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Direct Brakes Warranty

We stand behind our work — covered, transparent, and built around your safety

Our Guarantee

Direct Brakes is built on transparent pricing, mobile convenience, and brake work that lasts. Every job we complete is backed by a warranty designed around the type of repair, the parts used, and the conditions for long-term performance. No fine print buried in the receipt — just real coverage you can count on.

We follow the same warranty standards used by leading mobile brake services nationally, with terms scaled to match the realities of what each repair can and can't guarantee. Below you'll find the full breakdown of every service we offer, what's covered, and what isn't.

Quick rule of thumb: If we install both pads and rotors together with our parts, you get our full 12-month / 12,000-mile warranty. If you bring your own parts, or only one side of the system is being replaced, the warranty terms adjust to reflect what we can reasonably stand behind.

Brake Pads & Rotors

12 months / 12,000 miles

When both pads and rotors are replaced together on the same wheel using our shop-supplied parts, we cover the full job for 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first from the date of installation.

This is our flagship warranty because it's the repair we can stand behind without question. New pads and new rotors break in together — they bed in, mate to each other, and create the consistent friction surface that delivers smooth braking, even pad wear, and predictable stopping power. When everything is fresh and properly installed, there are very few variables outside our control.

What's included: any defect in the pads or rotors themselves (manufacturer flaw, material failure, premature wear under normal use), any installation issue (improper torque, missing hardware, incorrect alignment), and noise issues like persistent squealing or grinding that aren't caused by external conditions.

To qualify: the work must be done by us, the parts must be sourced through us, and you must have the original invoice (or we can look it up on our end). The vehicle must be used for normal personal driving, not commercial, off-road, racing, or fleet use.

Brake Pads on Old Rotors

90 days / 3,000 miles

We don't recommend this repair — but if you choose it, here's exactly what you're getting and why our warranty is limited.

Why we limit this warranty

Brake pads and rotors are designed to wear together as a system. When new pads are installed against rotors that are already worn, scored, glazed, or out of spec, the new pads conform to the imperfections of the old surface. This creates a number of problems:

  • Reduced stopping power. New pads can't make full contact with a rotor that has uneven wear, ridges, or a glazed surface. You may experience longer stopping distances, especially in emergency braking situations.
  • Vibration and pulsation. Rotors that have been heat-cycled hundreds of times often have minor warping or thickness variation that you don't feel with old, worn pads. New pads with full contact patches will reveal those imperfections immediately as a steering wheel or brake pedal pulse.
  • Accelerated pad wear. A worn rotor surface acts like sandpaper on the new pad material. The pads can wear out in as little as 3,000–8,000 miles instead of the typical 30,000–50,000.
  • Heat retention issues. Worn rotors are thinner, which means they have less mass to absorb and dissipate heat. Combined with new pads producing maximum friction, this can lead to brake fade, especially under heavy braking or downhill driving.
  • Noise. Squealing, grinding, and chatter are far more common when pads are matched to imperfect rotor surfaces.

What our 90-day / 3,000-mile warranty covers

When we install pads on existing rotors, we warranty only the pads themselves and our installation labor for 90 days or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. This covers manufacturing defects in the pads and any installation error on our end.

What it does NOT cover

  • Pad wear that exceeds normal — because we can't predict how the existing rotor surface will affect pad life.
  • Vibration, pulsation, or pulling that develops because of rotor condition.
  • Noise (squeal, grind, chatter) caused by the rotor-pad interaction.
  • Reduced stopping performance compared to a full pads-and-rotors job.
  • Damage to the new pads caused by continued use of the old rotors.

The honest recommendation

If you're within reasonable budget range, replacing pads and rotors together costs slightly more upfront but delivers a job that lasts 4–5 times longer with fewer comebacks, no vibration, and the full 12-month warranty. We'll always quote both options so you can make the call — but we'll be straight with you about what we can and can't stand behind on a pads-only job.

Brake Calipers

12 months / 12,000 miles

Caliper replacements come with our standard 12-month / 12,000-mile warranty covering the caliper assembly and our installation labor. This applies whether the caliper is replaced individually or as part of a larger brake job using our parts.

The warranty covers manufacturing defects in the caliper (sticking pistons, leaking seals, failed slide pins, defective bleeder valves) and any installation issue on our end. We use remanufactured or new calipers from established suppliers, never used or salvage parts.

Important note: if a caliper failure damages other brake components installed at the same time (pads wearing prematurely from a stuck caliper, for example), the related parts are also covered under warranty as long as the original caliper failure is verified by our technician.

Brake Hoses

12 months / 12,000 miles

Brake hose replacements carry our standard 12-month / 12,000-mile warranty on parts and labor. Coverage includes manufacturing defects (cracking, bulging, internal collapse, leaks at the fitting) and installation issues.

Brake hoses are a critical safety component — they carry hydraulic fluid under high pressure to your calipers. We use OE-equivalent or better hoses from trusted manufacturers, properly torqued at both ends, with a full bleed of the affected line included as part of the job.

This warranty does not cover damage from external sources: road debris impact, contamination from non-DOT brake fluid, exposure to fuel or solvents, or damage from accidents.

Brake Fluid Flush

90 days / 3,000 miles

Brake fluid flush service carries a 90-day / 3,000-mile workmanship warranty. This covers proper bleeding, complete fluid replacement, and the absence of air in the system after our service.

If you experience a soft or spongy pedal within 90 days that's traceable to incomplete bleeding, we'll come back and re-bleed the system at no charge. This warranty does not cover fluid contamination from external sources, leaks from existing components, or master cylinder/ABS issues that develop independently.

