Costco Tire - Hard to do business with?

[Out of Steam]

It has come time to replace the tires on my current 2015 Subaru, but at almost 150K miles, I don't want to spend an excessive sum of money on them. For example, I don't think I need a 90K mile treadwear warranty. Given pandemic supply shortages, I want to replace the tires before I have to.

Costco Tire has a couple of specials that seem attractive, but I have found them annoying to do business with in the past. Specifically, I had trouble collecting the return credit for the old battery for a new one I bought there, and have had long waits for tire installations, taking up much of a day.

I called them yesterday because they listed a BF Goodrich tire for my car as out of stock, but they suggested on the phone that they could order it in person. Having inventory that isn't available for online purchase seems odd in 2022.

Admittedly, my experiences before the one yesterday were in the Maryland suburbs of DC, where poor retail service was more common than not. I'm generally a Costco fan, but is their tire store known for such issues in general?

My alternative is a local Discount Tire store, that was able to get a pair of matching replacements for my wife's car quickly last year.

 

[38Chevy454]

I am a Discount Tire fan, bought numerous sets of tires there over the years for all my cars. Search the tire you want, and then when you go to Discount Tire, they will many times match the price and you save some over their std price. You can set up an appt with DT to minimize time spent waiting once you are ready for the installation. That works good if your tires are being ordered in for example.
Never bought tires at Costco, but that is my go-to for batteries. I usually take my core in with me when getting the new one, makes it a one stop deal.

 

[Sojourner]

Check out TireRack (tirerack.com). I have used them almost exclusively for the past 20 years to buy tires for several different cars. Their prices are virtually impossible to beat, in my experience. They will ship the tires directly to a local installer (they have a list you can choose from), or you can have them shipped to you. And if you live fairly close to a distribution center, like I do here in metro Atlanta, you can pick them up and save on shipping charges.

 

[freedomatlast]

Check online at Discount Tire Direct, Tire Rack, Tirebuyer, Simpletire and Onlinetires. Also check ebay since many online tire retailers will sell cheaper on ebay than on their own websites. I've used all of these in the past at one time or another and received fresh tires (recent date codes) and quick delivery. Tire Rack used to be my favorite but so many other online retailers are in the game now, you can usually get better prices elsewhere. Tire Racks reviews are great for help in the decision making process. Although in my experience Amazon rarely has the lowest price on anything, for last set of tires I bought for a car I planned to resell, Amazon had the best price.

 

[Gotadimple]

I have used Costco and Discount Tire.
- If Costco doesn't have it in stock (it happens even before Covid!) they will order and and want to charge your credit card in person. Once it's in they will do the install, and you have some free after sale service from them.
- Discount Tire is the same. If they don't have it in stock, they have a local warehouse where they can get the tires. Delivery to their store is 2-3 days, far shorter than the warehouse Costco uses. Like Costco there are some free after sale services.

Both are excellent, just depends on how long you want to wait, and the out the door price.

 

[Montecfo]

I always consider Costco for tires as it is a very good deal as a rule. My tires usually have to be ordered. They are usually cheapest by a.good bit and I like there are fewer games played with out the door price.

I usually buy the battery, install in parking lot and return for core deposit. Never sure they will have my battery.

 

[SecondCor521]

I've used both Costco and Discount Tire. Like OP, Costco seemed to take at least 2 hours to do a rotation; Discount Tire has always been much faster, especially with an appointment.

I also like Discount Tire as they will do a free air pressure adjustment any time (I do this before long road trips). They also do tire rotations for free, which I try to do every 7.5K miles. I think they also do free road hazard repairs, but that may depend on if you buy their insurance (I don't).

DT was also more than fair to me on a warranty claim when I had some 90K tires go bad after about 40K miles - I thought the fine print on their warranty meant I was out of luck but they went ahead and gave me the adjustment.

 

[brett]

We have been long time Costco tire customers.

Great price. Great service....we get at tires rotated and slow leaks fixes gratis.

We can book on line. We drop the car off, do our shopping, and pick it up when ready.

