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 with 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.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the battery died without warning. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V024000 (air bags). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called bob valenti Ford (72 jerry brown rd, mystic, ct 06355, (888) 699-3309) and was informed that the parts were not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 46,678. VIN tool confirms parts not available. *

- Westlery, RI, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph, there was a sudden increase in engine rpms as the vehicle overheated. The contact managed to veered into the slow lane and continue to coast to her residence. On a different occasion, the contact noticed that the check engine warning light illuminated whenever the fuel tank was low on fuel. Also, the battery was not working properly. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer for a diagnosis. The technician was unable to locate a problem but replaced the battery. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100.

- Staton Island, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was being examined by an authorized dealer for routine maintenance when she was informed that the battery was corroded. As time progressed, the vehicle would not start. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start on five occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 6,000. Updated 07/06/12 updated 07/12/12

- Lino Lakes, MN, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. While driving 55 mph the engine stalled without any prior warnings. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the battery was recharged. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 7,800 and the current mileage was 8,000.

- Escondido, CA, USA