Wheel alignment is an essential repair for every car. It is the adjustment of the front and rear suspension parts that ensures proper handling and a comfortable ride. It enhances tire performance and improves tire longevity. Most auto spare part sellers and repair shops offer wheel alignments.
Wheel alignment is recommended after installing new tires. So if you want to buy new tires at Costco tire center, you may wonder, does Costco do alignments?
Costco is a household name for many individuals since it sells almost everything from foods, computers, pharmacies, appliances, and automotive parts. Here, we’ll answer several trivial questions regarding Costco and alignments. But first, let’s start with the question, does Costco do wheel alignment?
Does Costco do alignments?
While Costco is a big name in the automotive industry and has tire centers across several regions, it doesn’t offer alignment services for new tires. So, it’s essential to factor in this when budgeting on purchasing tires from Costco. But why doesn’t Costco do wheel alignment, anyway?
Why doesn’t Costco offer wheel alignments?
You’ll not get a tire alignment whether you buy Costco tires or not. Why is it so for a reputable brand that sells almost everything you can think of? Here are the probable reasons why Costco doesn’t do wheel alignments.
Low service demand
Most service technicians recommend wheel alignments at least once in three years or after every tire replacement. But, most motorists don’t go for wheel alignments even after replacing tires. Some car owners may not even go for a wheel alignment for 20 to 30 years of their life. So it may not be worth buying the heavy and costly equipment for wheel alignments.
Experienced service technicians are needed.
Wheel alignment equipment need trained technicians to handle it. And this may be salary intensive since it requires trained technicians. So, offering this service will call for extra operating expenses.
Expensive operating machine
Wheel alignment machines are expensive. So, considering the cost of the machine, service demand, and trained technicians needed, it’ll take a long time for Costco to recover the cost of the equipment and operating costs if they decide to buy the machine for all their centers.
Reduces revenue
A set of new tires cost around $400 or more, while wheel alignments cost around $80 to $100. There are fewer chances of attending to a customer that wants new tires for each alignment done. So, alignment services may invariably reduce Costco’s revenue.
Does Costco include free alignment?
Costco performs several tire-related services like tire rotation and inflations. That’s why many car owners ask, is Costco doing alignment? Unfortunately, they don’t do alignment at all, even if you get a set of new tires from them.
As reiterated above, Costco does not offer alignment services because of expensive equipment, trained technicians needed, and low service demand. If you want to factor in alignment costs when getting a new tire, try other stores like Les Schwab, Walmart, and other local repair stores. However, Costco may still offer more affordable tires.
Does Costco Rotate and balance tires for free?
The answer to all questions regarding Does Costco tire center do wheel alignments is no. But that doesn’t mean Costco doesn’t offer other exceptional tire services. When you purchase and install Costco tires at their auto center, you’ll enjoy many freebie tire maintenance services thrown at the tires.
They offer freebie tire maintenance, including free tire rotations, free lifetime tire balancing, and free lifetime tire inflation pressure checks. At this point, you may be confused if you don’t know the difference between tire balance vs. alignment.
Both enable smoother ride and handling, but they are different from each other. For example, wheel balancing is aimed at correcting the weight imbalance on the wheel assemblies and tires, while wheel alignments correct the tire angles so they’ll hug the road perfectly.
Does Costco do wheel balancing?
As explained above, Costco offers free wheel balancing when you purchase its tires. A tire is considered imbalanced when one area is lighter or heavier than the other. Proper balancing will reduce strain on the drivetrain, create less tire wear, and a smoother ride experience.
How much is tire balancing at Costco?
Costco charges around $22 for balancing the wheels on your vehicle. However, this service is not available to everyone. You must have a Costco membership and book a wheel balancing appointment for your car.
You can book the appointment via the Costco website. After that, you visit a Costco tire service center and select a location and the type of vehicle you want to balance. Then, you’ll choose the appointment time from there. The wait time is usually 45 minutes. But you may spend more time depending on how busy the service technicians are.
How often should I rotate my tires at Costco?
Costco follows the manufacturer’s recommended interval for tire rotation. If the manufacturer does not specify the rotation intervals, you should rotate the tires every 10,000 km to 12,000 km. During tire rotation, the tires are removed and installed on a different wheel. This helps the tires to wear evenly and prevents tire cupping.
Do you need a Costco membership for Tire Center?
Yes, you need a membership to access any Costco tire centers. Costco will not offer any tire services to non-members. Plus, if you want Costco to install your tires, you must purchase the authorized tire for your vehicle. If you don’t know the correct fitment for your car, contact a nearby Costco tire center before making the purchase.
How long does tire rotation and balance take at Costco?
On average, Costco’s tire rotation and wheel balancing are usually around 45 minutes. The average time varies based on how busy the technicians are, your vehicle type, and other services you want. However, you can budget for as little as 20 minutes or as long as 3 hours.
Are Costco tires under warranty?
All performance, passenger, and lightweight truck tires sold at Costco tire centers have a 5-year warranty. Costco will cover any inside tire wear, outside tire wear, damages, the tread wears, or tire failures incurred within the 5-year warranty.
Final Words
By now, you should have got all the answers to Does Costco do alignment? Or does Costco check alignment? Unfortunately, Costco Tire Center does not include wheel alignment in their vision of selling quality tires at great prices.
To perform wheel alignment, consider other service providers like Walmart, Les Schwab, or your local auto repair shops. They will offer you excellent services.
