It was very hard to turn the steering wheel today in my 2.4L V4 Sonata. Power steering compartment was empty due to leak in the power steering hose. OEM hose costs ~ $270. In Autozone they have Duralast brand for $60 (incl tax) with lifetime warranty. Is it a must to go with OEM or other brands would also be fine?

 

I use aftermarket parts on my cars all the time, so I say "go for it". I will advise you to remove the old hose from the car to compare with the Duralast part before you buy it. Make sure the hose length and connectors match up exactly the same. Sometimes automotive store brands are "universal" replacements for a number of applications that may or may not work like the OEM part.

Good luck.