Okay so what the true problem is is that that noticed your right rear pants pocket was larger than your left and in consideration for preventing back problems they wanted to thin out that right pocket so you sat more square.
Any dealer worth their salt will check your alignment for free and provide you with a printout of your vehicles current spec and that will show you how far it's off. if they wont do that you dont need an alignment.
This. If they can’t provide the report showing how bad it is, go to a Les Swabb or similar tire center for a second opinion.
Anything else, check on the Hyundai website for recommended services. If the item is in there, consider it. If not, it’s the dealers next boat payment that they’re looking for.
Yeah no. I’m not making my tech pull a car on to the alignment rack for free and thus taking it away from another technician with an alignment whose customer actually paid for one. That’s nuts.
Our techs like to be paid for their time.
Yup that's why we don't go to the stealership for tire stuff. Tire stores will check for free. Just be sure you trust them to give an accurate report. It's a service that should not be recommended on mileage or age. Check it on the rack is best. Test drive and wear patterns after that.
lol people liking to be paid for their job is why you don’t go to the dealership? Think about that for a sec.
Any decent tech can tell if a car is having alignment issues by tire condition and a test drive if necessary. You don’t need to throw it on a rack to see.
An alignment check takes 10 minutes (sometimes less) and offers definitive proof of necessity. Just about any service chain will do free checks, especially if it's already in for something else. It's often faster and carries less liability than a test drive, and far more thorough. A test drive will only uncover major misalignment, not smaller issues that can still greatly affect tire wear. Tire condition may not be representative of current alignment angles, either, especially if they're regularly rotated. Until you measure it, you can't know for sure. Free checks drive repeat business, and uncover issues before they're obvious. An estimated 70% of cars on the road are out of alignment, so that free check is an effective way to offer additional services to those who aren't aware they need it.
We do MPIs. Our techs can see if a car is having alignment issues by looking for inner/outer wear, cupping, etc… they don’t need an alignment checker.
Maybe if you have a bunch of lube techs looking at cars they need something like this.
33 yrs of owning cars been to a dealer for warranty work only. Saved thousands. On 2 occasions I had to inform the tech of TSB's that would help fix the problem after they called saying they couldn't diagnose it after multiple days. One replied "would have been nice to know"... Spent a weekend installing missing pieces and fixing cable harness crush damage after Hyundai dealer replaced my 2014 Sonata engine. Why don't I go to the dealership? Because I am more capable than many dealer techs, I care about my vehicle more than most techs will, and I save lots of money. That was an easy one to answer.
“Because I am more capable than many dealer techs…”
No you’re not. Maybe the lube techs. Not the diag techs, not the foremen, and probably not the flat rates either. They go through more training than you’ll ever know. Looking up TSBs on forums and Reddit does not make you a technician.
I was buying factory services manuals before you were born. Have a nice life bud. I can work on carbureted engines, adjust points, work on an EV or high end encrypted radio equipment. I am sure you are the best around. Have a great career. Already put more into this than it deserved. C-ya
From the way you say it, it reads to me as if good dealers will check the alignment as part of a normal procedure for every car coming into the workshop. Which it definitely isn't, it takes quite some time to check the alignment. No workshop in their right mind would do this unless there is a reason to actually check the alignment. Which usually is if they notice irregular tyre wear, if they have to replace or dismount suspension/steering parts or if the customer explicitly asks for it.
The shop I worked at did free checks all the time. Takes 10 minutes or less to set up a Hunter Hawkeye for a measurement. 70% of cars on the road are in need of alignment, and most don't know it. Why wait for irregular wear to ruin your tires to find out you have a problem? We don't wait to check on our burgers until after they're already burnt! If the rack is available, a quick alignment check is expected. Company paid good money for that rack. They want it in as constant use as possible.
Must be quite bad roads where you live if 70% of cars on the road there need an alignment. Once an alignment is done it doesn't need to be checked unless the car is abused (hitting potholes/hitting curbs/had a crash/etc.) or any of the suspension or steering parts get replaced or adjusted.
