Yurka

Im looking into replacing my tires soon. I had my service done last month and they were down to 4-5mm which means for spring/summer ill have to get them done. I would always purchase tires at Costco,they would have them for 700-800, not too bad and thats with work and tax. However Costco by me got closed down (their tire center) and another one is quite far. I got a coupon from Lexus dealership where i got the car which is $499 for a set of tires excluding work. I asked and work comes to $100 totally, so $600 is cheaper than at costco. I spoke with a service rep about the details, because at Costco with new tires i would get an alignment as well which was included at the day of the purchase, after that i would have to pay if i wanted to do it. Alignment haven't been done on my rx since the day of the purchase in 2013, so you can feel it lightly, its not anything crazy but i would feel safer with proper alignment on high speeds though. However the service rep said that $600 is just for the tires, alignment is not included and comes to another $250. I wanted to know if thats a real thing, since I've never had my tires done at Lexus directly, or they are bull****ting me to make some extra money. I know Alignment should be done every 2-3 years, so its about time i do it especially with new tires for the winter.

ColAngus

I think it's likely real, although they will desperately try to up-sell you in other mechanical fixes beyond your simple tire install.
My local Lexus dealer openly posts their tire prices and Costco's so you can see their deal.

gklatv

Tire Shops - DiscountTire or TireBarn, for example - can often do a better price for set of tires installed than car dealer. Included is lifetime tire rotation, and they also offer optional road hazard at a reasonable price.
The $600 quote from Lexus for a set of tires installed sounds very good, though. What tires (brand/model/size) are being offered at this price?

lexusrus

X2👍👍👍

I had my 2013 RX450H tires replaced at America's Tire (national chain. I think it's the same people as the Discount Tires).

Mine had the F Sport option and therefore called for 19 inch tires. They will match Costco or any legit competitors pricing. Just show them. Very fast service when I was there and they were very busy.

After I had my other cars's tires done by them I got to know the folks there. So even on my other car where I had not gotten tires from them, they aired up the tires when the temperature dropped and the tire warning light came (SAME FAST SERVICE. JUST DRIVE IN AND GOT DONE AND OUT I GO). On a prior occasion they even fixed a flat tire that I did not get from them FREE OF CHARGE.

OVERALL, excellent service.

JT4

I would definitely get the alignment done, granted it's the dealer but the $250 seems a little high. I know that Goodyear or Firestone tire shops usually charge between $130 to $160 for a 4 wheel alignment. Give a reputable tire shop a call and get a quote to compare.

Clutchless

None of the Costco stores near me offer alignment and I was surprised that they actually did that at your location. All mine do is mount and balance tires and repair flats.
From a little research it appears none of the Costcos do alignment: https://www.quora.com/Why-doesnt-Cos...heel-alignment

I usually get my tires at Tire Rack and have them shipped to a local approved installer who also does an alignment at that time for about $100 with a discount coupon.

gevorg123

Just a useless information to compare, in Russia, alignment is for about 30-50$

Yurka

This is what they offer me at Lexus Pirelli Scorpion Verge A/S Plus BW. I looked up my old dealership where i got my 2010 and they have alignment deal for $89 right now, if anybody needs to, look up Lexus of Edison, its a bit of a drive, 30 mins plus tolls since its a different state, but its cheaper than in NYC.

gregjhonda

I've driven my Honda's, Toyota and Lexus vehicles for many years with no alignment needed and no abnormal tires wear unless the front or back end got damaged. I've gotten 8 years out of my last Honda with still perfect steering and no abnormal tire wear with no need for alignment. I have had tires go out of balance and make the front end shake and I have had tires break down and cause the car to pull right or left. Have never gotten an alignment just because new tires were being purchased! Can't see spending the money unless the car does not steer correctly or you are seeing uneven tire wear. I have had to get my Chevy and Dodge products aligned almost every time I hit a pothole but the front ends in the Japanese cars have been rock solid and that includes my ES350, RX-350, Nissan Maxima, and 7 Honda Accords dating back to 1987!

MellonC00

You don't need an alignment done. To be specific, you can check your alignment but that doesn't mean you need to change your alignment with your tire swap. You would need to an alignment for suspension work (specially the front suspension) but you need not do one for a tire install. Perhaps you are confusing this with tire balancing???

example: my first gen RX has 252K miles on it. I had the alignment checked twice but never changed anything.

JT4

As you know NYC roads are the worst and since you bought the RX pre-owned you have no history on how it was driven so there is a chance it is out of alignment. Then again as the other have said maybe you don't need the alignment.

However here is my two cents. If it was me, since you're putting on new tires $89 is cheap insurance to make sure everything is aligned properly..

Yurka

JT4 That is what I'm thinking, its under a $100 so maybe worth it. Car was originally owned in NYC by an middle-aged woman, and as I've learned from friends, those who lease a car they don't give two damns about it so they go in all potholes, and NYC got plenty of those, don't really take a good car because its not their car to begin with, just a temporary thing. Ive driven enough to feel the car, i had similar on my 2010 RX when i flew into a huge pothole and then the curb because some ******* cut me off and i was either about to rear end someone or go to the side. Car acted up the way this one does right now, so i did alignment and i could even drive without holding the wheel, it would steer as expected. I checked my tire pressure, all equal, did the rebalancing a month ago, it doesnt feel right. 90% of my time on the road i spend on highway, belt, bqe, those from NY know what I'm talking about, its like post WW2 roads in there. So wheel alignment is must before it snows and its gonna be harder to control the car in bad conditions, my question primarily whether or not it is done as you put new tires on( meaning its included in work) or is it separate thing, and it seems that it is indeed separate.

kitlz

Yurka, alignment is separate from installing the tires. It's something I do after getting new tires and then have it re-checked every year after winter. Best case scenario, the dealer checks the alignment and it's fine post tire install. There shouldn't be a charge for that. With the Pirelli Verdes, the alignment was good for two years. Plus the tire pressure stayed pretty constant for months at a time. But I don't drive on the same roads as you. Ouch, my body hurts just reading about it.

nerv81

On my wife's previous RX I got the lifetime alignment done at FireStone for about $160. With that you can bring the car back as many times as you want to get it re-aligned. I took her car there at the beginning of winter, half way through winter, and again after the potholes were fixed. Every time they took car with no questions and didn't try to sell me extra services. We just got her RX earlier this year so I'm planning on doing the same with this one in the next since I just put her winter wheels on. I've recommended the lifetime alignment to a few friends and they've all gotten a lot of use out of it living in NJ. Our roads are just as bad as NY during the winter.

11bravo

Did you really think the dealer was going to give you a fair deal on tires, and not stick it to you somewhere else?

You can determine if you really need an alignment by looking at your worn tires. If the wear is even all across the tread, and there is no "feathering" of the tread (small fibers sticking out from the face of the tread), you probably don't need an alignment. From about the late-90's forward, all systems on vehicles were improving dramatically. Some the things people used to swear by that are no longer true: "Change your oil/filer every 3K miles"..."Get an alignment every time you get new tires"...Never change your trans. fluid because it will cause problems"..."change your air filter every time you change oil", etc.

That is one reason I do not go to any dealer after the warranty is over. They will do everything they can to convince you that your car needs extra "maintenance".

All of the above is only my opinion, though.