5 Auto Part & Accessory Brands You Might Not Realize Are Owned By AutoZone

When it comes to buying auto parts, you have quite a few options. Not only can you buy parts through your vehicle's manufacturer and the dealership, but you can also search online, as well as in-person at numerous different dedicated parts stores. Stores like Napa Auto Parts, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Advance Auto Parts, and AutoZone are relatively well known for its many locations across the country and generally affordable prices. These stores are great places to buy supplies for DIY auto maintenance and repair and, thanks to the various extra services that many of these stores offer, they can also be excellent places for quick diagnostic work and even tool rental services. 

AutoZone, in particular, is one of the most popular auto parts stores in the country. The brand has been around since 1979, when it started out as a single stand-alone location in Forest City, Arkansas. Since then, the chain has expanded across the entirety of the United States and has even begun opening stores in other countries, like Mexico and Brazil. AutoZone's inventory is large and comprehensive, despite the fact that AutoZone locations don't tend to be extremely big. They function somewhat like warehouses, in that each store usually has a stockpile of common parts behind the counter, as well as a showroom full of things like tools, automotive fluids, and various other car accessories. 

You can buy everything from OEM (original equipment manufacture) parts to aftermarket products and upgrades at AutoZone, and the store carries a wide range of brands. Included in AutoZone's roster of brand names and manufacturers are several that are actually owned by the AutoZone company. If you're interested in learning more about AutoZone's private label brands, stick around. Here's what you need to know.

Duralast is AutoZone's primary private label brand. The company launched the Duralast line of products in 1986 to provide its own collection of quality parts, and the first components to be built with the Durlast brand name were starters and alternators. Fast-forward nearly 30 years, and the Duralast brand encompasses everything from disc brake pads and rotors to batteries, suspension components, and even tool sets. 

Durlast products can come in one of three sub-brand categories: Duralast, Duralast Gold, and Duralast Platinum. Base level products come with the Duralast name and also tend to come with the lowest prices. Parts available in this line include brake pads, batteries, starters alternators, and more. The Duralast Gold line is the next step-up and, depending on the type of product, may include a longer warranty and a steeper price tag. For example, a Duralast starter is a remanufactured unit that comes with new wear parts and a lifetime warranty, while a Duralast Gold starter is 100% new and also comes with a lifetime warranty. 

In comparison, a Duralast battery comes with a two-year warranty, while a Duralast Gold battery comes with a three-year warranty. Duralast Platinum is the highest tier of Duralast products and is reserved for batteries. These devices are made with higher-quality, premium materials and offer a four-year warranty. When it comes to customer opinions, Durlast has a relatively balanced reputation. Most enthusiasts agree that Duralast products aren't the highest quality, and caution against cheaping out on critical components like brake pads. However, many also mention that Duralast parts aren't necessarily always bad, but the quality is inconsistent, and many recommend thoroughly researching individual components before buying.

Besides Duralast, AutoZone owns several other private label brands. However, information about these brands is sparse, and the company does not mention them on its official timeline like it does with Duralast. Because of this, we had to dig a bit deeper to learn more about some of these names, including Valucraft. According to Justia, the Valucraft brand name was first used in 2004. The trademark process started 2008, and the brand is owned by AutoZone Parts, Incorporated. Apart from that data, the AutoZone website does not provide additional information about Valucraft, and there is little else to be found about the brand's history across the net.

Valucraft products mostly encompass replacement car parts, including things like water pumps, fuel filters, sway bar links, ignition coils, and more. Many of these components appear to be new, meaning they're not remanufactured or rebuilt, and they're designed to meet original equipment (OE) specifications. That does not mean that these are OEM parts. Rather, that they're designed to be compatible with certain makes and models and meet the same standards as do OEM components. Valucraft parts are relatively affordable when compared to OEM and even Duralast products, making them an attractive option for DIYers and those performing repairs on less valuable vehicles.

Regarding customer opinions, ratings for Valucraft products on the AutoZone site are mostly positive. There are outliers, but a large amount of these parts come with at least 4.2 out of five stars based on numerous reviews. Outside of the official AutoZone site, opinions are mixed, similar to those for Duralast products. Many enthusiasts reiterate that you shouldn't cheap out on critical components, while others feel that Valucraft parts could be worth buying, depending on the vehicle and the individual part itself.