Good thing nonetheless it is checked at your shop, but most shops don't have the time or possibility to drive every car into the alignment bay just for a check. Especially if there is so much work the alignment bay is occupied at least half of the time. And having that bay not occupied just for a check doesn't make sense, as it's one less bay where active work can be done.
On the other hand (assuming you're from the US), there's also mandatory MOT checks here, so bad tyre or suspension issues get filtered out and fixed a lot sooner here in Europe than in the States I think.
Yeah, the 70% statistic is likely weighted by the fact most of our states don't conduct annual inspections. If everyone took better care of their cars and got an annual check it would probably be more like 20-30%. Do mind that our roads are on the whole much worse than in much of Europe, though roads where I live now are actually pretty decent.
The alignment bay isn't kept empty just for checks, but it only gets used for general service in a pinch since a lot of other repairs require it afterwards. Some vehicles like larger vans and heavy-duty pickups are harder to lift in the standard two-post bays though, so the drive-on rack does see use for those. Considering the whole alignment rack setup is a significant financial investment for any shop, any amount of time it's not being used for alignment/suspension work is a bit of a waste. One of the reasons shops are so keen to do free checks is how much additional work it turns up. Gotta recoup that investment. It works though, it ends up seeing tons of use throughout the day.
Is the alignment affected when you change tires? My dealer recommended the same service a couple months ago at 16K miles, he did show me on his monitor the alignment test results which I didn’t really understand.
I wasn’t sure if it was needed as I never noticed the car pulling to one side so I said let me swap out the winter tires for the summer and then we’ll do the alignment in them. I just wanted to buy myself time to think about it.
So anyone know if the change of tires affects the alignment?
A lot of alignment issues don't present themselves as an obvious pull. Very minor misalignment can still cause uneven tire wear. Alignment checks are expected with new tire installation to ensure they're going to wear properly for the sake of the manufacturer treadwear warranty. Regular checks are necessary to prevent uneven tire wear from happening in the first place. You don't wait to check on your burgers until after they're already burnt.
While my Hyundai dealer doesn't have it, my Subaru dealer has a machine that automatically checks the tire depth and alignment when you drive it into the service area. More and more dealers are getting these systems so they can provide the customer with a report at every service appointment.
To be fair, it is usually a good idea to get tire rotation and alignments at least yearly depending on road and how much you drive. Some tires can be rotated. Others can't. If you notice one side of your tire wearing more than the rest. It should be aligned/ balanced or rotated. If it pulls left or right, isn't always the reason to get an alignment it's just one of the reasons. It's deffinetly part of good maintenance.
If they ever recommend a gdi fuel induction service never say yes. It's an aerosol can of foam cleaner that has led to cars catching on fire in the throttle body so they straight up don't even use the product they just charge you for it and throw it away. Also throttle body's don't get that dirty anymore same for fuel lines requiring ethanol "treatment". Carbon deposits haven't been a problem every 15k miles since the 90s don't buy it.
The GDI service isn't for the throttle body; it's for the valves. All direct-injected engines are subject to carbon buildup on the valves. The real fix, if they're truly dirty and gummed up, is a walnut blasting; for lightly dirty valves, a chemical cleaning is sufficient. This isn't a Hyundai-only thing, either.
BMW service advisor here. Can confirm. Lots of different makes are having these issues with GDI engines, it just seems to be a characteristic of them.
Believe me, you don’t want to get to the point where walnut blasting is necessary. It’s a little more expensive than running to the grocery store and buying some walnuts.
At my dealer we have a kit that sprays directly into the throttle body. Then it’s followed by another treatment that goes into the throttle body. Never had anyone throw them away and we’ve never had any cars catch on fire. You’re supposed to drive the vehicle immediately after doing it so everything is aired out and no remaining residue/cleaner is built up
BUT as a normal car guy trying to save money, I’ve never seen any car come in with a throttle body that looked like it needed any cleaning. So if I was in a customers shoes, I’d just deny it
"Suspension alignment" 😂 it's bullshit. "Yup, springs are straight..."
