What Does Costco Tire Installation Cost?
When buying tires, you need to realize that the tire is not the only thing you ought to pay for. You will also have to pay for the installation which can oftentimes be more expensive than you realize. As such, it is important for you to find the best place to install your tires, and there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t consider doing that at Costco. So, how much does a Costco tire installation cost?
Costco Tire Installation Cost
Costco tire installation costs $18.99 per tire which means that you will have to pay $76 to install all four of your tires. There are considerably more affordable places out there to install your tires, and most of them don’t even require a membership. However, if you do decide to pay $18.99 per tire at Costco, you will also get a Free Lifetime Tire maintenance package that consists of quite a few benefits.
This package comes with loads of stuff such as free lifetime tire rotations, free lifetime tire balancing, free air pressure checks, lifetime flat repairs, free air top-ups, new rubber & valve stems, and free disposal of old tires. To top it all off, you are also protected by Costco’s Road Hazard Warranty for five years.
Why Should I Install My Tires At Costco?
- You get lifetime tire rotations
- You get lifetime tire balancing
- You get lifetime pressure checks and top-ups
- You get new rubber & valve stems
- You get free old tire disposal
- You get Costco Road Hazard Warranty
How Can I Get Free Lifetime Tire Rotations At Costco?
As mentioned previously, if you buy your tires at Costco and you pay the additional $18.99 installation fee, you are also getting free tire rotations. This does not mean that you will be able to rotate tires for free at Costco for the rest of your life, but rather for the remaining life of the tires.
Costco says that you should rotate your tires as per your manufacturer’s recommendations, or every 5,000 – 8,000 miles at the very minimum. This is also the only way for you to get free lifetime Costco tire rotations.
How Can I Get Free Lifetime Tire Balancing At Costco?
Tire balancing and tire rotations are likely the two most important maintenance necessities you need to do if you want to get the most out of your tires. That is why most experts will tell you that you need to do both continuously. Thankfully, Costco will do it for you over and over again if you pay the $18.99 per tire installation fee.
How Do You Use Costco Tire Air For Free?
If you pay the $18.99 per tire installation fee, you can air up your tires at Costco as much as you want. Moreover, Costco uses nitrogen instead of compressed air which is intended to retain pressure much better. This means that you will not have to air up your tires as often as you otherwise would if you were to only use compressed air.
How Can I Get Free Rubber & Valve Stems At Costco?
The Costco Lifetime Tire Maintenance package gives you a set of free rubber & valve stems if you pay the $18.99 per tire installation fee. It’s worth mentioning that this does not include any TPMS systems as these will have to be bought separately. This package can only be used once per a set of new tires which means that you can’t get more than four/five stems at a time.
Can I Dispose Of My Old Tires At Costco For Free?
The only way for you to dispose of your old tires through Costco is to buy a new set of tires through Costco and opt for the $18.99 per tire Costco tire installation package. However, sometimes it makes more sense to take your tires to a dedicated recycling facility as you can get some money back this way. Moreover, if your tires are not too old, you can even try and sell them as used tires.
Will Costco Install Tires Bought Elsewhere?
No, they will not. Costco will not install tires that were not purchased through Costco for a variety of reasons. For starters, Costco can’t guarantee that the tires are in adequate shape or if they are even legitimate tires from a reputable dealer. Moreover, Costco will never agree to alter your recommended tire fitment for safety reasons and because that would automatically violate their Road Hazard Warranty.
The only way for you to reap all the tire installation benefits at Costco is to be a Costco member and buy the tires directly from them. Other tire centers such as Discount Tire will happily install tires bought elsewhere, but Costco will not.
Some Costco facilities will mount non-Costco sourced tires, but they will charge you at least $10-$15 per tire. Costco is really serious about authorized fitments which means that they aren’t willing to take risks by installing non-proven tire sizes on any car, no matter the price you pay. This makes perfect sense as you also shouldn’t alter your tire sizes on your own accord.
What Are The Costco Tire Center Alternatives?
If you are not a Costco member, but you are thinking about becoming one, you should do your due diligence and consider all the other tire facilities as well. First of all, we ought to mention Walmart, which is one of the largest US-based multination companies that deal with tires and pretty much everything else. Walmart leads the way when it comes to pricing, low maintenance service costs, and free nationwide shipping.
Discount Tire is one of the nations leading tire retailers with possibly the widest selection of tires in the country. They do not deal with discounted tires as the name might suggest, but rather aim to be the best tire shop out there in all price groups. Discount Tire is known for its special tire financing options, quick shipping times, and its incredible stock.
Tire Rack is a company that deals with tires exclusively which means that they might as well be the place to go if you need new tires and you want your questions answered. Tire Rack employees are incredibly well-informed which means that you don’t need to worry about anything as they will happily assist you with everything you need. With more than 20-30 different tire brands at your disposal, Tire Rack is at the very top of the tire game.
Which Tire Center Is The Cheapest?
Chain | Installation Price | Installation Package & Optional Services |
BJ’s | $80 for 4 wheels ($20/tire)
TPMS kit fees may vary. | – New valve stems – Lifetime rotation and balancing – Flat repairs – Inflation checks – 3 yr. road hazard warranty |
Costco | $76 for 4 wheels ($18.99/tire)
TPMS kits: $3/wheel | – New valve stems – Lifetime rotation and balancing – Flat repairs – Inflation checks – 5 yr. road hazard warranty |
Discount Tire | $84 for 4 wheels ($21/tire)
TPMS kits included. | – New valve stems – Lifetime rotation and balancing – Flat repairs – Inspection and inflation checks |
NTB | $68 for 4 wheels ($17/tire)
TPMS kits: $8/wheel | – Lifetime rotation and balancing
Optional: |
Pep Boys | $118.40 for 4 wheels ($29.60/tire)
TPMS kits and tire disposal included. | – New valve stems – Balancing – Vehicle inspection – Treadwear mileage warranty – Free rotation w/ any service – 1 yr. roadside assistanceOptional: – Wheel alignment ($100 for 3 mo.) – Road hazard warranty (varies by tire) |
Sam’s Club | $80 for 4 wheels ($20/tire)
TPMS kit: $5/wheel | – TPMS reset – New valve stems – Lifetime rotation and balancing – Flat repairs – 4 yr. road hazard warranty – 3 yr. roadside assistance |
Walmart | $60 for 4 wheels ($15/tire; $25 for non-Walmart tires)
TPMS kits included. | – New valve stems – Lifetime rotation and balancing – 50-mile lug retorqueOptional: – Road hazard warranty ($10/wheel) |
Is Costco Tire Center Worth It?
If you are already a Costco member, and if you do all your tire maintenance services at Costco, it is indeed worth it. If you take a closer look at the table above, you can see that Costco isn’t even in the top 3 when it comes to pricing, but the devil is in the details and if you combine all the possible benefits you can get through Costco, it ends up being one of the best places out there.
Conclusion
A Costco tire installation costs $18.99 per tire ($76 for all four tires). This is not the best outright price you can get, but if take full advantage of everything Costco offers you with the installation package, then it makes sense to go through Costco. Either way, you should always consider your alternatives as you never really know what you can actually get for your money before you ask a few questions.
If you want to know more about tire installation, where can you do it, how you can do it, and why you should do it, be sure to click here for some of our articles associated with this topic.