Battery Replacement

Factory Warranty (2-4 years)

Battery installations are covered by the manufacturer's factory warranty, which varies by battery brand and tier. Most batteries we install carry a 2-year, 3-year, or 4-year free replacement warranty directly from the manufacturer, with full prorated coverage extending 5–7 years total in many cases.

The exact warranty term depends on which battery you select — group size, cold cranking amps, and whether you choose standard, premium, or AGM (absorbent glass mat) construction. Your invoice will list the specific warranty period for the battery installed.

What's covered: manufacturing defects, premature failure under normal use, and battery performance issues during the warranty period.

How factory warranty claims work: if your battery fails within the warranty period, we handle the replacement on your behalf — no need to deal with the parts store directly. Just contact us with your invoice and we'll arrange the replacement, including pickup and installation. Our installation labor on a warranty replacement is also at no charge within the original warranty period.

Warranties don't cover damage from electrical system faults (failed alternator, parasitic drain), physical damage, freezing, or commercial use unless specifically rated for it.

Labor-Only Jobs (Customer-Provided Parts)

90 days / 3,000 miles (labor only)

If you supply your own brake parts and we install them, our labor is warrantied for 90 days or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. The parts themselves are not covered — that responsibility falls on whoever you purchased them from.

What our labor warranty covers: improper installation, incorrect torque, missing hardware that should have been replaced (clips, shims, slide pin grease), and failure to properly bleed the system when applicable. If something we did causes a problem, we make it right.

What it doesn't cover: parts failure (call your parts supplier), parts that don't fit or aren't compatible (we'll let you know before installing), damage caused by low-quality or mismatched components, and any issues that develop more than 90 days or 3,000 miles after our work.

One important note: we will not install pads-only on customer-provided parts without warranty. The combination of unverified parts plus an old rotor surface creates too many failure variables. If you bring your own parts, we strongly recommend you bring both pads and rotors.

What's Not Covered

No warranty covers everything. Here's exactly what falls outside the scope of any Direct Brakes warranty, regardless of repair type:

Damage from external causes

  • Accidents, collisions, curb strikes, or impact damage
  • Misuse, abuse, or unauthorized modifications
  • Salt, hail, flooding, chemical exposure, or environmental damage
  • Off-road, racing, track day, or competition use
  • Marine or saltwater exposure
  • Damage caused by faulty parts NOT installed by us (e.g., a stuck caliper that wasn't replaced damaging the new pads we installed)

Use-based exclusions

  • Commercial use including towing, ride-share (Uber, Lyft), delivery, or public transport — unless we explicitly quoted the job for fleet/commercial use
  • Vehicles used to tow loads beyond manufacturer specifications
  • Improper towing (towing the vehicle with all 4 wheels on the ground when not designed for it)

Maintenance failures

  • Skipped maintenance recommended by us (e.g., not flushing brake fluid as advised)
  • Failure to address related issues we flagged (e.g., we recommended replacing a leaking caliper and you declined)
  • Continuing to drive after warning signs you were told to address

Parts and labor exclusions

  • Used or salvage parts installed at customer request
  • Parts under manufacturer recall for related issues
  • Components not replaced during the original service (we can only warranty what we touched)
  • Parts sourced from anywhere other than our shop or your own purchase
  • Work performed on the vehicle by another shop or technician AFTER our installation — this voids the warranty entirely on those components

The chain reaction rule

Important to understand: if we replace your pads and rotors and a few weeks later they fail because of a bad caliper that we didn't replace (and didn't recommend replacing), that failure isn't covered. Brake systems work as a chain — one bad component can damage everything connected to it. If our technician identifies a related issue during your service, we'll always tell you so you can decide whether to address it. If you decline, future damage caused by that unaddressed issue is on you, not us.

Vehicle transfer

Warranties apply to the original customer and vehicle. If you sell the vehicle, the warranty doesn't transfer to the new owner.

How to File a Warranty Claim

If something goes wrong with work we performed, here's the process:

  1. Contact us within the warranty window. Email support@directbrakes.com or call (605) 376-2130. Include your invoice number (or your name and approximate service date if you don't have it), the vehicle, and a description of what's happening.
  2. We review and schedule. Within 24–48 hours, our technician will reach out to either ask follow-up questions or schedule an inspection. If the issue can be diagnosed remotely (clear noise issue, obvious leak, etc.), we may skip straight to the repair appointment.
  3. We inspect the issue. The inspection is free — we come to you, just like the original service. We document what we find and verify whether the issue falls under warranty.
  4. Covered? We fix it at no cost. Parts, labor, and the trip — all covered. We use the same quality parts as the original repair.
  5. Not covered? You get a clear estimate. If the issue is outside warranty (related component failure, environmental damage, etc.), we'll explain exactly why and give you an honest quote on fixing it. No pressure, no upsell.

Lost your invoice? No problem — we keep records of every job. Just give us your name, vehicle, and approximate date and we'll find it.

Important Limitations

This warranty represents Direct Brakes' total liability for any product defect or failure. We don't cover incidental, indirect, or consequential damages including but not limited to: physical injuries, property damage, loss of vehicle use, rental car charges, towing fees, missed work, or accommodations resulting from a covered failure. The warranty terms above are the exclusive remedy for any covered issue.

If parts we installed are subsequently worked on by another shop or technician, this warranty becomes void on those components. We can only stand behind work that hasn't been touched by anyone else.

Some states don't allow disclaimers of implied warranties. In those states, any implied warranty is limited to the duration of the written warranty above. Some states also don't allow exclusion of incidental damages, in which case the above limitations may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have additional rights that vary by state.

Questions About Your Warranty?

We're happy to walk you through anything that's not clear. Call, text, or email — we'll get back to you fast.