When you think of Costco, you probably don’t immediately think of tires — but maybe you should!
That’s because the warehouse club chain delivers members an exceptional tire-buying experience at its Costco Tire Centers across the country.
And the service doesn’t stop after the sale. Costco Tire Center has some great deals on maintenance, warranties and anything else you could need after you leave the parking lot.
This article was updated in June 2024 and I review it every six months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.
Costco Tire Center: What You Need To Know About Prices, Appointments, Warranties and More
When it’s time to buy new tires, there’s no lack of places you could go — from warehouse clubs to online tire merchants to discount tire shops to independent retailers and more.
But only one consistently delivers the best shopping experience when it comes to purchasing, installation and lifetime service.
In this article, we’ll look at Costco tire prices, appointments, installation, warranty and more. Plus, read on for real customer reviews from Clark.com readers who’ve bought Costco tires.
Table of Contents
1. Costco Tire Center Remains Competitive on Pricing
Based on our analysis of current data, Costco tire prices are still competitive and customer satisfaction with the warehouse club is high.
To get an idea of how to accurately price compare Costco to other top tire retailers, I looked at the current prices of two specific popular tire sizes across tire stores.
In the table below, you’ll see prices for a Bridgestone Turanza Quiettrack 215/55R17 tire that fits my 2017 Toyota Camry and for a Michelin Defender LTX M/S 20″ tire that fits the popular Ford F150. Prices are accurate as of June 2024. The Costco prices shown are before any promotional discounts. Remember that if you are a Costco Anywhere Visa Card holder you will save 2% on the tire purchase. And you can save another 2% if you are an executive member.
| Cost of Bridgestone – TURANZA QUIETTRACK 215/55R17 | Cost of Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 20” Tires | Cost of Bridgestone ALENZA AS ULTRA 275/55R20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costco | $209.99 | $286.99 | $260.99 |
| Tire Rack | $208.99 | $279.99 | $258.99 |
| Sam’s Club | $209.88 | $279.99 | $258.99 |
| Discount Tire | $209 | $280.00 | $259 |
| Walmart | $209.99 | $267.93 | $260.99 |
| BJ’s Tire Center | Not Available | $282.99 | $266.99 |
Additionally, savvy shoppers know that Costco discounts select brands of tires by $60 to $90 off during different times of the year.
Then, to sweeten the savings even more, they offer free installation with your tire purchase. That’s an additional savings of $80+ right there!
Right now through July 24th, they are running a special on both Bridgestone and Firestone tires.
2. Costco Makes it Easy to Find the Right Tire
They give you 4 different ways to find the right tire for your vehicle.
- License plate number
- Vehicle description
- Tire Size
- Item #
By license plate number
Simply enter your plate number and state and they will match the tires you need to your state’s public vehicle records.
It worked perfectly for me when I tried it.
By Vehicle
Simply enter the year, make, model and trim and they will show you the tires that fit that vehicle.
By Tire Size
You will need to know the width, aspect ratio, and rim diameter of your tire. These numbers are usually visible on the tire.
3. Scheduling a Tire Appointment Is Easy
When you’re ready to schedule an appointment, you can do it right at the warehouse or you can do it online.
The nice thing about making a Costco tire appointment is that you can get all your shopping done while the tire techs work on your vehicle!
4. Tire Installation Is a Cut Above the Rest
Most garages will inflate your tires with compressed air when they install them. But not Costco. The warehouse club uses nitrogen instead.
“Nitrogen retains tire pressure better over time than compressed air, which can positively impact the life of your tires, as well as the fuel economy of your vehicle,” Costco notes online.
In addition, Costco installs new rubber valve stems when they service your tires. Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) valve stems and accessories are available for an additional charge.
5. The 5-Year Road Hazard Warranty Protects Your Wallet After Installation
The warehouse club has got your back even after you leave the Costco Tire Center and hit the road. A five-year Road Hazard Warranty protects your wallet from tread wear damage and tire failure.
That means Costco will repair or replace your tires if they’re damaged during standard legal vehicle operation. Of course, you’ve got to show your original receipt and keep up with standard maintenance like rotations, balancing, etc. for the warranty to apply.
But it’s nice to know you’re protected! You can read the fine print here.
6. Costco Tire Center Offers Free Lifetime Maintenance Services
When you purchase and get your tires installed at a Costco Tire Center, you also get a lot of freebie maintenance services thrown in for the life of the tires:
- Free lifetime inflation pressure checks
- Free lifetime tire balancing
- Free tire rotations
- Free flat repairs
- Nitrogent tire inflation
However, one thing to note is that Costco will not do alignments when you get new tires. So you’ve got to factor that in if you’re thinking about purchasing Costco tires.
Costco Tire Center Reviews
Our audience is passionate about the topic of Costco tires! But their reviews are all over the board.
Here are a few of the comments we received:
- Lorilu: “They were nice and changed a tire for me at no charge when a tire went flat while I was shopping. I would have purchased a replacement from them, but their limited selection meant they didn’t have the size tire my car needs.”
- PT10981: “No alignment service, long waits for a rotate and balance. Two times I arrived by appointment for a rotation and was told it will be about 2 hours. It is just too much hassle to save $15-$30 per axle.”
- Gooze: “Rather pay a little more than spend 2 hours waiting, even with an appointment, for a tire rotation with Costco. Costco should have a dedicated tech for rotations only.”
- joepiccaso: “Their selection isn’t that big…scheduling can be a bear as they are so busy, but as long as you are there, [then] shop. The only real hangup is they don’t do any alignment work. That’s another trip to another tire store. But I always shop them and on like, kind and quality, I’ve never beat them.”
- J P: “I know I will be at Costco once a week and I can have the tires rotated anytime while I walk around the warehouse, compared to sitting in a tire shop waiting room with old coffee. I gave up looking for a better deal than Costco some 15 years ago.”
Of course, it goes without saying that your results may vary.
But this much is true across the board: With the money you save thanks to competitive tire prices and free installation, your Costco membership will pay for itself when you buy tires at the warehouse club.
If you’re still deciding where to have your next set of tires installed, be sure to check out our top picks for the best places to buy tires. You’ll find a more detailed comparison of tire pricing and selection, installation costs, warranties, free services and more.
Have you ever bought tires from Costco? Tell us about your experience in our Clark.com Community!
Article Updates
- December 29, 2023: Updated tire prices
- December 29, 2023: Removed references to the penny installation deal (installation is now included with the prices of the tires)
- June 18, 2024: Updated pricing and added images from the website.
