My experience with a tire shop and lifetime aligntment/balancing
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Senior Member
Joined: 03-17-2012
Posts: 1,042
From: Bay Area, CA
I would rather not say, as I assume I could use this against them in court ("company claimed they had no record of ever doing service on the car" etc)
Deals like these are losers. Generally in the the time you own a car from new you seldom will need much in the way of alignments or balancing.
They bet that you will not return often and most people seldom do during the life of the car or tires. Also they can give you a free alignment but too often they will find a lot of other money making things wrong and you will leave with a bill for something. Most shops are honest but many are not. I have seen the games first hand and even had a buddy quit a place because they were pressuring him to replace good parts.
Same to a lesser extent extended warranties. Often things that people fear will fail are often under a 100,000 mile warranty anyways.
The way I look at it the extended warranty is like Vegas. The house bets you will not need it and sell it to you hoping to take your money. The owner is playing the game in fear he will lose the money and is making what he thinks is a safe bet. In the end the house normally wins and makes money while only with a few pay outs to make it look like a safe bet to the buyer. In the end you are generally buying piece of mind.
They bet that you will not return often and most people seldom do during the life of the car or tires. Also they can give you a free alignment but too often they will find a lot of other money making things wrong and you will leave with a bill for something. Most shops are honest but many are not. I have seen the games first hand and even had a buddy quit a place because they were pressuring him to replace good parts.
Same to a lesser extent extended warranties. Often things that people fear will fail are often under a 100,000 mile warranty anyways.
The way I look at it the extended warranty is like Vegas. The house bets you will not need it and sell it to you hoping to take your money. The owner is playing the game in fear he will lose the money and is making what he thinks is a safe bet. In the end the house normally wins and makes money while only with a few pay outs to make it look like a safe bet to the buyer. In the end you are generally buying piece of mind.
Every time I change the oil/tires I would have the car aligned/balanced.
That's the goal since the car is very new and probably the newest car any of the family has had. (as far as mileage/year the car was made anyway)
I think your receipt is all you need. It sounds like they had a computer glitch.
Off topic a bit, my wife and I go to a local Discount Tire and if you buy tires and have them mount them, you get free lifetime rotation, balancing and tire repair (but not alignment). Their prices seem very much in line with other places so it doesn't appear to be a we'll-charge-more-for-the-tires/mounting-to-make-up-for-the-free-service kind of deal. We've had great service with them. They've rotated twice (checked balancing for each tire) and plugged two tires (one while I was out of state) for absolutely free. Plus they all (I've been to three, one in AZ, and two in NM) seem to have a window in the waiting room so you can watch them work. Very cool place.
Off topic a bit, my wife and I go to a local Discount Tire and if you buy tires and have them mount them, you get free lifetime rotation, balancing and tire repair (but not alignment). Their prices seem very much in line with other places so it doesn't appear to be a we'll-charge-more-for-the-tires/mounting-to-make-up-for-the-free-service kind of deal. We've had great service with them. They've rotated twice (checked balancing for each tire) and plugged two tires (one while I was out of state) for absolutely free. Plus they all (I've been to three, one in AZ, and two in NM) seem to have a window in the waiting room so you can watch them work. Very cool place.
Boy, that shop got it's money's worth out of you! The only adjustment that a normal tech can or will do on a stock HHR is TOE.(that is a PERIOD). If you don't go around banging into curbs "you don't need an alignment". They screwed it up the first time they did it, and now can't/won't get it back to specs. However, if you paid for a "Lifetime" alignment, I advise you to take it into the shop as often as the guarantee allows, on the button.(also a PERIOD) And watch the tech the entire time it's on the rack.
The only thing that you even need is to have the front end parts inspected for wear, and then replaced if needed. That is one of the major selling points of the "McPherson strut". The other being ease of installation at the factory.
The vibration that came and went was probably a bit of mud or road tar stuck on the wheel.
The only thing that you even need is to have the front end parts inspected for wear, and then replaced if needed. That is one of the major selling points of the "McPherson strut". The other being ease of installation at the factory.
The vibration that came and went was probably a bit of mud or road tar stuck on the wheel.
BTW this was the initial service that lead to the car pulling to the left, when the car was fine before this. (and again, a second visit still made the car turn to the left)
Forget THAT. I paid for something and I expect what I paid for. I'm not just going to let them walk all over me. That person is long gone.
Many tire places make money on selling "additional" service whether you need it or not. The last time I purchased tire, the tire shop wanted to do an alignment. I said no, as I take my cars to a specialty alignment shop. The tire techs working there looked like parolees with a job. All skinny with tatoos all over, looking like meth heads to me. They wanted to sell me lifetime tire warrenty plus other stuff.
My brother took his car in for some work and was hit with a $2600 bill for brakes, ball joints, tie rods, alignment etc etc. He has a PT Cruiser with just 60K miles and I doubt that all that stuff was really needed.
My brother took his car in for some work and was hit with a $2600 bill for brakes, ball joints, tie rods, alignment etc etc. He has a PT Cruiser with just 60K miles and I doubt that all that stuff was really needed.
I also agree on the meth head part. Clearly these guys are entry level and donkeys without any real knowledge...
The theory is: get a car up on a lift you CAN find something to sell.
Don't forget that most mechanics are basically commissioned sales people, meaning they get paid by the flat rate job, not the real hour, plus a sales bonus.
