Want tires? Must buy alignment!

- T
- timbirr
  
  Contact options for registered users
posted
17 years ago

Mon, Aug 21, 2006 11:06 PM

Noticed the thread about Toyota dealer pushing nitrogen for filling tires.

I noticed my local Toy dealer had a decent price on tires, maybe not cheaper than the local tire dealers but within a buck or tire, more or less, so I decided to give the chance to put some new shoes on my car.

I called got the price of the tires, showed up to drop off the car and that is when they "mentioned" having an alignment. Said I didn't want an alignment. They said I HAD to have an alignment or they could not put on new tires. It was an INSURANCE matter. Pushed further and then they said it was tire maker WARRANTY matter. Since they were selling Michelin, Kelly, Bridgestone and several other brands, I asked if all the brands had that requirement. They said yes.

I said that my mechanic (an old-timer who KNOWS how to align cars properly) had just aligned the car a week before and I would show them the receipt. Didn't matter. Had to be an $79.95 alignment done at their shop.

I walked out and went to the Big O Tire dealer down the street, where they had no cares about alignment...

- S
- Stewart DIBBS
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
17 years ago

Tue, Aug 22, 2006 1:22 AM

Absolutely the correct response, along with telling them you'll take all your business elsewhere.

If the OEMs have an INSURANCE requirement, which I doubt, it would more likely say that an aligment is strongly suggested/required, not an alignment at the vendor.

Reminds me ... years ago I leased an awd Mazda 323 GTX (lovely little car), and since it was a demo vehicle, I required a wheel aligment to be done prior to delivery so I could be sure it ws right. The salesman said it had been done. 3 weeks later I took the car back to query the handling, and salesman then said, "no, we did not do it, the tires wern't feathering and it handles OK" ... the dealer GM I spoke to 30 seconds later was most conciliatory, and said "just bring it back and we'll fix it!" What he said to the salesman is unknown.

SD

- B
- Bruce L. Bergman
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
17 years ago

Tue, Aug 22, 2006 2:38 AM

"Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!"

Proper response - now take it the rest of the way. What was the name of that stealership - umm, I mean dealership that tried this again? Louder, I couldn't hear you...

Second, does your State County or City regulate and/or license auto repair shops? If the California DMV Bureau of Automotive Repair got enough complaints about a certain shop to raise suspicions hey would send BAR inspectors to "undercover shop" the dealership for a set of tires (on a 'bait car' with perfect alignment and in otherwise perfect operating condition). Give the Service Advisors and Mechanics a whole lot of rope for things like 'required' service items and 'problems' found, and see if they'll be so nice as to hang themselves.

-->--