If you have a vehicle and a member of Costco, you might have these questions in mind Does Costco do tire alignment? How often you should align your tires? These questions can also come to your mind when your car needs maintenance.
If you want to know what Costco can do for your car, you need to read this post as we will explain everything you need to know about wheel alignment and what does Costco have to offer in this regard.
Does Costco Do Tire Alignment?
There are a number of retailers and wholesalers available in the market which are as good as Costco, but Costco outranks most of them because Costco is a company that is considered one-stop shop when it comes to car maintenance.
However, Costco does not have wheel alignment services as these services are not linked with car maintenance, but to car repairs. In this article, you will learn why that is, how much does it cost to get your wheels aligned, how often you should do it, and where you should do it.
Why Doesn’t Costco Do Wheel Alignment?
- Wheel alignment machinery is costly to purchase and upkeep
- Trained technicians are required for Wheel alignment
- It isn’t financially possible for Costco
What Are The Costs Linked with Offering Wheel Alignment Services?
Wheel alignment is not only just a job of a hammer and an anvil as wheel alignment machines are very delicate in nature that need to be handled with care and love. These machines can help to measure camber, toe, caster, ride height and other parameters in order to help with the angle at which the tire meets the road.
Evidently, these machines are heavy and need a few technicians to run them all the time to avoid any fault. In short, they will need extra money to purchase them and even more money to get the best possible result. To keep them in the satisfactory condition, all these requirements should be fulfilled.
Costco is a wholesaler who promotes savings and allow bulk buys so it is not a mechanical workshop.
Does Performing Wheel Alignment Need Lots Of Expertise?
You may know about the saying: “If you can do it, why pay someone else to do it?” It can be sensible keeping in view the most services you get at Costco as replacing a set of windshields, a battery or your tire rotation is an easy task that does not need any special tools. When it comes to wheel alignment, it is the opposite of it as this process needs knowledge, experience, precision and specific tools.
This means that in order to do the tire alignment, Costo would have to train their employees to educate about the wheel alignment machines and how to use them thoroughly before they start doing it professionally. As we already stated that these machines are very expensive in terms of maintenance that is why Costco would either have to train their employees or have to pay a third-party for it. Whatever they choose, it will cost money.
What Is The Main Reason Costco Does Not Perform Wheel Alignment?
The main reason why Costco does not perform wheel alignment is that it is not financially possible for them, at least not for them. The main profit of Costco mostly comes from membership fees and various profits from merchandise, both of them are depend on how Costco tends to work in all stages of its business.
Keeping in view the fact that wheel alignment needs heavy machinery, advanced employees training, experience, high upkeep costs and other unforeseen costs including repairs, it is not financially possible for them to do that. It does not follow the Costco’s business philosophy that is the reason why we will never see Costco technicians doing a wheel alignment.
How Much Does It Cost To Do A Wheel Alignment?
The cost depends on the type of alignment your car needs. If you only need a front-end alignment, there is more likely that you will end up paying not more than $80 altogether. Alternatively, if you need an all-four/thrust alignment for your vehicle, you may have to spend up to $250. Sometimes the cost can be less, sometimes it can cost more as the labor we included is not the same for all types of cars.
How Often Should I Perform Wheel Alignment?
You can use your car’s owner manual in order to find out that information. If you are unable to find any information or you have lost your owner’s manual, the next step is to ask your dealership. Most mechanics will advise you to align them every 2-3 years maximum, but you should be capable of testing the car for wheel misalignment yourself and should do it whenever it is necessary.
Where Can You Do Wheel Alignment?
Even though Costco does not have wheel alignment services, you can get it done from other reputable repair facilities and maintenance centers. As such, you need to keep them in mind the next time you go for wheel alignment.
- Walmart – In my opinion, Walmart is a reputable place that can do anything. As such, they also have wheel alignment in some of their facilities, and the standard cost for it is $75, but they don’t give you any warranties.
- Pep Boys – Pep Boys is another place that people use in order to do the wheel alignment for their cars. For a standard alignment, the price is around $85, and they also offer a 3-month warranty.
- Firestone Complete Auto Care – Firestone is one of the most popular places to consider when you need a complete car maintenance which means that they also perform wheel alignment and they will charge you $80 and is backed up with a 1-year warranty.
- Sears – Sears is also an option to consider to take your car for a wheel alignment. They will do it for $85 price and the warranty lasts for 6 months.
- Goodyear – Goodyear also performs wheel alignment your your car and it will be done for $100, and you will also get a 6-month warranty.
Final Words
So, Does Costco Perform Tire Alignment? No, they don’t. Costco does not do wheel alignment due to various reasons, most of the them are associated with costs and how Costco does the business. Firstly, wheel alignment will need heavy machines, costly upkeep costs, advanced employee education and a lot other unforeseen costs including repairs or injuries at work.
Additionally, Costco is mainly focused on maintenance related services, they do not want to indulge in delicate car mechanics as it increases the risk factor. Do not worry you can do your wheel alignment at many reputable places as we mentioned in this article many of them are as reputable as Costco.
