2013 URAL PATROL

Purchased a duralast battery from AutoZone store #1299 in Hialeah in August 3rd and installed it. The staff was insistent that this battery was a direct replacement part for my lead acid battery. The car drove normally for approximately a month, and on the morning of September 6th started normally w... ith no warning lights. After being driven less than a quarter mile, in slow-moving traffic, the car suddenly lost all power and large amounts of smoke came from under the hood accompanied by a burning smell. This happened in an intersection during 830 AM traffic on a weekday and I was unable to immediately exit the vehicle. This could have been a fatal incident for myself or potentially others. It was towed to a mechanic who started disassembling it to determine the damages. As per the mechanic, there is evidence of an electrical fire - the cables connected to the battery have melted and the alternator (which was TESTED AND INSTALLED BRAND NEW LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO) are damaged. The mechanics have also stated that the fans and cooling system have been affected, but not to what extent as they are still mid-teardown. When they attempted to put a load on the battery, it began to overheat dangerously, and they state that it is the likely culprit of the fire. I attempted to return the battery to the store I had purchased it at, where the staff were verbally abusive and insisting that it was impossible for a battery to cause an electrical fire and they'd never heard of such a thing, and that perhaps my mechanic was the one who had messed up my car. They refused to aceept a return, and kept telling me the battery was good. They provided me with a area manager phone number who is avoiding all communication. Meanwhile, I am without my vehicle, which requires EXTENSIVE ELECTRICAL REPAIRS and may be a total loss. If they are selling defective batteries to clients, they are putting the public at risk, doubly so by refusing to take any sort of accountability for their product.Read more

1. During nighttime driving, the headlights suddenly go off. Headlights are on auto and it happens randomly. The first time it happened was in August 2023 and then on 09/08/2023 twice during night driving. 2. It's very risky to be in the dark on a rural road. I really worry for my family's safety. ... 3. I could not reproduce the issue, nor have I taken it to a technician or dealer yet. 4. Not inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others. 5. There was no warning on the dash prior to that happening.Read more