Walmart Tire Installation Cost
The Walmart Auto Care Center offers other services along with selling tires and other car parts. They can also install the tires on your car if you have bought them from Walmart.com, one of their physical stores, or even a third-party store, although coming to them to install tires you bought from somewhere else will cost additionally.
Walmart has a big variety of tires of all brands and sizes inside their stores, but if you can’t find the right set of tires, they also offer free shipping to your home or even to the place where you want to have them installed.
The Cost to Install Tires at Walmart
The cost to install tires inside a Walmart shop will depend on the tire package you will go for, as they have several packages, each of them with its own price tag. They offer an official price list on their website, and you can see a summary of the offered costs below:
Type Of Tire Installation Package
- Value – This is a more complex option that includes anything you’d get from the basic tire installation package, but you will also get a road hazard lifetime service warrant. It will cost $25 and will only apply to the tires bought through Walmart.com or Walmart stores.
- Basic tire package – Should include services like stabilizing for life, free valve stems, and the tire installation itself, along with free tire rotation after 7,500 miles and re-torque after your first 50 miles of driving. This package is priced at $14 per tire but will cost $10 more if you bought the tire from a third-party store.
These rates have been updated as of 2023 and will usually include the cost of tire disposal as well, which is usually priced at around $2 per tire, although this differs from one local shop to another.
Based on the guidelines available on their official website, the shops will also have different offers for free installation when you purchase your tires from them. These offers for free installation will usually be the same as the basic package, coming with the same additions, although this is something you should talk to the car expert instore. You can also look for other tire deals available, that can be combined with the free installation, to be sure you’re paying the lowest price for the tires and their installation.
Cheapism did a tire installation study among the most popular chains a couple of years ago, and Walmart came in 4th place, with Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJ’s, being considered better especially because they offered free 24/7 roadside tire-change service and/or free tire pressure monitoring system reset services for up to 3 years after the purchase date.
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You can find a breakdown of the costs related to the installation of tires at both Costco and Walmart in a ChristianPost.com post. According to that article, when you take into account all of the costs related to warranty, valve stems, tire disposal, balancing and mounting, and of course, the tires themselves, the total cost before taxes will be somewhere around $650 for Walmart and just under $550 at Costco. This clearly makes Costco the better option when going for the same services.
Additional Costs to consider
Aside from the actual tire setup, you should also consider the cost of the new rubber valve stems if needed. These shouldn’t cost more than $3 per piece.
As pointed out above, a tire disposal charge of about $1.50 per tire also applies in all of their locations, however sometimes, it might be higher or lower, and depending on the deal you’re getting, this cost might be waived.
If the package does not offer a warranty, a road hazard warranty can be included for $10 per tire. You can find out more about the optional roadway hazard warranty by looking at the official contract.
If the tire pressure tracking systems have to be reset, this can cost another $5 per tire.
About the Walmart tire road hazard warranty
The Walmart tire road hazard warranty is optional and is designed to cover your tires if they are found to be faulty for their entire lifetime. This lifetime is represented as the period of usual tread depth. The functional tread depth, based on the PDF, is specified as the tread down to the last 2/32nds of an inch, and the last 2/32nds will not be considered part of the functional thread.
The optional warranty will provide extra coverage to the tires bought and installed at Walmart and can cover damage from glass, metal stones, nails, and practically anything else that might cause considerable damage to a tire. This warranty will provide a free flat tire repair, along with a pro-rate installation if the tire is damaged beyond repair, in the event of a tire failure. Keep in mind that the repair is free to an extent, but you will still have to pay government-mandated fees and other taxes.
To be eligible for a totally free replacement, you need to have acquired the service warranty, be the initial owner of the car, have the initial record/invoice and the tire will be changed with the condition that is covered by the service warranty.
Keep in mind that you won’t be covered by this warranty in the case of worn mechanical components, rapid wear, snow chains, off-road usage, accidents, racing, improper repairs or other types of abuse.
How can you pick the best tire for the car?
Especially if you’re a newer driver, it might be rather hard to pick the best tire and the needed additional services for your specific car brand. This is why Walmart has made a tire-finder tool that is great at helping you find out the type of tire that perfectly matches your car.
