pads as well as OEM brake pads from the manufacturer.

Strong thermal bite

These brake pads provide a strong bite that allows you to have excellent stopping power.

Produce less dust

According to many user reviews, Duralast brake pads produce less dust than other comparable brake pads.

Excellent stability

Buyers have also said that Duralast brake pads provide excellent stability during braking conditions.

Long lasting

AutoZone is known for creating products that last a long time. This includes the Duralast brake pads which have a life expectancy of up to five years.

Lifetime warranty

Finally, AutoZone Duralast products come with a lifetime warranty. If there is an issue with the brake pads – such as a defect – you can have them replaced at your nearest AutoZone dealer.

Cons of Duralast Brake Pads

While Duralast brake pads have some excellent positives, there may be some downsides to consider.

Some initial squealing

Customers have reported that Duralast brake pads can experience some initial squealing after installation. 

There may be better options for high performance vehicles

If you have a high-performance vehicle, then you may want to consider OEM brake pads or high-performance brake pads.

What is Duralast Gold?

Duralast Gold is the top-level private label brand at AutoZone. Products in the Duralast Gold brand line are considered to be on par with OEM parts that are engineered from the vehicle’s manufacture.

About Duralast Gold Brake Pads

If you are looking for private label brake pads that are on par with OEM brake pads, then you will want to consider the Duralast Gold brake pads. These are the highest quality brake pads offered at AutoZone. In fact, these brake pads can act as a direct replacement for the brake pads that came with your vehicle.

Duralast Gold Brake Pad Features

Duralast Gold Brakes are designed to be among the best brakes that you can get for your vehicle. Here are some of the top features of these OEM level brake pads:

OE grade friction material

Duralast Gold brake pads are made from OE grade friction material that allows the pads to function well under high heat conditions. This makes these brake pads ideal for high-performance use.

Rust and corrosion resistant design

The brake pads also have a ruse and corrosion-resistant design that will allow them to have a longer than usual lifespan on your vehicle.

OE style slots to reduce noise

Duralast Gold brake pads also have OE-style slots and chambers that are designed to reduce noise while braking.

Pros of Duralast Gold Brake Pads

There are a number of reasons to like Duralast Gold brake pads. Here are some top reasons to consider these brake pads.

Excellent construction

Duralast Gold brake pads are designed to be on the same level of OEM brakes as well as the original brakes on your vehicle.

Ideal for unique vehicle models

If you have a high performance for a low production volume vehicle then Duralast Gold brake pads will be an ideal choice due to their higher quality.

Easy to install

Duralast Gold brake pads are designed to be easy to install. This can come in handy if you intend to work on your own vehicle’s brake pad installation.

Long lasting

Duralast Gold brake pads are designed to last up to five years.

Cons of Duralast Gold Brake Pads

While there are a number of reasons to purchase Duralast Gold brake pads, there are some downsides of these brake pads to consider.

Make produce more brake dust than other models

According to some customer reviews, Duralast Gold brake pads can produce more dust than other comparable brake pads.

More expensive than Duralast brakes

As a top-level brake pad, Duralast Gold brake pads are going to cost more than Duralast brake pads.

As an alternative to AutoZone, check out the Amazon link below for brake pads conveniently delivered to your door.

Amazon Brake Pads

You may find these posts useful also:

Advanced auto parts vs Autozone

Does Walmart fix brakes?

Car Brake Resources Page

AutoZone vs O’Reillys

Is Walmart oil change good?

Are AutoZone tools good?

Are cheap batteries worth it?

Are AutoZone brakes good?