Man Goes To AutoZone. Then He Gets ‘Free’ Duralast Brakes For Life: ‘Never Bought Brake Pads’

When you hear about a lifetime warranty, it’s usually too good to be true. Many manufacturers have altered the meaning of “lifetime warranty" and spun it to revolve around the product's lifetime and not a human's lifetime. 

This is present within the car industry with “lifetime fluids” as an example. As “lifetime” has become a marketing term with fine print, many consumers are no longer falling for that trick. 

However, AutoZone does have a true “lifetime” warranty that customers can redeem. 

A man from Netflix’s “Age of Attraction,” West Mandell (@check_west_), says he knows a way to get “free” Duralast brakes for life. He reveals his method in a TikTok that has generated over 6,000 views as of this writing.

“Gonna put you onto free brake pads for life,” he begins. “Get the Duralast brake pads from them [AutoZone]. They are all under $100 bucks.” 

He reveals it’s best to get the Duralast brake pads for one specific reason. 

“They have a lifetime warranty. Use them up and bring them back. Don’t let them go metal to metal, and return them. They will give you free brake pads,” he shares. 

The main thing is not to completely run down the brake pads when filing this warranty claim. 

“Rinse and repeat, and you got free brake pads for life,” he concludes. 

Mandall is proud of utilizing this lifetime warranty by captioning the post, “Nothing’s gonna stop me from a deal.”

Viewers React To AutoZone Duralast Brake Pads Tip

Some viewers expressed appreciation for the tip, while others thought this was already common knowledge.

“I genuinely thought everyone knows this lol,” one TikTok commenter said. 

“So smartie,” another shared. 

Not everyone was completely sold on the suggestion and highlighted an asterisk with the policy. 

“All it means is your rotors are getting torn up by cheap pads,” one shared. 

“You only get to claim the warranty one time,” another commented.

How To Redeem The Lifetime Warranty on Duralast Brake Pads

Getting car parts at AutoZone and doing DIY car maintenance can be a great way to save money from dealerships and other auto retailers. The AutoZone Duralast products have become popular products for their affordability, but the quality can be up for debate. However, with lifetime warranties that can be redeemed multiple times, it’s hard to ignore their value. 

While many lifetime warranties come with difficulty or random nuances to redeem the warranty, the AutoZone Duralast brake pad warranty appears to be straightforward. 

While technically the brake pads have a limited lifetime warranty, the brake pads can be replaced for free when new ones are needed. Motor1 previously reported on an AutoZone employee revealing how to redeem the Duralast brake pads' lifetime warranty. 

To do this, the customer just needs to refer back to the original receipt or initial phone number used when purchasing the brake pads. The old brake pads will need to be in the original box when trying to redeem. The customer can claim “normal wear and tear” in order to get the new brake pads.

The warranty can be voided if the vehicle is driven for commercial or marine use or off-roading. 

However, former AutoZone employees mention on Reddit that the majority of the time, the brake pads are replaced with no issues with a receipt or phone number. 

“As a former AutoZone employee, it was standard practice to warranty out pads for whatever reason, unless they were worn down to the back plate or severely uneven wear (even then, most of the time it was ‘take care of the customer’). It all depends on the district manager mostly though,” one wrote. 

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“I spent half of 2020 working in an AutoZone store and can confirm this is correct. During that time, I had at least one customer come in and get his THIRD set of pads for his truck based on long use, not on any problem with the parts, which was pretty cool. Lifetime means lifetime. It excludes cases of commercial use or abuse,” another added. 

Motor1 has contacted Mandell via Instagram and TikTok direct messages. We have also contacted AutoZone via email. We’ll update the story if either party replies.

 

 

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