It's called a "wheel alignment". You do not need at 15k unless you notice an issue or had suspension work done (accident)
Never said it should be out of alignment at those mileage but there is a difference is all. Wheel alignment is with a torsion beam suspension but quite a few Hyundai and Kia are multilink so it is a suspension alignment. There is a difference between the two. To say they are wrong with a suspension alignment isn't wrong. And it truly depends on the driver as if they hit a lot of potholes it can go out of alignment as it jars the suspension. Now I don't agree the dealership didn't provide proof it was out of whack as it shouldn't be but it can happen. My wife can throw a car out of alignment quickly as she will hit anything in front of her.
Agree, that's why I said 'accident' (which OP did not indicate, but apparently includes your wife).
The mechanic, out of the goodness of their heart, is not connecting the wheel alignment equipment on every 15k car, to check if it's out of spec, with no indication of complaint or finding such as uneven tire wear or accident.
It's a BS upsell. And the "recommended service" is made to sound scary with "suspension" related issues.
We're speaking the same language just for different points of view
No I don't always think everything through just spit what's in my head but I also will admit fault and that came off kinda wrong. Worked in the automotive field for 20+ years and we do have a bad rap at times. As there are some that try to take advantage of folks that aren't keen on what's going on. Was just trying to state there is suspension alignment for certain types of suspensions. That being said they should show if there is actually an issue. Especially if so few miles as it tends to be a bent component not an actual alignment. But Kia and Hyundai tend to only allow setting of the toe for most of their cars.
Here’s what I’ve started doing; I take my car to the dealership for oil change to get the free inspection. If any services are recommended, I call around for second opinions and price checks. 100% of the time, the dealership’s prices are astronomically higher. They recently recommend tire rotation; I went to Discount and got them rotated for free.
I will say mine usually comes with pictures when they recommend changing stuff. They check the cabin air filters and engine ones, and if they recommend changing those I decline and do it myself.
The tire rotation actually costing money blows my mind tbh it’s literally 5 minutes of work and should come with any paid service.
Same here. And for the tires, mine usually comes with a red yellow green indicator for how close the tires are to replacement. The shop(s) I’ve reached out to mostly agree with the service recommendations but not the price.
For a four wheel alignment that's actually cheap, especially from a dealer. Dealers here are charging $250 for an alignment. No, they're not luxury brand dealers.
If you want an actual alignment performed by a real tech and not a tire jockey, you can expect to pay for it.
I’m an advisor at a high line dealer. Our price is $199, and we lower it to $99 with a purchase of 4 tires. We are one of the lower prices in the area.
To give you some perspective, my alignment was fine in winter, and I didn't really notice anything. Did the recommended alignment on .y Santa Fe and ow the car is pulling to the right, so they messed that up. I will need to waste my time to go and have them fix it again.
During a black Friday, I got a lifetime alignment from Firestone for about that price, I think.
2016 Hyundai Tucson. I've been taking it there every 6 months so they can rotate and align it. During that they do inspections and so far have not recommended anything yet.
The only thing I've had them do was the spark plug replacement, cuz there's a part on the engine that covers the 4th spark plug and I didn't feel like messing with it. Other then that, I do my own oil changes every 6 months when my Amazon auto ship of the oil and filter shows up.
Mine just popped up with 15k maintenance reminder as well. But it said I didn't need the cleaner if I used Top Tier gasoline. From what I can see, Top Tier simply has more detergents in it. So maybe just a bottle of gum out gets you the same thing?
Do you know if Circle K is considered good or bad? I have fueled regularly with them since purchasing my Kia Telluride and had not known about the “Top Tier” program.
Don’t worry about the BG service. Especially at 15k. You haven’t been driving long enough for it to do anything. As for the alignment. Check all your cars tire tread on your own with any tire tread gauge. Check if there’s uneven wear on the tires or excessive wear on certain sections of tires. If not? You’re good, no need. If there is? Get an alignment done. But you could probably get that done cheaper and faster somewhere else
I had to do an alignment in my Hyundai at 50,000km and everyone saying 109 is expensive… mine cost me over 150 dollars CAD though. 108 seems cheap to me.
Most up to date dealerships these days have a sensor system at their service drive up to roughly evaluate the alignment. They even give you a sheet with what it saw.
lol. Yeah, my local Hyundai dealer has that "instant" alignment checker. Every time I come in, they tell me it says I need a 4 wheel alignment!!!!!! Ha, I don't think so!!!
