Bendix Brakes Administration: What FMP Group's Collapse Means

The Bendix brakes administration involves FMP Group (Australia) Pty Limited, the Ballarat company that makes and sells Bendix brake pads in Australia. Administrators and receivers were appointed on October 26, 2026, but as of October 29, 2026 the business is still trading. Grant Thornton's creditor notice says the company "continues to trade under the control of the Receivers and Managers". A spokesperson told CarExpert it is "business as usual at Bendix" and that new owners will be announced soon.

The open questions are who will own the business, whether the Bendix name goes with it, and what happens to warranties and the roughly 120 Ballarat jobs.

What happened to Bendix brakes?

On Monday, October 26, 2026, Tianne Nagy-Jones and Philip Campbell-Wilson of Grant Thornton Australia were appointed joint and several administrators of FMP Group (Australia) Pty Limited (ACN 004 332 496). The same day, Vaughan Strawbridge and John Park of FTI Consulting were appointed receivers and managers, according to the administrators' notice. The two appointments run side by side.

The receivers run day-to-day trading, staff and supplier dealings. The administrators handle unsecured creditors' claims, investigate the company's affairs and run creditors' meetings. FMP stands for Friction Materials Pacific.

News reports, including CarExpert and V8 Sleuth, call this a voluntary administration. Grant Thornton's notice says the administrators were appointed under section 436C of the Corporations Act, and The Open Register reports that a secured creditor made the appointment, not FMP's directors. ASIC's guide for creditors confirms that a secured creditor holding security over all or most of a company's property can appoint an administrator. That creditor has not been publicly named.

Who is FMP Group?

The business dates back to 1955, when Britain's BBA Group set up Mintex Limited in Ballarat, Victoria. The US Bendix Corporation bought a 51% stake in 1963, creating Bendix Mintex. The company took the FMP Group name in November 2002 and kept Bendix as its product brand, according to its corporate page and CarExpert.

It became Holden's sole brake-lining supplier in 1967 and also supplied local Ford, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Chrysler plants. After Australian car-making ended in 2016 and 2017, it turned to the aftermarket. GoAuto reported in November 2025 that about 120 technicians and engineers at Ballarat made more than 1.3 million sets of brake pads a year, around 70% of the volume it sold in Australia.

Bendix's 70th anniversary release says 30 workers made the first linings in 1955 and staff passed 800 in 1994, a peak The Courier in Ballarat also reported. A 2023 company update put the site at about 118 people.

The appointments cover FMP Group (Australia) only, not other businesses overseas that use the Bendix name. FMP also markets Trico wipers locally, but Trico Products Pty Ltd is a separate legal entity, CarExpert notes.

The First Brands link, and why it is not proven

CarExpert reports that US parts group First Brands Group, based in Cleveland, bought the FMP/Trico Australia business in 2024. First Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2025, estimating liabilities of US$10 billion to US$50 billion (A$14.2 billion to A$71 billion, in CarExpert's conversion).

The US case collapsed this year. Judge Christopher Lopez refused to confirm First Brands' liquidating plan on August 24, 2026, and converted the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation on September 1, 2026, according to an analysis in the National Law Review. Just Auto reported, citing Reuters, that the judge said "time was not on the debtor's side".

The Open Register urges caution. It found that a September 2025 US bankruptcy chart showed Fox Acquisition Company Pty Ltd owning 50% of FMP, and that Fox went into Australian receivership 12 days later. It also notes that Bosch's 2023 annual report recorded a 49% investment in FMP. But FMP itself was not a debtor in the US case, and the outlet says public records do not show who owns FMP today, whether any sale has been completed, or why the appointments were made.

Bendix brakes administration: what it means for drivers

• Supply: the company is still trading under the receivers, Grant Thornton says. The Open Register notes it is not publicly confirmed whether the factory is producing normally or whether all online and distributor orders are being filled.
• The Bendix warranty: FMP's limited warranty lasts 12 months from installation, or the vehicle maker's recommended operating period if that ends sooner. Claims must be made within 7 days of finding a defect. How claims will be handled during the administration has not been announced.
• Your legal rights: the same warranty page says Bendix goods come with guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a business in administration or receivership may keep trading, people with a current written warranty should contact the manufacturer, and a card chargeback may be possible for goods that were faulty at or near the time of purchase.

For a specific dispute, contact your state or territory consumer protection agency. This is general information, not legal advice.

What it means for workshops, suppliers and creditors

Grant Thornton directs questions about trading, employees, suppliers and PPSR (registered security interest) claims to the receivers at FTI Consulting. Questions about the administration, proofs of debt and creditor claims go to Grant Thornton. Both sets of contact details are on the administrators' creditor page.

The first creditors' meeting is on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 12pm AEDT (01:00 UTC), held online, according to The Open Register's reading of the ASIC notice. CarExpert also reports the November 5 date. Proofs of debt and proxies are due by 4pm AEDT on November 4.

