First shoddy work at Discount Tire.

[2strokeNorthstar]

I thought Discount Tire is still held by the family of Bruce T. Halle. Discount Tire, is privately held company founded by Bruce T. Halle in 1960. Are you thinking of the Tire Rack which was purchased by Discount Tire in late 2021?

Also for the OP :: Like everything in life, some days you have to deal with the "C or D Team". You don't always get the "A & B Team". You got it fixed and maybe next time you will get the "A or B Team". Now a days employers have to take people that are C and D players just to fill the labor spots. Not good for patrons, but just a reality of today's labor workforce.

You're right. The founder died but the family still owns it. Either way there was a noticeable change after his death, it seemed. Maybe a coincidence

 

[MBBW]

Literally just purchased an Amazon/Chinese balancer and tire changer for this reason. I'm never going back to a tire shop. Mounted and balanced some Conti VikingContact 7's and some Conti ExtremeContact Sport 02's, both run smooth as glass no problems. In almost every case, the Chinese balancer was telling me to stick the weights where the ones I had taken off were (which were all placed by a Hunter Road Force machine). Go figure...

 

[mclasser]

I don't like how they rush like a Nascar pit stop crew. Higher chance for errors that way.

 

[Brybo86]

I've had them rotate my tires and come back with no valve stem caps as well.
I emailed them and they ended up sending me a Ziploc baggie with a dozen air caps in it.

I think they should just add
"check to make sure there are valve stem caps on each vehicle"
before they leave the bay to their workflow checklist

 

[Dave Hess]

DT, even when national, used to be relatively niche/boutique.

Now the only retailers who sell more tires than DT are Walmart and Costco.

When you have that many employees/installations, something is bound to go wrong with someone.

But I'll still go to DT. head and shoulders above every other chain for tires. (Costco = always crowded, opens at 10a)

I’m always surprised how late Costco opens for business.

 

[CKN]

I'm sure glad I don't have any TPMS in my 25 year old car.

Can you imagine? An electronic device inside a tire?

It's like they're purposely trying to make cars as complicated as they can.

TPMS saves tires. You are going down the Interstate- pick up a screw or something and without TPMS the tire goes flat without warning- its toast by the time you pull over. It only takes a few hundred yards at zero pressure to ruin a tire. With TPMS you would get a low psi warning and have time. Sometimes technology can be a good thing. Have you looked at the price of tires recently?

 

[4wd]

I agree with C and D Team.

Tire shops have crazy turnover of employees so sometimes you get an inexperienced tire tech.

Down here we got Tire Kingdom and every time I go there I see new faces.

This is why I go the towns just big enough to have a DT - they seem to hold people longer. But at the end of the day - that work at that pace is not for old couch potatoes looking to fill the beer fridge and quit again …
Very much a younger guys job …

 

[4wd]

I've had them rotate my tires and come back with no valve stem caps as well.
I emailed them and they ended up sending me a Ziploc baggie with a dozen air caps in it.

I think they should just add
"check to make sure there are valve stem caps on each vehicle"
before they leave the bay to their workflow checklist

I had them add some air last week and the caps are still in a Scotch glass …
Oh wait, that was me

 

[D60]

I've also had questionable balancing on KO2s on my F350 and Duratracs on my wife's Tundra.

I think they just get it "kinda close" and figure they'll see if the customer complains.

 

[D60]

I'm sure glad I don't have any TPMS in my 25 year old car.

Can you imagine? An electronic device inside a tire?

It's like they're purposely trying to make cars as complicated as they can.

We can stand apart together. I also hate TPMS. At the very least it should be info you can check when you want to, no different than a digital oil pressure or water temp reading. But I shouldn't have to clear it every time I start the vehicle and it shouldn't incessantly alert me if a sensor is down.

It was a huge boon to the tire industry, though. I don't think there was any conspiracy but they were surely glad to see the nanny state make it law. Profit margins on sensors are huge from what I've seen. It really pushes up total billable if a customer needs four tires and four sensors and the tire retailers can claim their hands are tied and they can't allow the vehicle to leave with dead sensors. "It's not us, it's the law."

