Quick Answer: The company behind Bendix brake pads, FMP Group (Australia) Pty Ltd, entered voluntary administration on 26 October 2026. Bendix says it is business as usual and that new owners will be announced soon. If you already have Bendix brakes fitted, nothing changes for your car today — and if you need new brakes, pads are still sold through retailers while the administration runs its course. The key date to watch is the first creditors’ meeting on 5 November 2026. You can check the latest from the company via its official Bendix website.
What has actually happened to Bendix?
First, the name on the paperwork matters. The brand drivers know is Bendix, but the company in administration is FMP Group (Australia) Pty Ltd — FMP stands for Friction Materials Pacific. Grant Thornton’s Tianne Nagy-Jones and Philip Campbell-Wilson were appointed as joint administrators on Monday, 26 October 2026.
Voluntary administration is not the same as closure, and it is not the same as liquidation. It is a formal process where independent administrators take control of a company while they work out whether the business can be saved, sold, or restructured. Directors stay in their roles but cannot make decisions without the administrator’s approval. That is why Bendix can keep trading while the process plays out — and why its spokesperson was able to tell reporters: “It’s business as usual at Bendix, our new owners will be announced soon.”
The first creditors’ meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 5 November 2026. That meeting is mainly about how the administration will be run, not the final decision on the company’s future. A later meeting of creditors will decide between options such as a deed of company arrangement (a deal to keep the business going under agreed terms), liquidation, or handing control back to the directors.
Why did this happen?
The administration follows the collapse of the group’s United States owner. First Brands Group, based in Cleveland, acquired the FMP/Trico business in 2024. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2025, and those proceedings were converted to Chapter 7 liquidation on 1 September 2026 after a court rejected its proposed plan.
That chain of events landed on a business that, less than a year earlier, was celebrating its 70th anniversary. Bendix began in Ballarat, Victoria, in 1955 as Mintex Limited. In 1963, the United States Bendix Corporation bought a 51 per cent stake, and the business changed its name to FMP Group in November 2002, keeping Bendix as its product brand.
What does it mean for drivers?
For most drivers, the honest answer is: very little right now, but keep an eye on a few things.
If you already have Bendix brakes on your car: your brakes do not stop working because a company enters administration. Brake pads are a physical product already fitted to your vehicle. Keep servicing your car as normal and have your brakes checked at the usual intervals — or sooner if you hear squealing, grinding, or feel a change in pedal feel or stopping distance.
If you need new brake pads soon: Bendix pads are sold through auto parts retailers and workshops, and stock already in stores is unaffected. If your mechanic quotes a Bendix part, ask whether it is in stock and whether an equivalent quality alternative is available, so you are not left waiting if supply tightens. There is no need to panic-buy pads you do not need yet.
If you bought Bendix products recently: keep your receipt and any warranty paperwork. If a problem arises, your first point of contact is normally the retailer or workshop that sold and fitted the product. Under the Australian Consumer Law, consumer guarantees apply to the seller, so a manufacturer’s administration does not simply erase your rights against the business you bought from. If you are unsure, ask the retailer in writing and keep a copy of the reply.
If you have an outstanding order: contact the retailer or workshop directly and ask for a clear delivery date. Administrators generally decide which orders go ahead, so a written confirmation is worth more than an assumption.
What about Ballarat jobs and local manufacturing?
This is the part of the story that matters beyond the driveway. The Ballarat factory reportedly employed around 120 people in November 2025 and produced more than 1.3 million sets of brake pads a year. Around 70 per cent of the brake pads Bendix sold into the local market were made locally — a rare thing in an industry where most aftermarket parts are imported.
The plant is also the company’s research, development and testing headquarters, and Bendix had recently invested in new grinding equipment, robotics, expanded warehousing and an automated boxing system. A sale of the business as a going concern — which the “new owners will be announced soon” line points to — would be the outcome that best protects those jobs and that manufacturing capability. Until the administrators report back, though, no outcome is guaranteed, and workers’ entitlements are a matter for the administration process.
How big is Bendix in motoring history?
Bigger than many drivers realise. Bendix became the sole supplier of brake linings to Holden in 1967, and it also supplied Chrysler, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota’s local manufacturing operations before Ford closed its plants in 2016 and Toyota and Holden followed in 2017. Since then it has lived on in the aftermarket, making brake pads, rotors, electric trailer-brake controllers and braking parts for four-wheel drives and motorcycles, including pads for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Its motorsport profile has stayed high, too. Bendix backs Matt Stone Racing in Supercars, and its Chevrolet Camaro, driven by Zach Bates, took pole position at this month’s Bathurst 1000 before Bates and co-driver Aaron Seton finished third. The team has said it is business as usual on that front as well.
One related brand to note: FMP Group also promotes Trico windscreen wipers here, but Trico Products Pty Ltd is a separate legal entity, so do not assume the same administration applies to it.
What happens next?
- 5 November 2026: first creditors’ meeting — creditors can vote on replacing the administrators or forming a committee to oversee the process.
- Coming weeks: the administrators investigate the business and report to creditors on whether it can be saved or sold.
- Second creditors’ meeting: creditors vote on the company’s future — a deed of company arrangement, liquidation, or a return to the directors.
- Watch for: any announcement of new owners, which Bendix has already flagged as coming soon.
For drivers, the practical takeaway is simple: keep your brakes serviced, keep your receipts, and buy on need rather than rumour. If Bendix is sold as a going concern, most customers may barely notice the change. If it is not, the aftermarket has plenty of alternative pad brands — but your mechanic, not a headline, is the right person to pick the right pad for your car.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bendix closed?
No. Its parent company, FMP Group (Australia), is in voluntary administration, but Bendix says it is trading as usual while administrators work on a sale or restructure.
Can I still buy Bendix brake pads?
Yes, for now. Stock held by retailers and workshops is still available. Ask your retailer or mechanic to confirm availability before booking work, in case supply changes during the administration.
Does voluntary administration void my warranty?
Not automatically. Keep your receipt and warranty documents, and raise any fault first with the retailer or workshop that sold you the product. Consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law sit with the seller, so get advice in writing if a claim is refused.
Will Ballarat brake pad production stop?
That has not been announced. The administrators’ job is to assess whether the business can be sold or restructured, and Bendix has pointed to new owners being announced soon. The outcome will become clearer after the administrators report to creditors.
Are Trico wipers affected?
Trico Products Pty Ltd is a separate legal entity from FMP Group (Australia), even though FMP promotes the Trico brand here. The administration announced on 26 October 2026 relates to FMP Group (Australia) Pty Ltd.