Under ASIC's rules, creditors at the first meeting decide whether to form a committee of inspection and whether to replace the administrators. A second meeting must normally be held within 25 business days of the appointment, which points to around the start of December 2026 unless a court extends it. There, creditors vote to hand the company back to its directors, accept a deed of company arrangement, or put it into liquidation. Meanwhile, unsecured creditors generally cannot pursue claims against the company without the administrators' consent or court permission.

What about the jobs in Ballarat?

As of October 29, 2026, no job cuts have been announced, and none of the reporting reviewed for this article mentions any. The latest reported headcount is about 120 people at Ballarat, from GoAuto and The Courier in November 2025. The corporate page cites more than 450 employees without saying which sites that covers.

ASIC's guide for employees says appointing an administrator does not automatically end anyone's employment. It also says the government's Fair Entitlements Guarantee becomes available only if a company goes into liquidation. Grant Thornton sends employee queries to FTI Consulting.

Who owns the Bendix name?

The Open Register reports that IP Australia lists BENDIX trademarks under other owners, including Garrett Transportation I Inc and Honeywell International Inc, and that FMP's brand material calls it an "authorised licensee". The licence terms are not public.

As The Open Register points out, a buyer could acquire the factory or the company without automatically gaining the right to sell pads as Bendix.

The Supercars sponsorship

Bendix has sponsored Matt Stone Racing's #10 Chevrolet Camaro in Supercars since early 2024; Zach Bates took pole at this month's Bathurst 1000, CarExpert reports. Asked about the administration, a team spokesperson pointed V8 Sleuth to Bendix's statement.

Key dates and how to follow it

• November 4, 4pm AEDT: proofs of debt and proxies due for the first meeting.
• November 5, 12pm AEDT: first creditors' meeting, held online.
• To be announced: the company says new owners will be named soon; no buyer had been identified as of October 29.
• Around early December: the second creditors' meeting falls due under the 25-business-day rule, unless extended.

For official updates, check Grant Thornton's creditor page and ASIC's published notices.

Our take

Based on the sources, the most useful fact for drivers and workshops is that FMP is still trading, and the biggest unknown is the brand licence. If new owners are announced, the detail to look for is whether they have secured the right to the Bendix name and taken on the warranty, not just the factory. Until the administrators report to creditors, explanations of the failure remain unconfirmed.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bendix brakes going out of business?

Not as of October 29, 2026. FMP Group (Australia), which makes Bendix pads, is in administration with receivers appointed, but the administrators say it continues to trade under the receivers. Its future will be decided by creditors and any sale, and the company says new owners will be announced soon.

Who are the administrators of FMP Group (Bendix)?

Tianne Nagy-Jones and Philip Campbell-Wilson of Grant Thornton were appointed joint administrators on October 26, 2026. Vaughan Strawbridge and John Park of FTI Consulting were appointed receivers and managers the same day and run day-to-day trading.

Is my Bendix warranty still valid?

FMP has not said how warranty claims will be handled during the administration. Its limited warranty runs 12 months from installation, and its own warranty page says Bendix goods come with Australian Consumer Law guarantees that cannot be excluded. For a dispute, contact your state or territory consumer agency; this is general information, not legal advice.

Did First Brands' bankruptcy cause the Bendix administration?

It is widely reported as the backdrop. CarExpert says First Brands bought the FMP/Trico Australia business in 2024, and its US case became a Chapter 7 liquidation on September 1, 2026. The Open Register notes FMP was not a debtor in that case and public records do not establish why administrators were appointed.

When is the Bendix creditors' meeting?

The first creditors' meeting is on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 12pm AEDT, held online, according to The Open Register's reading of the ASIC notice. Proofs of debt and proxies are due by 4pm AEDT on November 4. Creditor queries go to Grant Thornton.

Sources

1. FMP Group (Australia) Pty Limited (Administrators Appointed) (Receivers and Managers Appointed), Grant Thornton Australia
2. Aussie company behind Holden brake supplier Bendix enters voluntary administration, CarExpert
3. FMP Group (Australia): Bendix manufacturer in administration, The Open Register
4. Supercars Matt Stone Racing sponsor Bendix downplays entering administration, V8 Sleuth
5. Corporate Information, Bendix (FMP Group Australia)
6. Bendix celebrates 70 years of Australian manufacturing and innovation, Bendix (FMP Group Australia)
7. FMP Group further invests in Australian manufacturing, Bendix (FMP Group Australia)
8. Limited Warranty, Bendix (FMP Group Australia)
9. Bendix celebrates 70 years in Australia, GoAuto
10. How Ballarat maker survived death of automotive industry to celebrate 70 years, The Courier (Ballarat)
11. US judge rejects First Brands' plan to repay creditors via litigation, Just Auto (via Yahoo Finance)
12. First Brands After Conversion: What the Collapse Actually Teaches Lenders and Trade Creditors, National Law Review
13. Voluntary administration: A guide for creditors (INFO 74), ASIC
14. Voluntary administration: A guide for employees (INFO 75), ASIC
15. Insolvency, Consumer Affairs Victoria

How we wrote this

GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 15 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 29, 2026, and we update the post when they change.