AAP Wearever Platinum Pads (Lifetime Warranty)

[CarbonSteel]

I wanted to share a recent experience with these pads. I bought a full set in 2017 for my Explorer and it was time to change them again. I went into my local AAP and expected to simply exchange them, but was told the "lifetime warranty" only applies to defects not wear out. Thinking the counter guy did not know what he was talking about (very inexperienced), I went to another AAP and was told the same.

Note that Autozone has a lifetime warranty and if you bring the worn out pads back you get a new set (or you can buy and new set and return the old ones for a refund).

I have always liked AAP, but Autozone will get my brake business from now on. The pads lasted about 40K miles whereas the OEM pads lasted 60K and even with the discount code for AAP, these are way overpriced for their performance.

 

[Trav]

If you think about it expecting a lifetime warranty on wear items is ridiculous, frankly trying to collect on it is even more so.

 

[CarbonSteel]

If you think about it expecting a lifetime warranty on wear items is ridiculous, frankly trying to collect on it is even more so.

Not if it is advertised and sold that way. Without it, the AAP pads are ridiculously overpriced--even with a 25% discount code. I borrowed a disc brake tool (to collapse the rear caliper pistons) from AZ and asked them about their warranty and the flatly stated that it covers everything from breakage to wear.

Just making people aware...

 

[UG_Passat]

If you think about it expecting a lifetime warranty on wear items is ridiculous, frankly trying to collect on it is even more so.

That's FCP Euro's business model. Lifetime warranty on everything they sell, including wear items, fluids, etc.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

I remember 10+ years ago asking the guy at, get in the zone Autozone, if anyone actually ever bothered with warrantying brake pads? He said very few are successful because you need the original receipt and since it’s printed on thermal paper it fades away by the time you bring them back. Not sure how they do it nowadays since I’m not that cheap. 20k difference in OEM vs aftermarket isn’t that unusual especially if the OEM pads were the factory pads on the vehicle from new. I think my wife’s pads are the ceramic ones from advance , they weren’t ruinously expensive if I recall, slightly more than rock auto but I needed rotors and pads ASAP since discount tire warped the rotors using Zeus’ impact wrench and we were going on a 1200 mile trip the next day. They perform about as well as my Raybestos Element 3s.

 

[cb_13]

If you think about it expecting a lifetime warranty on wear items is ridiculous, frankly trying to collect on it is even more so.

Motorcraft pads installed by a Ford dealership have a lifetime replacement warranty. If they're 3mm or below with even wear you get new pads for free but are required to pay installation labor costs.

Can't have 1mm on the right and 8mm on the left due to a stuck caliper and get freebies.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I remember 10+ years ago asking the guy at, get in the zone Autozone, if anyone actually ever bothered with warrantying brake pads? He said very few are successful because you need the original receipt and since it’s printed on thermal paper it fades away by the time you bring them back. Not sure how they do it nowadays since I’m not that cheap. 20k difference in OEM vs aftermarket isn’t that unusual especially if the OEM pads were the factory pads on the vehicle from new. I think my wife’s pads are the ceramic ones from advance , they weren’t ruinously expensive if I recall, slightly more than rock auto but I needed rotors and pads ASAP since discount tire warped the rotors using Zeus’ impact wrench and we were going on a 1200 mile trip the next day. They perform about as well as my Raybestos Element 3s.

Everything is online and electronic at this point so keeping up with receipts is no longer necessary. For clarity, it is not about being cheap, it is about getting what you paid for or what you were led to believe that you paid for. A lifetime warranty for defective pads (e,g, cracking, chipping) is as worthless as the paper that it is printed on. In over 1.5 million miles of driving a multitude of vehicles, I have never had a "defective" pad in the way that AAP defines it.

 

[bbhero]

If you think about it expecting a lifetime warranty on wear items is ridiculous, frankly trying to collect on it is even more so.

What if someone made the same circumstance with batteries.... "Lifetime" warranty... Would one expect the batteries to never ever wear out?? Or need replacement??

Be one thing if the pads were chewed up and done after say 5k miles or 10k miles.

Definition of "lifetime" itself is nebulous in it's own way. Same conversation about "lifetime" ATFs... Does it mean until warranty period ends? Or does that mean forever and ever amen until the end of time? Or until the owner decides the "lifetime" is up and it's over...

 

[atikovi]

Not if it is advertised and sold that way. Without it, the AAP pads are ridiculously overpriced--even with a 25% discount code. I borrowed a disc brake tool (to collapse the rear caliper pistons) from AZ and asked them about their warranty and the flatly stated that it covers everything from breakage to wear.

Just making people aware...

So why not just show the guy at the counter the warranty that was in the box where it says lifetime includes wearing out? Problem solved.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I remember 10+ years ago asking the guy at, get in the zone Autozone, if anyone actually ever bothered with warrantying brake pads? He said very few are successful because you need the original receipt and since it’s printed on thermal paper it fades away by the time you bring them back. Not sure how they do it nowadays since I’m not that cheap. 20k difference in OEM vs aftermarket isn’t that unusual especially if the OEM pads were the factory pads on the vehicle from new. I think my wife’s pads are the ceramic ones from advance , they weren’t ruinously expensive if I recall, slightly more than rock auto but I needed rotors and pads ASAP since discount tire warped the rotors using Zeus’ impact wrench and we were going on a 1200 mile trip the next day. They perform about as well as my Raybestos Element 3s.

With Autozone, you don't even need your receipt anymore, just your phone number

 

[wdn]

From Advance Auto Parts website:

A Limited Lifetime Warranty is a warranty against defect in materials or workmanship under normal use and service after proper installation and is valid for the life of the part as long as you own the vehicle in which it is installed.

The Limited Lifetime Warranty isn't transferable so if you sell the vehicle or install the item on another vehicle, the warranty is no longer valid.

 

[atikovi]

a warranty against defect in materials or workmanship

Wear isn't a defect in materials or workmanship. Even most new car warranties exclude wear items like brakes and clutches.

 

[chemman]

I bet that Autozone excludes wear from their brake pads/shoes warranty in order to give them a slight edge over AAP in the brakes market. That and they must have one heck of a markup in the sales price!

 

[djkurious]

I only use Duralast gold's from AutoZone and have never had an issue swapping them out for new pads on my vehicles or friends vehicles. Just need your phone number.

 

[JMJNet]

I brought brakes back to AZ and they did not even look at the brakes.
They just replaced it under warranty.
The only thing that I took my new brakes outside the box and put the old brake in the new brakes box.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I bet that Autozone excludes wear from their brake pads/shoes warranty in order to give them a slight edge over AAP in the brakes market. That and they must have one heck of a markup in the sales price!

Not really; AZ price is inline with AAP; if anything AAP is more expensive--especially without a discount.