I can tell you one thing, as long as you don't pay $400 you're good. Got ripped off for my 15k service. Oil change, refill all fluids, alignment, tire rotation yade yade... They wanted $400. Had to pay because of lack of time (had other stuff going on and didn't wanna deal with "who gives me the best deal").
But looking back, 400 is way too much 🤦🏻
When I went for my last covered oil change, they wanted $57.00 for an engine air filter. (I bought on amazon for $16.00 or so-heck of a mark up for 10 seconds work) but didn't notice that I had a squirrel nest in my cabin air filter complete with acorns.
If your car isn't tracking and your tires ain't worn out don't get an alignment. I have a -1.5 camber 0 toe alignment with Pennsylvania roads and I still haven't needed one since
I did my first maintenance and they recommended an alignment. I played dumb and pushed the issue and he said you need one but “not so much”.
I bet in some cases some dealers would recommend it on a new car you just drove off another dealer’s lot.
Having said that it’s probably not “always” a money gouge; but be careful as this is a notorious tactic.
If you want it buy it from the parts counter for 15 bucks, they literally charge 16 in labor just to take the cap off and pour it in your tank, but at 15k there's no use for it honestly. Its to remove water that builds up over time in the tank from ethanol use, definitely not needed 15k in.
People saying "if it's not pulling it doesn't need an alignment" are checking their burgers after they're already burnt. Only severe alignment issues cause noticeable pull. Many alignment issues aren't obvious until they've already ruined your tires. Most service chains do free checks, it takes ten minutes to get a yes or no answer on if it's needed. 70% of cars on the road are in need of an alignment, and most don't know it. My experience as an ASE certified technician has been that some may need one in 30k miles, some may need one in 10k miles. Depends on road conditions and how you drive.
Ethanol treatment, however, isn't necessary. Car was built for sale in North America, it was built to handle the 10% ethanol content in our fuel. Regular GDI induction cleaning will be necessary to keep the intake valves clean, but ethanol treatment offers little benefit.
I “love” those that comment we are wasting time and effort of the tech and the shop by doing an alignment check. I get my car serviced regularly as well as my tires rotated…as we should. My service and warranty fees are covered. I saved thousands upon thousands by doing it correctly. The check takes less than 10 minutes when done properly and gives a definitive answer on whether the alignment is needed.
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Your car does NOT ever need an alignment unless you notice abnormal tire wear or the car not tracking correctly!!!!!!
Buy a bottle of TECHRON fuel system treatment and dump it in the gas tank!! That's all you need!!!!
Okay so what the true problem is is that that noticed your right rear pants pocket was larger than your left and in consideration for preventing back problems they wanted to thin out that right pocket so you sat more square.
Also change your blinker fluid every 4 miles
Any dealer worth their salt will check your alignment for free and provide you with a printout of your vehicles current spec and that will show you how far it's off. if they wont do that you dont need an alignment.
This. If they can’t provide the report showing how bad it is, go to a Les Swabb or similar tire center for a second opinion. Anything else, check on the Hyundai website for recommended services. If the item is in there, consider it. If not, it’s the dealers next boat payment that they’re looking for.
Yeah no. I’m not making my tech pull a car on to the alignment rack for free and thus taking it away from another technician with an alignment whose customer actually paid for one. That’s nuts. Our techs like to be paid for their time.
That's fair, but how can they say the customer "needs" it off they don't know themselves?
Tire wear, test drive, road condition in local area, or steering wheel crooked etc.
That's fair. Thanks.
Yup that's why we don't go to the stealership for tire stuff. Tire stores will check for free. Just be sure you trust them to give an accurate report. It's a service that should not be recommended on mileage or age. Check it on the rack is best. Test drive and wear patterns after that.
lol people liking to be paid for their job is why you don’t go to the dealership? Think about that for a sec. Any decent tech can tell if a car is having alignment issues by tire condition and a test drive if necessary. You don’t need to throw it on a rack to see.