The tire finder tool will require some basic information from you like the make, model, and year of your car. After you input the needed information, the tool will give you all tire types that are compatible with your car, making it very simple for you to pick the right set.
Are there any tire installation discounts or coupons at Walmart?
Yes, Walmart is very good at providing fantastic offers for tire installation. For example, you can take advantage of one or more deals that get the final price to as low as $20 for every tire pack.
You can also benefit from one of the many giveaways that Walmart provides from time to time. These free gifts will be linked to a specific purchase of tires like offering a free Sirius XM Radio with some tire purchases. Lastly, Walmart has a number of package choices that you can pick from.
Are Walmart tires any good?
According to numerous consumer reviews that you can find online, Walmart is one of the best store choices when needing to change your car tires. One of the pros of Walmart is that they have so many locations all around the US that it is practically impossible not to stumble upon a Walmart tire center in your area where you can have your tires installed.
In terms of their actual quality, Walmart’s tires are seen as great for their price. Nevertheless, lots of complaints were registered from clients about the waiting time you will be faced with when you want to get your tires installed. Some were made to wait more than 3 hours to get the new tires installed, which is seen as a rather long waiting time for such a task.
The other thing you may have to think about when talking about what a “great tire” is, is the warranty you get with it. Walmart is extremely strict about what caused your damage when you’re looking to take advantage of the service warranty and get a new tire.
Do I have to get an alignment after changing the tires?
It is a great idea to have a wheel alignment after you have your new tires installed on your car. This is to avoid unnecessary damage to the tires when they aren’t properly aligned and to ensure you won’t have to change them again for a while.
When you do the wheel alignment, the tires will be touching the roadway in the right direction and angle, as it is specified in your car’s owner’s handbook. Therefore, when you have your wheels lined up properly, you will feel how smooth your driving experience is by seeing that your car drives straight and does not lean to one side or the other.
Better wheel alignment provides great harmony between all your tires, and you will have less and even tire wear, so you do not scarify any of the wheels, and the load will be dispersed equally between them.
Is it a good idea to change only 2 tires at Walmart?
Well, the answer to this question depends on the tire type you have. For example, if your car has an all-wheel-drive, then specialists suggest changing all 4 wheels in one go. This is so that you avoid having tires with slightly different sizes in the same all-wheel-drive car to prevent any damage to the vehicle.
Other services provided by Walmart
These services can be purchased independently or in bigger packages.
| Service | Fee | Details |
| Tire Rotation | $2.50 per tire |
|
| Lifetime Balance and Rotation | $13 per tire |
|
| Tire Repair | $11 per tire |
|
| Lug Nut Replacement | $2.50 per lug |
|
How to get the best price on tires from Walmart?
There are a number of tips you can follow to get the best price when you buy your tires at Walmart.
Here are a few great suggestions:
- Do not let this problem rest till the last minute. Experts suggest that you be proactive about getting your tires throughout the year and not right when you will need them. If you waited until you get a flat, you would not have too many options to pick from, and you will need to go for whatever the mechanic recommends at their provided costs.
- Pick the best time to acquire your tires. It is suggested that you purchase tires at some point at the start of April and October. This is because, during these particular months, there is a substantial weather change. For example, in April, some people will start to think of going on getaways and/or different journeys. Likewise, in October, people will start to consider purchasing new tires as the winter season approaches. That’s why you are likely to find the best prices and sales during these particular 2 months.
- Look online for vouchers or discount offers and watch out for any ads from Walmart
Are tires at Walmart the same as everywhere else?
Extensive research was performed to compare Walmart’s tire replacement cost against Mr. Tire, Costco, or other important brands. In their studies, they did not just concentrate on the quality of the tires but at the same time on other offered services accompanying tire installation.
According to these studies, Walmart does not provide the least expensive tire installation service. It is Costco that got the top place when talking about value tire installation packages, tire quality, and extra services that come along with tire installation. Costco will provide the most affordable tire installation along with all essential services needed along with tire replacement when compared to Walmart. Nevertheless, Walmart still is in a great position when compared to Mr. Tire, so a strong second place.
Why are Walmart tires so cheap?