The tire stores that I worked at 40 years ago would mark parts up 100% of the RETAIL price (that's double what you would pay at the counter), and pay the supplier wholesale (with volume discounts). We made small fortunes selling idler arms, cost us $8 cost customer $35 + $70 labor (for 3 bolts) then tie rod end bushings, cost us $0.45 cost customer $65 + $70 labor and then, of course "anytime you touch the suspension you need an alignment". KA-CHING! We just made $200 profit in under an hour on one of 15 customers.
Now that I am a senior citizen, I am remorseful of the scare I used to throw into the old folks. And I try to steer other folks in the right direction.
Don't forget that most mechanics are basically commissioned sales people, meaning they get paid by the flat rate job, not the real hour, plus a sales bonus.
The tire stores that I worked at 40 years ago would mark parts up 100% of the RETAIL price (that's double what you would pay at the counter), and pay the supplier wholesale (with volume discounts). We made small fortunes selling idler arms, cost us $8 cost customer $35 + $70 labor (for 3 bolts) then tie rod end bushings, cost us $0.45 cost customer $65 + $70 labor and then, of course "anytime you touch the suspension you need an alignment". KA-CHING! We just made $200 profit in under an hour on one of 15 customers.
Now that I am a senior citizen, I am remorseful of the scare I used to throw into the old folks. And I try to steer other folks in the right direction.
Just getting you in the door is a way to sell parts.
Many but not all shop require the mechanics to sell so much $$ per month on replacment parts. While some shops only push for needed part many anymore will push to replace any part good or not. They lay this deed on the mechanic.
As for mark up most places by wholesale list and sell at the retail price some may mark up more, This is why you see a higher price on parts vs when you buy them. If you did not pay the mark up the price would be tacked on to the price of the labor anyways. These places do not just work for labor only.
My mom went to get tires mounted on and watched as they unloaded a truck load of springs at the shop. Guess what they came in and told her that here rear spings were so bad she may not make it home. Luckily Mom was wise enough to the car repair game she just told them she would take here chances and that it was good they just happen to get a load of new springs in while she was there. The service writer just walked away.
In this day and age one needs to be some what aware of their dealing to protect themselves and it matters little what it is. Car repair, home repair etc. Too many people are too lazy, trusting or indifferent and get taken often. There is enough ways to get info to be up on about anything to the point that while you may not be able to replace a Idler arm at least you know what it is and what it takes to replace it.
Never shop clueless.
I just love it when Best Buys tries to pawn a extended warranty on me. I just ask them well if you are having that much problems let me put this item back. They stop me and then just tell me I have to ask and that they get very few if any back.
No matter what the buisness they play on your fears and try to replace parts and warranties to make money.
Even things like the enless pancakes at IHOP are a rip. How many here can finish more than they already give you? Sounds like a deal but then you think about it.
Many but not all shop require the mechanics to sell so much $$ per month on replacment parts. While some shops only push for needed part many anymore will push to replace any part good or not. They lay this deed on the mechanic.
As for mark up most places by wholesale list and sell at the retail price some may mark up more, This is why you see a higher price on parts vs when you buy them. If you did not pay the mark up the price would be tacked on to the price of the labor anyways. These places do not just work for labor only.
My mom went to get tires mounted on and watched as they unloaded a truck load of springs at the shop. Guess what they came in and told her that here rear spings were so bad she may not make it home. Luckily Mom was wise enough to the car repair game she just told them she would take here chances and that it was good they just happen to get a load of new springs in while she was there. The service writer just walked away.
In this day and age one needs to be some what aware of their dealing to protect themselves and it matters little what it is. Car repair, home repair etc. Too many people are too lazy, trusting or indifferent and get taken often. There is enough ways to get info to be up on about anything to the point that while you may not be able to replace a Idler arm at least you know what it is and what it takes to replace it.
Never shop clueless.
I just love it when Best Buys tries to pawn a extended warranty on me. I just ask them well if you are having that much problems let me put this item back. They stop me and then just tell me I have to ask and that they get very few if any back.
No matter what the buisness they play on your fears and try to replace parts and warranties to make money.
Even things like the enless pancakes at IHOP are a rip. How many here can finish more than they already give you? Sounds like a deal but then you think about it.
You can fraud the warranties too but I only try to use stuff I buy since I have a job and can pay for things and just expect things to work
I bought the frys warranty on my processor/motherboard and luckily didn't need it. But it's also a good way to ensure it works, then sell it before the warranty runs out. Sure you lose a little, but imagine if they failed and you have a $100 paper weight?
That's how I view extended warranties.
Member
Joined: 05-16-2012
Posts: 35
From: Williamston,SC
wow....As a man that runs one of these stores, and can speak with experience......ALWAYS make sure they drag you to the shop....say show me....if you're still cautious, have a second opinion done... We are bound by rules, but i cant speak for all.
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Joined: 01-23-2009
Posts: 26,532
From: Fredericksburg,VA
Did they install a camber kit? You would know from the $150 charge. Without that they could not have changed the camber settings. But, the camber readings would seem to lead to a left drift before and after. The tiny difference would lead me to think, that's just leaning on the car, and they really only mucked with the toe, and I wonder why they didn't try to equalize that.
I am suspecting that you have some worn out parts that they were not smart enough to find, like control arm bushings.
Oh, well enough amateur diagnosis from 1000 miles away. I'll just sit here and wait for Sandy to blow me away.
I am suspecting that you have some worn out parts that they were not smart enough to find, like control arm bushings.
Oh, well enough amateur diagnosis from 1000 miles away. I'll just sit here and wait for Sandy to blow me away.
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