It is CRAP for the consumer and for the person trying to make a career at these companies. All a symptom of the grow or die attitude in business today.
First Brands (Fram) bankruptcy
- Thread starter Alien
- Start date
Maybe premium guard will get fram!
Could end up being just a Fram decal on a PGI filter.
But with PGI’s market share it’s probably not worth it to them.
I guess nobody is buying Cardone, add Carter, Airtex, Autolite, Carlson and possibly Raybestos to that list. Cardon was always craptastic but many of the others were at some point highly regarded suppliers. It is a shame so many once good companies have gone to Hades.
that's why I said my comment only focused on filters. I know there are many parts in retail auto parts stores that are not the highest quality and Dorman DEFINITELY comes to mind, not to mention Cardone, but that brand is already part of the First Brands that we're discussing in this thread.
I just posted the same thing without noticing your post. I definitely agree. It's to the point that if it's a First Brand company try not to buy it and seek another brand of part. At least people now have a list of what to avoid! Not that most of us already knew lots of that list was junk for a long time, they're reaping what they sowed at First Brands.
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$50 site donor 2026
It’s them thar ruffled leaf springs that did ‘em in - I tell you … 
That is basically done across about every product made in the world to some degree. It's called "capitalism" and a large driving force of trying to increase profits and/or to say in business. And the current world economic storm doesn't help the situation.
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Absolutely not correct. Modern manufacturing technology has made things faster, better and cheaper. I have lived it for the last 30 years. Its never been cheaper to stamp out and assemble an oil filter, adjusted for inflation.
VC and private equity try to control the market by buying everyone out then jacking the price. First Brands went too far. Even Wal-mart sought additional suppliers - there are more choices beyond Fram at walmart than ever.
First Brands did it to themselves.
Doesn't void the fact that products are still driven to be made cheaper on the manufacturer's side (regardless of their manufacturing technology) to keep the profits pouring in and to stay in business, and maybe even potential grow if they can do it right. That was my point, and obviously what First Brand was trying to do with Fram.
Yes the job is to make the product cheaper while maintaining or improving quality. Some of the cost savings is kept by the manufacturer or there would be no incentive. Some shared with the customer - in the hopes to grow volume and capture more market share, because economies of scale also makes things cheaper.
I saw no attempt to maintain or improve quality on the part of first brands. If they were trying they need to seek new professions.
Some research I did says Michelin is not a First Brands company. What's odd, is a First Brands logo image search shows Michelin on some and some without.
Obviously the drive to make the product cheaper while keeping the price the same or a hair higher can fail if not done correctly. But the point is that the "cheapening" of oil filters lately was driven by the goal of keeping profits alive and staying in business in today's economic environment. Execution of doing that is key of course.
Might be tied to a licensing of the name for wipers since they own Anco and Trico. I do not think it is related to the tire manufacturing.
Correct, Fram/Autolite/Bendix/Prestone all eventually because Allied Signal companies
Also Garrett turbochargers for some reason
They've been broken apart since then, it was at the end of the commercials
Hard to think of a time when Fram or Autolite were good products, I've avoided all of those brands for most of my time working on cars
Absolutely! And it can be done. I have worked in a few facilities that follow significantly enhanced versions of TPS, along with a strong quality management system. Building in quality to the product always lowers cost. Lower scrap rates. Fewer customer returns and complaints.
But there are those businesses that are not willing, or are not interested, in implementing the right disciplines. They are looking for quick and cheap solutions, instead of long term returns.
I've often wondered how manufacturers who don't implement such systems in their processes, would ever survive in today's market. This is a good example that they really don't.
When you look it at without brand hate glasses on, the filters made by Mann-Hummel (and the brands they acquired) seem to have more issues than Fram ever had. M+H acquiring Purolator and others brands is like First Brands acquiring Fram. The two big things with Fram was the wire baked OG Ultra and Titanium going away and using a newly designed non-wired backed media, and of course the ruffled leaf spring. People lost their freaking minds over the OG Ultra changes, and of course the whole "wavy pleats" meltdown thing, lol. Seems lately that Ultra C&Ps don't seem to have much in the way of wavy pleat, so maybe Fram addressed that with a tweak in the media make-up.
Fram never had ruffled leaf springs until Champion Lab started making the Fram filters. Other Champ Lab brands like Amsoil, Royal Purple, ACDelco, etc have been shown to have the ruffled leaf springs also. Then of course there's the ill formed louvers thing, which seems to be a thing with about any brand that uses a louvered center tube. I'd rather use a Fram Endurance with a ruffled leaf spring than a M+H made filter that could tear the media or shed off junk potting material from the end caps. If Fram (and others) could get Champ Labs to stop stamping ruffled leaf springs that would be a good 1st step. So, Fram isn't the only filter brand that has gone downhill lately, and the main cause is due to what I already said about trying to cuts production cost to maintain profits and stay in business in today's economic environment.
Fram never had ruffled leaf springs until Champion Lab started making the Fram filters. Other Champ Lab brands like Amsoil, Royal Purple, ACDelco, etc have been shown to have the ruffled leaf springs also. Then of course there's the ill formed louvers thing, which seems to be a thing with about any brand that uses a louvered center tube. I'd rather use a Fram Endurance with a ruffled leaf spring than a M+H made filter that could tear the media or shed off junk potting material from the end caps. If Fram (and others) could get Champ Labs to stop stamping ruffled leaf springs that would be a good 1st step. So, Fram isn't the only filter brand that has gone downhill lately, and the main cause is due to what I already said about trying to cuts production cost to maintain profits and stay in business in today's economic environment.
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Yes, I remember the Allied markings on Fram oil filter boxes from the 90's. Much better filter back then. I'll be honest with you, I can't trust any oil filter manufacturer anymore. Their always changing owners and countries. I do my best to pick a good oil filter, and just use my flashlight to look deep inside it. Have no choice in the matter. Too many chefs in the kitchen nowadays.
So your saying First Brands is only the second worst filter manufacturer on the planet?
No one on this board is running out to buy a M&H filter either.
We don't really know why First Brands is going kaput. They do lots of things beyond oil filters.