Although compared to Costco, the tires provided by Walmart aren’t necessarily considered cheap, they are rather cheap when compared to the market average. Being rather cheap, a lot of people have started asking whether Walmart’s tires are of a lower quality than the ones bought from other stores.
So there are some concerns regarding the quality of the tires provided by Walmart among customers. What you should understand is that Walmart is a very big company. This means that they provide tires from a long list of different makers. While some are really great in terms of quality, others will be far from it. So it will all come down to the exact tire brand you’re going for.
Here is a short list of Walmart’s tire models:
- Michelin
- Goodyear
- Cooper
- BFGoodrich
- Hankook
- General Tire
- Bridgestone
- Douglas Tires
- Firestone
- Kumbo Tire
- Nexen
- Uniroyal
And more
While the tire itself is very important, another crucial thing to think about is who is installing the tire for you as a lot of clients used shops with many qualified expert mechanics instead of only concentrating on the tire’s brand name. This is because it is very important to install the tire properly, so it lasts longer for you and does not deteriorate too quickly.
Does Walmart’s cost match on tires?
According to Walmart.com, Walmart works hard to give you the most affordable cost, not just for tires but for other related services and products they sell as well. Their promise is that if you find a lower cost from an online merchant on the same product, they will match that price.
Therefore, the short answer to this particular question is Yes. Nevertheless, there is a list of restrictions to where the cost match can be applied, including but not limited to:
- The item needs to be the very same as Walmart’s in regards to all elements like brand, quality, year, amount, size, and so on
- The cost match will be approved just one time a day for each individual consumer
- You can not ask for checks for products that are unavailable in the shop
- Official sellers should offer the product on the list
To find out more about the individual instances in which you won’t be able to get a price match, you can go to the official Walmart.com site.
How long will Walmart tires last?
According to Walmart’s site, if you had your tires installed at Walmart, you should expect them to last anywhere between 40,000 and 100,000 miles. It is essential to keep in mind that this number applies to all-season tires, not the other kinds of tires.
How long will the tire installation process take?
Tire installation is a fairly fast service. It normally takes about 45 minutes to get your tires properly installed. The mechanic needs to put your car in a particular area where they can elevate it and secure it, so it does not slip or move. Then, they remove all bolts and lug nuts, turn the tire counter-clockwise to take it off, install the new tire, and put the bolts back, and fix them in place. As soon as this is done, your car will be put back down on the floor for a test.
Can you get the cost lower for discount tires at Walmart?
Walmart’s tire installation is not the most pricey nor the least expensive. When the tire is on a discount, it may not be possible to reduce the cost more unless you find it more affordable elsewhere.
As we stated in Walmart’s cost match, if you could find a website where the very same tire is priced lower, you can get a cost match and you will get a better deal.
If you still believe that Walmart’s tire installation cost is high, you may have to invest a lot of time looking in other places like Costco and see if you find a better cost.
For that reason, if you care more about how much you will pay than the quality of tires, it makes good sense to get quotes from other stores than Walmart.
Conclusion
Tires are among the really important parts of any car as they directly touch the road and can impact your safety if not installed properly. Tire installation is a necessary service for any car as tires wear in time from usage.
Walmart offers a reasonably low tire installation price. Walmart’s tire installation costs about $12 per tire.
When thinking about tire installation, one has to remember the different other services required in addition to tire installation. For that reason, the cost can jump quite a lot when you add everything.
If you want to change all of the 4 tires and carry out all needed services like Michelin protector, balance & installation, valve stem, roadway risk guarantee, and other costs, anticipate paying close to $650 at Walmart.
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I’ve bough many tires from Walmart. Out the door pricing is usually better than competitors but seems the gap has narrowed. Problem is the long wait time. I’ve been told 2-3 hours. Two guys in the bay, one changing oil, one installing tires. Not unlike the front where there’s two cashiers working nonstop and a ten deep line at self checkout. Last purchase I visited an independent who said looking at old tires alignment may be off. Said a check on the rack was free and I was thinking here come the upsell. At checkout the bill was for the tire installation only. I asked about the alignment and he said it was only out a little on the right side, minor adjustment, no charge. Even gave me a print out. I paid $20 more than I would’ve at Walmart, got a free alignment, was out the door in under an hour. Walmart is okay but I’ve found my new tire store. There may be one near you.