Autolite, Stoptech, Fram and More Upended by Parent Company’s Bankruptcy

[1srelluc]

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/first-brands-groups-bankruptcy-shutters-iconic-automotive-brands/

Some well-known automotive brands are in dire straits. First Brands Group, LLC, a conglomerate company that owns popular aftermarket automotive brands such as Raybestos, StopTech, FRAM, TRICO, Autolite, and others, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September of last year after the company’s liabilities ballooned into the billions of dollars while holding very little cash on hand.

Well, so much for buying an old Dodge PU. My old Dodge would crack distributor caps no end due to a hood design flaw that allowed water to drip down onto the hot MOPAR DC and crack it.

A friend told me to buy a FRAM DC and I'd have no more trouble....I did and it worked!

 

[Natural Citizen]

Also from the article...

''Founded in 2013, First Brands relied on a business model that utilized “off-balance-sheet financing,” a borrowing strategy that obfuscates the true amount of leverage that shows up on its books as a liability. The company experienced meteoric growth in just a decade, growing its portfolio to include 25 well-known aftermarket brands that supplied everything from brake components to spark plugs to windshield wipers to lubricants. But that heavy reliance on debt and complex financial vehicles was a house of cards that came crumbling down in 2025.''


Sound familiar?