Shopping for tires can be costly, especially if you would like to replace the four tires at the same time. In a big store like Walmart, the tire installation cost can be cheaper than other companies. However, Walmart's tire installation cost is not the lowest in the market.
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In this article, we walk you through detailed information about Walmart's tire installation cost along with the different services available with tire installation. We also answer most frequently asked questions about tire installation at Walmart. Finally, we provide a detailed comparison between Walmart's tire installation cost as compared to other big companies like Costco and Mr. Tire.
Walmart tire installation cost – Does Walmart charge to install a tire?
The short answer is yes. The price of tire installation varies by vehicle's make, model, and year. The cost also varies by the type and quality of tire you will be choosing.
Walmart offers a customer tire installation service for up to $12 for each tire. The installation comes with valve stems, mounting, lifetime balance, and tire rotation once every 7,500 miles.
If you decided to go with separate service, then here is the break down of cost by service:
- $12 per tire for life balance and rotation
- $3 per tire for valve stem service
- $10 per tire for repairing a flat tire
- $10 per tire for mounting your vehicle's tire
- $2.5 per tire for tire rotation only
- $2 per lug nut for lug nut replacement
- You can reset your tire pressure monitoring system for FREE
How to choose the best tire for my vehicle?
It might get a little challenge for many new drivers to decide what tire do they need and what are the benefits of using certain tire types. That's why Walmart offers the tire-finder online tool to help you identify what type of tire suits your vehicle best.
In the tire-finder, you will need to input your vehicle's basic information like the car's make, model, and year. Then, the website will list all sorts of tire industries that suits your vehicle to help you narrow down what you want to select.
Are there tire installation discounts at Walmart?
Yes, Walmart is pretty good at offering great deals when it comes to tire installation. For instance, you can choose from the many discounted rates that get as low as $20 for each tire set.
You can also take advantage of the different giveaways that Walmart offers from time to time. These giveaways come with a certain purchase of tires like providing a Free Sirius XM Radio with tire purchase. Finally, Walmart has several bundle options that you can choose from.
Are Walmart tires good?
According to many customer reviews, Walmart is a great place to get your vehicle's tires changed. This is because the store has thousands of locations, and it is very convenient to find a location near you to get the tires installed.
In terms of quality, Walmart's tires are considered good for the price it provides. However, many complaints were received from different customers about the waiting time it takes to get your tires installed. Some had to wait more than three hours to get the job done, which is considered a relatively long waiting time for such a job.
The other thing you might need to consider when defining what a “good tire” is is the warranty you get with it. Walmart is very strict about what exactly caused your damage to be able to install the new tire under warranty.
Do I need an alignment after replacing tires?
It is recommended that you have a wheel alignment after you install new tires to your vehicles. This is because the wheel alignment can get you the best out of your tires and ensure they last longer.
When you do the wheel alignment, the tires will be meeting the road in the correct direction and angle, as it is stated in your vehicle's owner's manual. Thus, when you have your wheels aligned correctly, you will feel how smooth your driving experience is by noticing that your vehicle drives straight and doesn't lean to one side more than the other.
Good wheel alignment provides good harmony between all your tires, and you will have even tire wear, so you don't scarify any of the wheels, and the load will be distributed evenly among them.
Is it OK to replace just two tires at Walmart?
Well, the answer to these questions depends on tires type. For instance, if your vehicle has an all-wheel-drive, then experts recommend replacing all four wheels at the same time. This is because you don't want to have tires with different sizes in the same all-wheel-drive vehicle to avoid damaging the car.
How to get the best deal on tires from Walmart?
There are several recommendations you can keep in mind to get the best deal on your tires from Walmart.
Here are some of the good tips:
- Search online for coupons or discounts and keep an eye on any advertising from Walmart
- Choose the perfect timing to purchase your tires. It is recommended that you buy tires sometime between April or October. This is because, at these specific months, there is a significant weather change. For instance, in April, people will start thinking about going vacations and enjoying some road trips. Similarly, in October, people will start thinking of buying new tires as winter approaches. That's why you will find the best deals and sales at these specific two months.
- Don't wait until the last minute. It is recommended that you be proactive about getting your tires throughout the year till the time you need them. If you waited until you get a flat tire, you would not have enough choices to choose from, and you will have to accept whatever the mechanic suggests or the available prices.
Are tires at Walmart the same as elsewhere?
Several studies were conducted to compare Walmart's tire replacement cost versus other larger companies like Costco or Mr. Tire. In their studies, they did not only focus on the quality of the tires but also the other available services accompanying tire installation.