ProElite is another one of AutoZone's private label brands. Unlike Valucraft, ProElite has a moderately fleshed out product page, complete with imagery and advertorial language describing item features and benefits. Despite that, AutoZone does not provide much more information about this brand. According to Justia, the name is owned by AutoZone Parts, Incorporated and has been in use since 2014.

In comparison to the previous brands covered here, which offer a range of automotive parts and components, ProElite focuses more on car accessories and cleaning products. The brand's product lineup features things like auto cleaning and detailing supplies, floor mats, seat covers, steering wheel covers, license plate frames, and more, while its prices fall on the more affordable end of the spectrum, often comparable to or rivaling prices for similar items on Amazon. Some of the top-selling ProElite items include sets of microfiber towels, glass cleaner spray, and window sunshades.

Customer reviews for ProElite products on the AutoZone website are generally positive. Most of the brand's items tend to come with between 4.4 and five out of five stars based on customer comments. While there are some poorly-rated products (sub three stars), they are a minority in ProElite's inventory of more than 300 items. Outside of the AutoZone website, reviews are less favorable, depending on the product in question. While many users report that the microfiber towels are poor quality, others have favorable things to say about the brand's floor mats, as well as the cleaning and detailing supplies, adding that, for the cheap price, ProElite products get the job done.

AutoZone also owns SureBilt. The auto chain provides little information about the brand, and unlike ProElite, the SureBilt product page does not feature any imagery or promotional language about the products. According to data collected by Justia, AutoZone Parts, Incorporated owns the SureBilt name, and the brand has been in use since 2017.

Like ProElite, the SureBilt brand focuses primarily on auto accessories, instead of parts and components. However, while ProElite sells mostly cleaning supplies, SureBilt's inventory is composed chiefly of tools and includes things like ratchet and socket sets, oil filter pliers, and scrapers. The brand does sell a few auto parts, like exhaust system repair components and o-ring sets, but most of its product lineup consists of auto repair and maintenance tools. Some of SureBilt's top-selling items include a four-way lug wrench, a magnetic telescoping pickup tool, and a 20-piece ratchet and socket set. Its prices are on the cheaper end, but do tend to fall slightly higher than similar items for sale on Amazon.

SureBilt products are generally well-rated by customers on the AutoZone website. Of the 380 items currently listed under the SureBilt brand name, more than half feature between 4.4 and five out of five stars. Only a small handful of SureBilt products come rated with fewer than three out of five stars, and the lowest-rated item the company currently sells is a 9-inch caulking gun. Away from the AutoZone site, SureBilt reviews are few and hard to find. However, the few examples we did find were relatively divided. One user had good things to say about a SureBilt bearing packer, while another felt that Harbor Freight's tap and die set beats the SureBilt model.

ShopPro is another private label brand owned by the AutoZone chain. Like some of the other brands covered here, ShopPro does not have a detailed product page with imagery or promotional language. According to Justia, AutoZone Parts, Incorporated is the owner of the ShopPro brand and first began using the name in 2020.

In comparison to the previous brands we've discussed here, which focus on car parts and accessories, ShopPro's roster of products is composed primarily of various different automotive fluids, including essentials like power steering fluid, as well as various types of stop-leak chemicals and shop hand soaps. Some of the brand's best-selling items include universal coolant, cans of brake cleaner, windshield washer fluid, and brake fluid. Compared to other name-brand companies, like Prestone and CRC, ShopPro's prices tend to be a few dollars cheaper.

When it comes to AutoZone customer ratings, ShopPro products are generally well-reviewed. The brand currently sells 63 products, and of those items, well over half come with between 4.5 and five out of five stars based on huge numbers of reviews. In fact, many of the brand's top-rated fluids boast thousands of positive ratings. That said, a handful of ShopPro products are poorly rated, featuring fewer than three out of five stars. However, those items do appear to be outliers on the AutoZone site itself. Similar to SureBilt, though, ShopPro reviews and opinions are hard to find elsewhere on the net. We did find some examples of customers praising the low cost of certain ShopPro fuel additives, but other than that, the brand appears to be either unpopular or relatively unknown in the automotive world at large.