Tire Rack Issue:

Hi Guys, I purchased 4 tires from Tire Rack for my Audi, I used one of their recommended service facilities that was in my town of Fairfield CT. I had them do an alignment at the same time. I also had them look at the front end for possible control arm issue. Turns out control arm was loose, as I partially expected. But when when we got the car back the sterring wheel was off by a quarter of a turn from straight. When I picked up the key, he mentioned that steering wheel would have some play until the control arm was fixed thus sterring wheel not 100 % straight. I didn't drive car until Sunday when I found steerong wheel out of whack? Is this right? My wheel was straight before alignment, and now way off, I called and left message on Sunday but he has not called back. Should proper alignment be separate issue from replacing control arm? What should I do about steering whell now? Thanks Robert

is this right? noooo! go down there and demand they do whatever it takes to make you happy. you will not leave until that happen and the car is not safe to drive. they are on the hook if anything happens.

I call bull****. The whole idea of an alignment is that car rides straight!

If was me, I would get a refund and have car towed to a shop that know how to align/repair your car. Can try speaking with owner of shop first, but seems they are over their heads.

Yeah guys, I went over there and told them steering wheel was 45 degrees off from straight. And they said could not do it correctly because the control arm is loose. I told them they then should have told me that they could not do the alignment... They said I could bring in car and they could straighten out steering wheel but alignment would be off... WTF? I guess you chalk it up to experience. I told them if they flub a 59 dollar job, how would they think I would bring my car BACK in for a 600 dollar job.... But I guess my question is, even if control arm is loose and there is a little play in steering wheel, what does that have to do with them aligning the car a quarter of a turn off? I am not a mechanic, and I do not understand why the car could supposedly be aligned with the loose arm but steering wheel is crooked as a result? Oh and I apologize for the dyslexic spelling in first post, I type with 2 fingers and was pissed and typing fast at time....

first, fix that control arm. no alignment is going to hold with a loose control arm. not to mention it's dangerous. second, once control arm is fixed by a real shop (not some bozo tire installer), get the alignment redone. you may want to just have the same shop that did control arm do it. saving a little just doesn't make sense since tires are over $1k a set. you should not have paid for the alignment when control arm i s loose. the shop shouldn't have done the alignment to begin with. did you pay with credit card? since the shop is not going to refund the money, i'd chargeback the amount with the credit card company. i am sure they will not dispute it. talk to the shop manager or owner also but if they don't budge, just call the credit card company. although tirerack offers great service and price, their recommended shop list is pure crap. i've heard so many horror stories about their recommended installer that i'd never use the shops on their list.

Typically, a shop won't do an alignment on a car that needs a control arm for a variety of reasons (can't do it right, plus car will shake). If you don't like the shop write off the $59 you spent as a learning experience, take it to a good shop, and have the control arm replaced.

Thanks DJ thats exactly what I was thinking, they should not have done it in the first place.... I will do a chargeback if credit card company lets me. I talked to manager and he was defending the work done so that was a dead end.

right Marlin, That was my first thought, chalk it up to exp. But now that I think about it, they should NOT have done the job, and now let them fight with the credit card company for the lousy 59 bucks......