 

[IndyIan]

Really? It’s an awesome feature IMO.

I would sort of like a Tpms for my wife, but we survive without it. But only the versions that use comparative rotation speeds. I like our KISS wheels with free valve stems, and no goofing around with sensors dying in wheels, or having to be paired up with the car...
I didn't seem to have a problem feeling when a tire is low, on my old hydraulic PS cars, a moderate wiggle on the steering wheel when going down the highway would let you know which tire was low. But the electric PS systems, and more isolated, cars make feeling what's going on a bit harder.
In Canada TPMS, for personal cars isn't required and even my Indiana Outback doesn't have it, but new commercial vehicles here now need to be equipped.

 

[97prizm]

I thought Discount Tire is still held by the family of Bruce T. Halle. Discount Tire, is privately held company founded by Bruce T. Halle in 1960. Are you thinking of the Tire Rack which was purchased by Discount Tire in late 2021?

Also for the OP :: Like everything in life, some days you have to deal with the "C or D Team". You don't always get the "A & B Team". You got it fixed and maybe next time you will get the "A or B Team". Now a days employers have to take people that are C and D players just to fill the labor spots. Not good for patrons, but just a reality of today's labor workforce.

Especially in places like the front range of Colorado where $25 an hour is not much. You're right some people just don't have great customer service skills.

 

[Dave Hess]

I always tip $10 to the tire tech BEFORE they touch my car.

They always do a great job balancing the tires…..

 

[rstsco]

I always tip $10 to the tire tech BEFORE they touch my car.

They always do a great job balancing the tires…..

Good idea. I'll try that. My tires arrived yesterday, so will be getting them installed in a couple of days.

 

[Arc]

I'm sure glad I don't have any TPMS in my 25 year old car.

Can you imagine? An electronic device inside a tire?

It's like they're purposely trying to make cars as complicated as they can.

Just another annoyance and unneeded feature on a vehicle. You are better off without it. They didn't have new ones for my jeep last time I bought new tires so now I have to look at that warning light all the time.

 

[Donald]

I have ordered tires several times from DT but have never been to their store. Not sure we have any. In the Northeast we have Mavis Tire. I am skeptical when they pushed brake work on daughter's car. But was not there to really check it out.

 

[rstsco]

I always tip $10 to the tire tech BEFORE they touch my car.

They always do a great job balancing the tires…..

Got my winter tires (VC8s) installed yesterday on a different set of wheels. Slipped the main guy working on installing the new tires a twenty, and he was meticulous in his work, making sure the others touching them did a good job. @Dave Hess - This was a good tip (pun intended).

 

[QwikKota]

That's not great but not as big of a deal as loose lugs nuts on my Wife's 2010 4Runner that routinely shuttled 2 and 4 year olds around. They are only 81 ft lbs. Seriously?

 

[Dave Hess]

That's not great but not as big of a deal as loose lugs nuts on my Wife's 2010 4Runner that routinely shuttled 2 and 4 year olds around. They are only 81 ft lbs. Seriously?

I always check lug nuts after getting home from Tire Kingdom.

I don’t trust anyone…..

 

[rszappa1]

We can stand apart together. I also hate TPMS. At the very least it should be info you can check when you want to, no different than a digital oil pressure or water temp reading. But I shouldn't have to clear it every time I start the vehicle and it shouldn't incessantly alert me if a sensor is down.

It was a huge boon to the tire industry, though. I don't think there was any conspiracy but they were surely glad to see the nanny state make it law. Profit margins on sensors are huge from what I've seen. It really pushes up total billable if a customer needs four tires and four sensors and the tire retailers can claim their hands are tied and they can't allow the vehicle to leave with dead sensors. "It's not us, it's the law."

I like the one on my 21 Honda HRV...it is indirect and still uses the plain old rubber valve stems..