According to these studies, Walmart does not offer the cheapest tire installation. It is Costco who received the top ranking when it comes to tire installation cost, tire quality, and additional services along with tire installation. The table below summarizes the breakdown of four-tire installation-related service along with it's the price in Walmart versus Costco versus Mr. Tire.
|
Service Company |
Michelin Defender | Balance & Mount | Valve Stem | Tire Disposal | Road Hazard Warranty | Additional Fees | Total |
| Costco | $466 | $56 | Already included | $4 | Already included | $15 | $541 |
| Walmart | $545 | $36 | $12 | $6 | $40 | $3.2 | $642 |
| Mr. Tire | $680 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $95 | $13 | $788 |
As the table shows, Costco provides the cheapest tire installation along with all necessary services associated with tire replacement as compared to Walmart. However, Walmart still in a good position when compared to Mr. Tire.
Why are Walmart tires so cheap?
Well, if we consider that Walmart's tires are cheap, when not comparing to Costco, there is a lot of reasons for this relatively low cost. Many people were wondering, “Is it a myth that Walmart tires are lower quality than buying them somewhere else?”
All these questions show some hesitation that Walmart does not provide good quality tires. Walmart is a huge company, and it provides a long list of tires from different manufacturers, some are very high quality while others are not. It is a matter of what type you choose to buy.
Here is a small list of Walmart's tire companies:
- Goodyear
- Michelin
- Cooper
- BFGoodrich
- Hankook
- General Tire
- Bridgestone
- Douglas Tires
- Firestone
- Kumbo Tire
- Nexen
- Uniroyal
- And more
While the tire itself is really important, the more important thing to think about is who is installing the tire for you as several customers preferred locations where there are a lot of qualified professional mechanics rather than just focusing on the tire's brand. This is because it is important to install the tire correctly, so it lasts longer for you and doesn't wear fast.
Does Walmart price match on tires?
According to Walmart.com, Walmart works very hard to provide the lowest price for customers, not only for tires but for all products. They indicated that “Walmart.com is committed to providing low prices every day, on everything.* So if you find a lower price from an online retailer on an identical, in-stock product, tell us, and we'll match it.”
Thus, the short answer to this question is Yes. However, there are a list of limitations to where the price match applies, including:
- The product must be the same as Walmart's in terms of all aspects like a model, quality, year, quantity, size, etc.
- The price match is allowed one time a day for every single customer.
- You can not request checks for unavailable items in the store
- Official retailers must sell the item on this list.
For more information on which situations you can't get a price match, you can visit the Walmart.com website.
How long do Walmart tires last?
According to Walmart's website, if you had tire installation at Walmart, expect them to last somewhere between 40,000 and 100,000 miles on average. It is important to note that this number applies only for all-season tires, not the other types of tires.
How long does tire installation take?
Tire installation is a relatively quick service. It usually takes about 45 minutes to get your tire installed. The mechanic has to place your vehicle in a specific area where he can lift it and secure it, so it doesn't slip or move. Then he takes out all bolts and lug nuts, rotates the tire counter-clockwise to take it off, install the new tire, and put the bolts back and secure them. Once this is done, your vehicle will be unlifted and put down on the floor for a test.
Can you negotiate the price at discount tires at Walmart?
Walmart's tire installation is not the most expensive nor the cheapest. When the tire is on a discount, it might not be possible to negotiate the price unless you found it cheaper somewhere else.
As we discussed in Walmart's price match, if you were able to find an official website where the same tire is sold for a lower price, you can get a price match and, thus, is considered getting a better deal.
If you still think that Walmart's tire installation cost is high, you might need to spend some time exploring other locations like Costco and see if it works better for you. As we mentioned earlier, Costco provides the lowest price for tire installation among the other companies, including Walmart.
Therefore, if you care a lot about how much you will pay, it makes sense to get quotes from other locations that Walmart.
Bottom line
Tires are one of the very critical components of any vehicle as it directly touches the road and can affect your safety if not taken good care of. Tire installation is an essential service for any vehicle as it wears and tears over time of use.
Walmart provides a relatively low tire installation cost; however, it is not the cheapest in the market. Walmart's tire installation costs about $12 per tire.
When thinking of tire installation, one should keep in mind the different other services needed along with tire installation. Therefore, the price can jump high if not keeping all things clear.
If you would like to replace the four tires and perform all necessary services like Michelin defender, balance & mount, valve stem, road hazard warranty, and other fees, expect to pay $642 at Walmart. On the other hand, you might need only to pay $541 when you have the same service done at Costco.