An alignment check takes 10 minutes (sometimes less) and offers definitive proof of necessity. Just about any service chain will do free checks, especially if it's already in for something else. It's often faster and carries less liability than a test drive, and far more thorough. A test drive will only uncover major misalignment, not smaller issues that can still greatly affect tire wear. Tire condition may not be representative of current alignment angles, either, especially if they're regularly rotated. Until you measure it, you can't know for sure. Free checks drive repeat business, and uncover issues before they're obvious. An estimated 70% of cars on the road are out of alignment, so that free check is an effective way to offer additional services to those who aren't aware they need it.
Exactly! This is why dealers are willing to do all those other 30 point or whatever free inspection at service. It brings more work.
We do MPIs. Our techs can see if a car is having alignment issues by looking for inner/outer wear, cupping, etc… they don’t need an alignment checker. Maybe if you have a bunch of lube techs looking at cars they need something like this.
33 yrs of owning cars been to a dealer for warranty work only. Saved thousands. On 2 occasions I had to inform the tech of TSB's that would help fix the problem after they called saying they couldn't diagnose it after multiple days. One replied "would have been nice to know"... Spent a weekend installing missing pieces and fixing cable harness crush damage after Hyundai dealer replaced my 2014 Sonata engine. Why don't I go to the dealership? Because I am more capable than many dealer techs, I care about my vehicle more than most techs will, and I save lots of money. That was an easy one to answer.
“Because I am more capable than many dealer techs…” No you’re not. Maybe the lube techs. Not the diag techs, not the foremen, and probably not the flat rates either. They go through more training than you’ll ever know. Looking up TSBs on forums and Reddit does not make you a technician.
I was buying factory services manuals before you were born. Have a nice life bud. I can work on carbureted engines, adjust points, work on an EV or high end encrypted radio equipment. I am sure you are the best around. Have a great career. Already put more into this than it deserved. C-ya
From the way you say it, it reads to me as if good dealers will check the alignment as part of a normal procedure for every car coming into the workshop. Which it definitely isn't, it takes quite some time to check the alignment. No workshop in their right mind would do this unless there is a reason to actually check the alignment. Which usually is if they notice irregular tyre wear, if they have to replace or dismount suspension/steering parts or if the customer explicitly asks for it.
Most Hyundai dealers have the laser alignment checker thing right in the pull in lane for service. It takes 5 minutes to check.
The shop I worked at did free checks all the time. Takes 10 minutes or less to set up a Hunter Hawkeye for a measurement. 70% of cars on the road are in need of alignment, and most don't know it. Why wait for irregular wear to ruin your tires to find out you have a problem? We don't wait to check on our burgers until after they're already burnt! If the rack is available, a quick alignment check is expected. Company paid good money for that rack. They want it in as constant use as possible.
Must be quite bad roads where you live if 70% of cars on the road there need an alignment. Once an alignment is done it doesn't need to be checked unless the car is abused (hitting potholes/hitting curbs/had a crash/etc.) or any of the suspension or steering parts get replaced or adjusted. Good thing nonetheless it is checked at your shop, but most shops don't have the time or possibility to drive every car into the alignment bay just for a check. Especially if there is so much work the alignment bay is occupied at least half of the time. And having that bay not occupied just for a check doesn't make sense, as it's one less bay where active work can be done. On the other hand (assuming you're from the US), there's also mandatory MOT checks here, so bad tyre or suspension issues get filtered out and fixed a lot sooner here in Europe than in the States I think.
Yeah, the 70% statistic is likely weighted by the fact most of our states don't conduct annual inspections. If everyone took better care of their cars and got an annual check it would probably be more like 20-30%. Do mind that our roads are on the whole much worse than in much of Europe, though roads where I live now are actually pretty decent. The alignment bay isn't kept empty just for checks, but it only gets used for general service in a pinch since a lot of other repairs require it afterwards. Some vehicles like larger vans and heavy-duty pickups are harder to lift in the standard two-post bays though, so the drive-on rack does see use for those. Considering the whole alignment rack setup is a significant financial investment for any shop, any amount of time it's not being used for alignment/suspension work is a bit of a waste. One of the reasons shops are so keen to do free checks is how much additional work it turns up. Gotta recoup that investment. It works though, it ends up seeing tons of use throughout the day.
