Duster was greenlit straight to series at HBO Max in April 2020 as part of J. J. Abrams' overall deal with WarnerMedia, and was co-created and co-written by Abrams and LaToya Morgan.

Josh Holloway was cast for the pilot in March 2021, and Rachel Hilson joined as co-lead when the series received its official order in February 2023.

The pilot was filmed from September through mid-November 2021 in downtown Tucson and parts of Pima County, Arizona, before full series production moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in April 2023.

Production on the full series was suspended in May 2023 due to the 2023 WGA strike.

Picture car coordinator Ted Moser procured over 250 vehicles for the show, including four separate 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 cars for Jim's character—one detailed 'hero car' for close-ups and three stunt cars modified with camera equipment and automatic transmissions.

Josh Holloway took a stunt driving class to prepare for his role and performed many of his own driving scenes, with stunt driver Corey Eubanks handling the rest.

A scene featuring several BMWs was originally written with Audis in mind, and Nina's character drives a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere.

The series holds a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 35 critics and a 'generally favorable' score of 72/100 on Metacritic from 22 critics, yet Max cancelled the show after just one season on July 9, 2025.