 

[Out of Steam]

I've used both Costco and Discount Tire. Like OP, Costco seemed to take at least 2 hours to do a rotation; Discount Tire has always been much faster, especially with an appointment.

My single experience at Discount Tire was good, and I still want to minimize my contact while shopping right now.

One issue I've seen at Costco Tire is that the people at the counter seem to be processing purchases in between installing tires.

 

[ERD50]

Check out TireRack (tirerack.com). I have used them almost exclusively for the past 20 years to buy tires for several different cars. Their prices are virtually impossible to beat, in my experience. They will ship the tires directly to a local installer (they have a list you can choose from), or you can have them shipped to you. And if you live fairly close to a distribution center, like I do here in metro Atlanta, you can pick them up and save on shipping charges.

+1

And I know a guy who runs a business with a small fleet of trucks, he recommends TireRack.com as well.

TireRack was even able to "shave" my tire by my specified amount for a small fee. I had damaged the sidewall on one tire, and rather than replace all 4 (AWD), it is suggested to have the tire shaved to match the wear of the other three. The difference in diameter can stress/wear the differentials. My manual mentioned keeping them "even", but didn't give a specific tolerance, but I followed general guidelines and tirerack and my installer agreed on that number (I forget the number, within 3/32"?).

I got a bit miffed at Costco a few years back, they would not rotate my tires because the front ones (FWD) had more wear then the rear ones. Well, that's exactly why I want them rotated. That would even out the wear.

It is supposedly a safety issue, the rear will have a tendency to fishtail. Well, the difference wasn't all that much, and would even out over time. I get the fishtail issue, but I need the best tread to get moving in the snow. I can (almost) always plan ahead to take a corner slow to avoid fishtailing. But if I can't go in the first place, fishtailing won't matter!

And if they don't rotate them, they will never wear back to the point where they would rotate them - so it becomes a 'forever' thing.

I had it done at another place when I got the oil changed. They didn't have a problem with it. Just seemed like a way for Costco to dodge the "free tire rotation" claim.

-ERD50

 

[Out of Steam]

We have been long time Costco tire customers.

Great price. Great service....we get at tires rotated and slow leaks fixes gratis.

I like that as well as the free road hazard warranty, though the warranty is less valuable when tires have to be evenly worn, such as on a Subaru.

Coming from an area known for poor retail service, I asked here because I suspected my service issues at Costco could have been local ones.

 

[brett]

We have dealt with multiple Costco Tire Centers in our city and in other cities.

Our experiences have always be very good. Especially when getting stuck with a torn tire under warranty when we were visiting another city.

30 years of buying tires for two cars. Was just there last week to have a tire repaired...faulty valve. What did they do? Checked the other three tires, not just the slow leak, to ensure that they were all good.

 

[audreyh1]

We had a great experience buying tires from Costco. Very straightforward.

We've dealt with batteries numerous times - no problems.

We've also had them do some minor tire repairs including replacing a tire pressure sensor.

We usually try to make an appointment.

 

[thefist]

Costco has appointments now, so the very long waits shouldn’t be a problem.
They’ve been fine for tire installs, but a few times it seems they pay very little attention to pressure and I have to correct it. Another problem is that their corporate database doesn’t have the rotation pattern to match my Mfg recommendation. I always have to correct it.

 

[Jerry1]

I’m a Discount Tire fan too. They’ve just helped me out so many times that they’ve earned a loyal customer. They fixed a tire for me for free. They replaced a tire for me and even though they didn’t sell me the other three tires (original equipment), they agreed to rotate them along with the one I did purchase. They gave me a credit for a tire because I had to replace both tires on the axle and the one that wasn’t damaged still had good tread. Basically, they’ve just treated me right even though I’ve really not bought many tires from them. Mostly, they just solved problems for me.

 

[Ian S]

Costco is a 50 mile drive vs 20 for Discount Tire. I've generally had good service from Discount Tire and price can be very competitive with especially with rebates. There is a much greater selection of brands and models for my car compared to Costco. Discount Tire even has tires exclusive to them e.g. the tires I bought recently for my car. They are made by and branded Continental but were significantly cheaper than a virtually identical model available elsewhere.