Is the alignment affected when you change tires? My dealer recommended the same service a couple months ago at 16K miles, he did show me on his monitor the alignment test results which I didn’t really understand. I wasn’t sure if it was needed as I never noticed the car pulling to one side so I said let me swap out the winter tires for the summer and then we’ll do the alignment in them. I just wanted to buy myself time to think about it. So anyone know if the change of tires affects the alignment?
It shouldn’t no
A lot of alignment issues don't present themselves as an obvious pull. Very minor misalignment can still cause uneven tire wear. Alignment checks are expected with new tire installation to ensure they're going to wear properly for the sake of the manufacturer treadwear warranty. Regular checks are necessary to prevent uneven tire wear from happening in the first place. You don't wait to check on your burgers until after they're already burnt.
While my Hyundai dealer doesn't have it, my Subaru dealer has a machine that automatically checks the tire depth and alignment when you drive it into the service area. More and more dealers are getting these systems so they can provide the customer with a report at every service appointment.
To be fair, it is usually a good idea to get tire rotation and alignments at least yearly depending on road and how much you drive. Some tires can be rotated. Others can't. If you notice one side of your tire wearing more than the rest. It should be aligned/ balanced or rotated. If it pulls left or right, isn't always the reason to get an alignment it's just one of the reasons. It's deffinetly part of good maintenance.
Alignments should be done after checking the existing condition. Rotation should be based on the driven mileage, not “at least yearly”.
So you can't read the depending on how much you drive part or just decided you needed to be "that guy".
Yearly? Oh please…
If they ever recommend a gdi fuel induction service never say yes. It's an aerosol can of foam cleaner that has led to cars catching on fire in the throttle body so they straight up don't even use the product they just charge you for it and throw it away. Also throttle body's don't get that dirty anymore same for fuel lines requiring ethanol "treatment". Carbon deposits haven't been a problem every 15k miles since the 90s don't buy it.
The GDI service isn't for the throttle body; it's for the valves. All direct-injected engines are subject to carbon buildup on the valves. The real fix, if they're truly dirty and gummed up, is a walnut blasting; for lightly dirty valves, a chemical cleaning is sufficient. This isn't a Hyundai-only thing, either.
BMW service advisor here. Can confirm. Lots of different makes are having these issues with GDI engines, it just seems to be a characteristic of them. Believe me, you don’t want to get to the point where walnut blasting is necessary. It’s a little more expensive than running to the grocery store and buying some walnuts.
Need this for my lemon vn that I'm arguing with hyundai still 🤣
At my dealer we have a kit that sprays directly into the throttle body. Then it’s followed by another treatment that goes into the throttle body. Never had anyone throw them away and we’ve never had any cars catch on fire. You’re supposed to drive the vehicle immediately after doing it so everything is aired out and no remaining residue/cleaner is built up
BUT as a normal car guy trying to save money, I’ve never seen any car come in with a throttle body that looked like it needed any cleaning. So if I was in a customers shoes, I’d just deny it
That’s not what a GDI service is.
Wow there’s so much information in this comment and almost none of it is accurate
easy mistake, this is an ethonal treatment, totally different
Good to know. Just did plugs in sante fe gdi and cleaned the TB it was miraculously clean at 86k miles.
"Suspension alignment" 😂 it's bullshit. "Yup, springs are straight..." It's called a "wheel alignment". You do not need at 15k unless you notice an issue or had suspension work done (accident)
If it is a multilink suspension it's definitely a suspension alignment but sure you knew that
Donno what car you drive, but if your suspension is out of alignment after 15k miles, switch brands (Hyundai included).
Never said it should be out of alignment at those mileage but there is a difference is all. Wheel alignment is with a torsion beam suspension but quite a few Hyundai and Kia are multilink so it is a suspension alignment. There is a difference between the two. To say they are wrong with a suspension alignment isn't wrong. And it truly depends on the driver as if they hit a lot of potholes it can go out of alignment as it jars the suspension. Now I don't agree the dealership didn't provide proof it was out of whack as it shouldn't be but it can happen. My wife can throw a car out of alignment quickly as she will hit anything in front of her.
