Woman Has Mechanic Install Duralast Part From AutoZone On Her Honda. There’s Just One Problem: 'I Wouldn't Do It'

An Inland Empire, California based mechanic was left at an impasse after a Honda driver requested he change her brakes.

Upon seeing the condition of her brakes and the type she wanted them replaced with, the auto tech, Rick (@rowdy.rick3) didn’t want to complete the job. He explained why he opted to not take the payday in a video he recorded while on the service call in question.

The Honda Duralast Brake Swap That Wasn't

“What’s up, guys? So, I’m at a location now. This lady hit me up, said she needed brakes, right?” Rick says, kneeling on the ground and speaking into the camera.

“I get here; I’m looking at the brakes; the brakes are like brand new. So, I took the wheels off just to check. This is the pad: look,” he says, holding it up to the lens. While doing so, he begins pointing out aspects of the pad that indicate it’s in perfectly good condition.

“Lot of life left on the pad. Look at the wear indicator. Original, Honda OEM, right?” he says. Following this, he flips his camera around to display the condition of the rotor. According to him, there’s no indication there’s anything mechanically wrong with this component either.

“Now, the rotor has a little divot, a little ring—nothing too crazy. Honda genuine as well. They’re not making any noise. They’re not vibrating, nothing crazy," he says.

Aftermarket VS. OEM Parts

Following this, he then reveals that the Honda driver wants to swap out her OEM brakes with Duralast ones from AutoZone. However, Rick maintains that he doesn’t think the car’s OEM brakes are the problem and that they could be used for another seven months without issue.

Moreover, he says that he prefers not to replace OEM parts with aftermarket ones unless absolutely necessary. He adds that he thinks the Honda owner would be better off keeping the brakes she has on instead of installing the Duralast ones.

“So, here’s the dilemma: I don’t want to switch them out for her 'cause she doesn’t need them. So, what I’m probably gonna do is grease everything back up, ... give them all the visual inspection until she doesn’t need no brakes, and go from there. Yeah, we’re not gonna get paid for a full brake job, but at this point I don’t think she needs it,” he tells his followers before his video comes to a close.

'Your Honesty Will Be Blessed'

Several folks who replied to his clip commended Rick for his candor and willingness to act in the customer’s best interest, including the client who originally contacted him. She thanked him again for being honest.

Someone else replied that they believed Rick should’ve inquired further as to what she believed could’ve been wrong with the vehicle. Since the client thought she needed new brakes but that wasn’t the case, there could’ve been another reason as to why she thought swapping them out was necessary.

The conversation among folks in the comments section of Rick’s video resonates with analytical data pertaining to trust in mechanic services.

According to a 2023 study conducted by Consumer Affairs, 1,000 drivers were asked about their perception of automotive techs. The overwhelming majority, 78%, stated they aren’t confident their auto shops aren’t spinning yarns about the work on their vehicles.

Only 17% of people who replied to the survey said they felt they were being charged fairly for the work on their rides. What’s more is that every 5 out of 6 people who participated in the query said they double-checked mechanic recommendations. I.e., if a repair was recommended to them, most folks sought a second opinion.

Are Duralast Brakes Good?

Duralast products are available exclusively at AutoZone, effectively making them an in-house brand for the retailer. Opinions vary on their competency and quality, however. According to this EV4x4 blog post, there’s a marked difference between the tier levels of their Duralast and Duralast Gold lines.

For a higher premium, those who purchase Gold brake pads can expect a 60,000+ mile lifespan. Additionally, drivers who routinely engage in stop-and-go traffic and harder braking patterns will appreciate Gold brakes. Not to mention they have lower dust and noise levels thanks to their 3-layer noise-dampening shim.

Another key difference between Gold and standard Duralast brake pads is that the former product line is produced by Bosch, which is said to maintain tighter quality control standards in its Mexican and Chinese factories.

In a 2015 Reddit post, one commenter stated that they work at AutoZone and cautioned folks against getting standard Duralast pads. Instead, they suggested they go for the Golds and stated these were the pads they used on their own rides.

And they weren’t the only person to express this opinion online either. Folks on this Bob is the Oil Guy forum made similar comments regarding Duralast and Duralast Gold.

Motor1 has reached out to Rick via TikTok direct message and Honda via email for further comment.