What to do If a dealer does a bad alignment.

I will try and keep this simple, as I have seen some similar post, but I
had a few specific Questions.

here are the details before the questions
I have an 01 honda crv, I Put new tires on It at around 59k approximately 2
or 3 days after purchacing it.

I got a good deal on micheline hydroedge at discount tire company. However
they do not do alignments.

I had a bad experience a few years back with sears where I had tires wear
out and they wouldn't warrantee them, because I didn't have them do an
alignment.

So I took my crv to my local honda dealer, and had them do it thinking that
They would do it right.

I have had a couple of questionable experiences with them in the past,
One was where I had brought in a civic, for an inspection, and was told to
replace the breaks, (drums) when I pulled the drums, I could find very
minimal wear on them (55 k on the car) and I am being generous with them by
saying their was at least 80 % left (more like 90+)
then again after I bought my cr-v I had had it inspected at a local acura
dealer to where I was buying it, when I brought my crv in for "catch up
services" they told me my break shoes were cracked. this was maby a day
adfter acura inspected it, and noticed little more than routine wear. I
went ahead and let them change the pads, so I wouldnt have to fool with it(
$300).

back to my alignment. I had the tires installed and balanced at discount
tires, then drove to my honda dealer the next morning putting maby 50 miles
on the 85k michelines. Now the hydroedges are odd looking tires, and I am
certainly no expert, but after my first rotation I noticed they seemed to
be wearing a bit. However since discount didn't mention any problems, I
assumed I just was seeing things. I had a second rotation, where they
removed a nail from the tread, and again they still said nothing about
wear, and again I thought they looked funny, but it is such an odd looking
tire. Anyway around halfway through till my 3rd alignment I look down and
notice that the outside edges are getting really thin, so I took it back to
discount. They informed me that It was not the tires, and that it was
probably toe in toe out, as all 4 tires were wearing excessively on the
outside edges.

Now I have experienced this before, and I have not hit any potholes, and If
I had I would have taken it back to the dealer for realignment. as I was
denied compensation from sears for the very same thing.

Before taking it to my dealer I took it to an independent mechanic that
discount tire reccomended, and they printed out the specs on the alignment
, and asked me If I had been in a wreck, (it apparently was that bad) I
then asked them What would cause it to be that bad, and they said that it
was either in an accident, Or was improperly aligned.

Now considering the original tires were just worn out, and not off
alignment,as well as both the acura dealer who did my initial inspection,
and my honda dealer who did all the service work, and the alignment. I feel
honda forgot to do something, or bungled the alignment.
When I took it to them I spoke to one of their service people(not the
manager) And of course they say that they didn't do the rotations, on the
tires, and the cliched "you could have hit a pothole". Then they offered to
Look at the car, for a fee higher, than the alignment itself cost. I said
no thanks and left.

Do I have any recource with eather my honda dealer, or discount tire?
Discount has offered to give me 2 tires, but I would still have to buy 2
more tires, as well as pay for an alignment.
Technically they should have noticed the wear, and informed me, of it.
And I am kind of discusted, at my honda dealer giving me the cold shoulder
after pouring over 4 grand into their service department.

Any suggestions on what to do, or who I could file a complaint with?
Or should I just start slapping the cheapest crappyest tires on my vehicles
from , now on, since I though I had covered my bases, by doing all the
rotations, and alignments as scheduled. and I still seem to be getting
screwed.

Does anyone know of a tire company, in GA that will actually warranty their
items.

I am sorry but 14k on 85k michelines is unacceptable. And I thought By
covering my bases I wouldn't be shafted like this, especially using the
dealer, for the alignment.

thanks

Expensive lessons....
I cant see that Discount Tire has any responsibility. They just balanced
and rotated the tires. I agree, it would have been nice had they noticed
unusual wear patterns and told you.

I have used Discount Tire for years, and find them usually competent and
honest.

The dealership probably has a litany of excuses why they are not
responsible...
They may WELL have been responsible for crappy work, but proving it and
suing them would probably be an exercise in futility.

And, it might NOT have been their fault either.

Get away from ****teaux dealerships. Find a good independent shop with
mechanics who will do what they say, and will back up their work. Keep an
eye on your car, tires and all. If something seems wrong, have it checked
out.

I have been told to next time just suck it up and go to someplace like
sears where it is all done under one roof. The 1st thing my honda dealer
asked was if i had bought the tires through them.

I plan on trying them one more time asking to speak to the service manager,
and telling them that i am dissapointed that they apparently don't
warrantee their work, and basically ask why I should continue using them,
for my service needs, if a simple 50 buck alignment isnt honored,

Honestly i feel both are a bit at fault, and that both should take part of
the hiton the repair/replacement. It is like i told discount when i first
took the tires back to them That I understood That the dealer was at least
partly responcible.


thanks though

--
Message posted via http://www.carkb.com

"chris777 via CarKB.com" > wrote in message
...
> I have been told to next time just suck it up and go to someplace like
> sears where it is all done under one roof. The 1st thing my honda dealer
> asked was if i had bought the tires through them.
>

This is exactly correct.

> I plan on trying them one more time asking to speak to the service
manager,
> and telling them that i am dissapointed that they apparently don't
> warrantee their work, and basically ask why I should continue using them,
> for my service needs, if a simple 50 buck alignment isnt honored,
>
> Honestly i feel both are a bit at fault, and that both should take part of
> the hiton the repair/replacement. It is like i told discount when i first
> took the tires back to them That I understood That the dealer was at least
> partly responcible.
>

You ran around to different places to buy your stuff. That just gives each
place
someone else to point to. When you bought your new car did you go buy a
door from one dealership, a wheel from another, a headlight from a third?

Think about it.

Ted

While I get your point, and agree in principle, Ted, it makes no difference
to the quality of the alignment work where he bought his tires.

Having alignment work done at Sears is no guarantee either. My daughter
once took her Nissan to Sears and they charged her a service fee only to
tell her that her car couldn't be aligned...They said it was too far off,
and that the chassis was warped.

I took the little car to a frame shop, and they aligned it immediately with
no frame bending. They knew what they were doing. Sears, in that instance,
did not.

I have very few good stories to tell about dealerships.

"chris777 via CarKB.com" > wrote in message
...
>I have been told to next time just suck it up and go to someplace like
> sears where it is all done under one roof. The 1st thing my honda dealer
> asked was if i had bought the tires through them.
>
> I plan on trying them one more time asking to speak to the service
> manager,
> and telling them that i am dissapointed that they apparently don't
> warrantee their work, and basically ask why I should continue using them,
> for my service needs, if a simple 50 buck alignment isnt honored,
>
> Honestly i feel both are a bit at fault, and that both should take part of
> the hiton the repair/replacement. It is like i told discount when i first
> took the tires back to them That I understood That the dealer was at least
> partly responcible.
>
>
> thanks though
>

An alignment shouldn't be warranteed. Once you leave the shop, you could
immediately hit a curb and knock the alignment out. Then you'd expect the
shop to redo your alignment? They should have included a print out of your
alignment when it was completed. It should show the settings before your
alignment and then the new settings. If they didn't include that, then you
have no case against them. Don't go back to them.

Discount tire has no responsibility to you. They gave you new tires. It's
not their fault that the alignment is off. The dealer has a responsibility
to you but you can't prove it to them. If they thought they messed up,
they'd probably offer you a free alignment.

I can see that you'd be frustrated, I would too. It's the school of hard
knocks. Learn from it.

-Bruce