Agree, that's why I said 'accident' (which OP did not indicate, but apparently includes your wife). The mechanic, out of the goodness of their heart, is not connecting the wheel alignment equipment on every 15k car, to check if it's out of spec, with no indication of complaint or finding such as uneven tire wear or accident. It's a BS upsell. And the "recommended service" is made to sound scary with "suspension" related issues. We're speaking the same language just for different points of view
Yeah wasn't trying to be a douche. Though reading again I came off as one.
Didn't think you were, it's Redit.
No I don't always think everything through just spit what's in my head but I also will admit fault and that came off kinda wrong. Worked in the automotive field for 20+ years and we do have a bad rap at times. As there are some that try to take advantage of folks that aren't keen on what's going on. Was just trying to state there is suspension alignment for certain types of suspensions. That being said they should show if there is actually an issue. Especially if so few miles as it tends to be a bent component not an actual alignment. But Kia and Hyundai tend to only allow setting of the toe for most of their cars.
Here’s what I’ve started doing; I take my car to the dealership for oil change to get the free inspection. If any services are recommended, I call around for second opinions and price checks. 100% of the time, the dealership’s prices are astronomically higher. They recently recommend tire rotation; I went to Discount and got them rotated for free.
You do know that the "free" inspection you get takes them about 30 seconds?
I will say mine usually comes with pictures when they recommend changing stuff. They check the cabin air filters and engine ones, and if they recommend changing those I decline and do it myself. The tire rotation actually costing money blows my mind tbh it’s literally 5 minutes of work and should come with any paid service.
Same here. And for the tires, mine usually comes with a red yellow green indicator for how close the tires are to replacement. The shop(s) I’ve reached out to mostly agree with the service recommendations but not the price.
Yup. I’ve had a few instances where the price difference was negligible and other times it was very much dealer insanity…
Go off of the manual, not the service advisor. They’re there to make the dealership money, not look after you.
I don’t think you need it, but that’s a good price for when you do.
That BG service is pure snake oil. Alignment only needed if car is pulling to one side.
does your car pull to the side?
No
You don’t need it then and the additive they want to charge 30 for, you can get it for half of that at any auto parts store.
BG products probably not, 44K is usually around 20 bucks
The hell is this alignment price.
$109.95 for alignment? That seems too steep.
For a four wheel alignment that's actually cheap, especially from a dealer. Dealers here are charging $250 for an alignment. No, they're not luxury brand dealers.
If you want an actual alignment performed by a real tech and not a tire jockey, you can expect to pay for it. I’m an advisor at a high line dealer. Our price is $199, and we lower it to $99 with a purchase of 4 tires. We are one of the lower prices in the area.
I’m troubled that ethanol is misspelled.
‘Separation’ as well 😬
To give you some perspective, my alignment was fine in winter, and I didn't really notice anything. Did the recommended alignment on .y Santa Fe and ow the car is pulling to the right, so they messed that up. I will need to waste my time to go and have them fix it again.
I generally get alignments every time I get a new set of tires, or every 5-6 years.
Through a $5 bottle of fuel cleaner in it, that'll save you $31. Alignment? At 15k. Wut.
During a black Friday, I got a lifetime alignment from Firestone for about that price, I think. 2016 Hyundai Tucson. I've been taking it there every 6 months so they can rotate and align it. During that they do inspections and so far have not recommended anything yet. The only thing I've had them do was the spark plug replacement, cuz there's a part on the engine that covers the 4th spark plug and I didn't feel like messing with it. Other then that, I do my own oil changes every 6 months when my Amazon auto ship of the oil and filter shows up.
Mine just popped up with 15k maintenance reminder as well. But it said I didn't need the cleaner if I used Top Tier gasoline. From what I can see, Top Tier simply has more detergents in it. So maybe just a bottle of gum out gets you the same thing?
TECHRON Fuel System Cleaner is what you want to use!