The fly in the ointment recently showed up quickly: my (sports) car has staggered fitment i.e. different sized tires on the front versus the rear. On one side they reversed front and rears. Fortunately, after only a couple hundred miles I had my car in for service at the dealer and they noticed the error. The dealer would have fixed the problem but I wanted to take it back to Discount. They were very apologetic and it's probably due to them perhaps not seeing many cars with staggered fitment in our rural area. Still, it was not an insignificant error. It probably behooves anyone with a car using staggered tire fitment to check before leaving the store after tire replacement.


Discount Tire will fix a flat for free even if you didn't buy a tire from them. Others may do the same. Of course, the potential is there to sell you a new tire if a repair can't be done.

 

[OldShooter]

I’m a Discount Tire fan too. They’ve just helped me out so many times that they’ve earned a loyal customer. They fixed a tire for me for free. They replaced a tire for me and even though they didn’t sell me the other three tires (original equipment), they agreed to rotate them along with the one I did purchase. They gave me a credit for a tire because I had to replace both tires on the axle and the one that wasn’t damaged still had good tread. Basically, they’ve just treated me right even though I’ve really not bought many tires from them. Mostly, they just solved problems for me.

I've experienced a similar level of customer care with Discount Tire. This company is literally the only national brand for which I have any loyalty at all. They will match prices, too, which I did once with a Tire Rack price but I usually just trust them to have a good price and remain constantly amazed by the good and generous service policies.

 

[Another Reader]

Costco used to be a PITA to deal with. Now, you order on line and set up an appointment for installation. I just had 4 tires replaced on the Accord sedan. I was too sick to go, so a friend generously took it in. The job took an hour, the pressure is correct, so it worked for me. The price was reasonable and it took very little effort so I'm happy. Have an urgent need? Probably better to go elsewhere.

 

[njhowie]

We've purchased tires a few times at Costco, most recently in October. Very happy with the price, ordering process, and service. We did everything online aside from showing up at the scheduled time.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We always get our tires from Costco, same reasons others have mentioned.

 

[madsquopper]

TireRack is great and the website has a ton of useful info.

 

[Out of Steam]

Costco used to be a PITA to deal with. Now, you order on line and set up an appointment for installation.

The appointment setup will help a lot. I have almost four weeks before I will need the tires for a long trip.

 

[travelover]

Generally Costco is cheaper, bottom line, if you catch their Michelin or Bridgestone sales. Installation fees are reasonable and their included road hazard warranty is a better deal. They can be a PITA to deal with in terms of TPMS sensors on winter tires, as they are by the book.

For us, we get an appointment and just drop the car off, as they are nearby.

 

[cbo111]

I've had good and bad experiences with Costco tire service, mostly good. Unfortunately a couple months ago I drove my elderly mother's Camry to Costco to replace four tires. I purchased some Michelin's with a $150 discount and was able to make an appointment. They took the vehicle in right at appointment time; an hour later it done. Leaving the parking lot I see that fun little horseshoe symbol indicating "low tire." I pull over and run through the infotainment screens to view the TPMS tire pressure, which I guarantee mother knows nothing about! The left front tires says "13 lbs." That's not good, so I head back to Costco. Turns out they just forgot to fill that tire. No harm, no foul. Except if was my mom picking up the Camry, she would have driven it, probably driven it many miles til the point of tire failure.

 

[Bamaman]

The tire business has changed because there's no way any tire dealer can stock very many tires when there are over 150 sizes of tires. Sam's & Costco, very often have to order tires in from manufacturers. Local tire stores order tires from huge wholesale tire warehouses, and they usually get tires delivered once or twice a day. You have to bring your vehicle back in to have the tires swapped over.

I've had good service from Costco's Tire store and also at Discount Tire.

I now study tires on TireRack.com, and then I compare prices at a # of online tire sellers. And I often get overnight delivery on the new tires. I have a used tire store that mounts and balance 4 tires for $50. And I always save big $ by doing business this way.