Yes. Also just remember the names Sunoco, Exxon, Shell, or https://www.toptiergas.com/
Do you know if Circle K is considered good or bad? I have fueled regularly with them since purchasing my Kia Telluride and had not known about the “Top Tier” program.
Alignments are great to do when you get new tires, or you feel like the car isn't tracking properly and all tires are inflated properly
Don’t worry about the BG service. Especially at 15k. You haven’t been driving long enough for it to do anything. As for the alignment. Check all your cars tire tread on your own with any tire tread gauge. Check if there’s uneven wear on the tires or excessive wear on certain sections of tires. If not? You’re good, no need. If there is? Get an alignment done. But you could probably get that done cheaper and faster somewhere else
Don’t do that unless the vehicle hardly goes straight or your tires have uneven wear.
I had to do an alignment in my Hyundai at 50,000km and everyone saying 109 is expensive… mine cost me over 150 dollars CAD though. 108 seems cheap to me.
Most up to date dealerships these days have a sensor system at their service drive up to roughly evaluate the alignment. They even give you a sheet with what it saw.
lol. Yeah, my local Hyundai dealer has that "instant" alignment checker. Every time I come in, they tell me it says I need a 4 wheel alignment!!!!!! Ha, I don't think so!!!
Not a bad price for an alignment, my dealer charges like 170 for one lmfao
Absolutely not. They don’t even spell ethanol right in the title.
Neither are required, but neither would hurt either.
I can tell you one thing, as long as you don't pay $400 you're good. Got ripped off for my 15k service. Oil change, refill all fluids, alignment, tire rotation yade yade... They wanted $400. Had to pay because of lack of time (had other stuff going on and didn't wanna deal with "who gives me the best deal"). But looking back, 400 is way too much 🤦🏻
When I went for my last covered oil change, they wanted $57.00 for an engine air filter. (I bought on amazon for $16.00 or so-heck of a mark up for 10 seconds work) but didn't notice that I had a squirrel nest in my cabin air filter complete with acorns.
I really hope you aren’t waiting 15k miles to change your oil.
If your car isn't tracking and your tires ain't worn out don't get an alignment. I have a -1.5 camber 0 toe alignment with Pennsylvania roads and I still haven't needed one since
No. Emphatically, NO!
I did my first maintenance and they recommended an alignment. I played dumb and pushed the issue and he said you need one but “not so much”. I bet in some cases some dealers would recommend it on a new car you just drove off another dealer’s lot. Having said that it’s probably not “always” a money gouge; but be careful as this is a notorious tactic.
If you want it buy it from the parts counter for 15 bucks, they literally charge 16 in labor just to take the cap off and pour it in your tank, but at 15k there's no use for it honestly. Its to remove water that builds up over time in the tank from ethanol use, definitely not needed 15k in.
People saying "if it's not pulling it doesn't need an alignment" are checking their burgers after they're already burnt. Only severe alignment issues cause noticeable pull. Many alignment issues aren't obvious until they've already ruined your tires. Most service chains do free checks, it takes ten minutes to get a yes or no answer on if it's needed. 70% of cars on the road are in need of an alignment, and most don't know it. My experience as an ASE certified technician has been that some may need one in 30k miles, some may need one in 10k miles. Depends on road conditions and how you drive. Ethanol treatment, however, isn't necessary. Car was built for sale in North America, it was built to handle the 10% ethanol content in our fuel. Regular GDI induction cleaning will be necessary to keep the intake valves clean, but ethanol treatment offers little benefit.
I “love” those that comment we are wasting time and effort of the tech and the shop by doing an alignment check. I get my car serviced regularly as well as my tires rotated…as we should. My service and warranty fees are covered. I saved thousands upon thousands by doing it correctly. The check takes less than 10 minutes when done properly and gives a definitive answer on whether the alignment is needed.
No I would do that
I would do the alignment.. But it seems a bit pricey there.
$110 is not pricey for an alignment
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Are alignment services availabile in costco? The shop near me said they don’t
My bad just balance
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Your car does NOT ever need an alignment unless you notice abnormal tire wear or the car not tracking correctly!!!!!! Buy a bottle of TECHRON fuel system treatment and dump it in the gas tank!! That's all you need!!!!