Tire Rack: 5 Things To Know Before Getting New Tires

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Replacing the tires on your car is an unavoidable expense, but there are ways to make sure you’re getting the best available deal. In this article, I’ll take a close look at Tire Rack: a trustworthy option when it comes to shopping for tires online. 

I researched the pricing and ordering process at Tire Rack to get an idea of what you can expect when buying your tires from this online retailer.

This article was updated in February 2024 and I review it every 12 months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.

5 Things To Know About Tire Rack

Tire Rack is the online arm of a company that’s been in business for 40 years. According to the company’s website, you’ll find 26 major tire and 60 wheel brands that are “ready to deliver by the next day in most cases.”

While you’ll find a great selection and great prices on tires, there are some key factors that you should keep in mind when ordering your tires online. Before you buy your next set of tires, consider these five things to know about Tire Rack:

  1. How It Works
  2. Pricing
  3. Shipping
  4. Installation 
  5. Return Policy & Warranty Information

Below, you’ll find detailed information about Tire Rack including how to place your order, how the prices compare to other tire centers, where to have your tires installed and ways to maximize your savings.

1. How Does Tire Rack Work?

When you first visit Tire Rack online, you can click “Start Shopping” to begin. Then, you’ll be able to enter your vehicle’s make, model and year along with your ZIP code to shop by vehicle. Then, you can click “View Results” to see the available selection of tires that fit your vehicle. 

Once you’ve entered your vehicle’s information, you’ll be able to browse tires that fit. If you’d rather shop by tire size, you can do that too. No matter how you decide to shop, you’ll likely find what you’re looking for at Tire Rack.

“If you go to a tire center, warehouse club, Walmart or a place that just sells tires, there’s a pretty limited inventory. What Tire Rack offers you is massive choices,” says money expert Clark Howard. “You don’t have to worry about them not having your size in a particular style or brand. You’ve got such wide choice, and it’s a discounter.”

While it’s great that Tire Rack offers such a huge selection of tires, the search results can be a little overwhelming. I found 103 tires that fit my Toyota Camry in February 2024! Fortunately, you can filter your results by delivery date, price, brand, speed rating and more. You can also check the “Specials & Closeouts” box to see current deals and markdowns

After you’ve made your selection, you can choose whether you want the tires shipped to a recommended installer, shipped directly to you or whether you want to pick them up from a nearby distribution center. You get a discount if you pick up the tires, but both shipping options are free. 

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As you shop for tires at Tire Rack, you’ll find an incredible selection, average prices, free shipping and more. Unfortunately, you won’t find many post-purchase perks such as installation or tire maintenance. Keep in mind that you will have to schedule and pay for these services completely separately.

2. How Much Do Tires Cost at Tire Rack?

Compared to other tire stores, Tire Rack’s prices are on par with Sam’s Club, BJ’s Tire Center and Costco. For my 2017 Toyota Camry, tire prices ranged from $93.90 to $245.13 each in February 2024. If you choose to have your tires installed at one of the company’s recommended installers, you’ll find that the installation prices average around $26 per tire. Still, it’s important to call and get quotes yourself from a few different installers, as prices will vary.

When I compared tire prices for a Toyota Camry and a Ford F-150 in February 2024, here’s what I found:

Cost of Bridgestone Turanza 215/55R17 TiresCost of Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 20” TiresPrice Range for Tires That Fit a 2017 Toyota CamryPrice Range for 20” Tires That Fit a 2020 Ford F150
Costco$209.99$286.99$156.99 to $259.99 (22 options)$228.99 to $310.99 (14 options)
BJ’s Tire Center$212.99$312.99$134.99 to $254.99 (32 options)$229.99 to $330.99 (19 options)
Tire Rack$209.99$286.99$93.90 to $245.13 (103 options)$175.45 to $379.91 (107 options)
Sam’s Club$209.99$286.77$98.77 to $262.77 (47 options)$181.88 to $450.77 (41 options)
Discount Tire Direct$210$286.99$69 to $398 (141 options)$123 to $489 (137 options)
Walmart$209.99$292.28$61.23 to $282.81 (335 options)$113.03 to $344.50 (366 options)

As you can see, Tire Rack offers low-to-average prices compared to highly-rated competitors. Still, you’ll probably find cheaper installation at Walmart, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Tire Center and Costco. Walmart is the only tire center among those four that will install tires purchased elsewhere. 

To lower your overall total, be sure to filter your results by specials and closeouts. You can also check out the tire sales and deals page for rebates and offers on wheels and tires. 

3. How Long Does Shipping Take?

Tire Rack offers fast and free ground shipping to most U.S. locations within 1-2 business days. According to the company’s website, Tire Rack has 11 distribution centers across the United States that your tires can ship from. You can also choose to pick up your tires directly from your nearest distribution center for an additional discount.

Tires are typically delivered via UPS Ground shipping, and you’ll receive emails with tracking and delivery confirmations. You can choose to have your tires sent to a recommended installer, delivered to your door or you can pick them up at your nearest distribution center for additional savings. 

4. Where To Have Your Tires Installed

Obviously, you can’t have your tires installed by an online tire center, so Tire Rack has partnered with more than 10,000 independent recommended installers across the country. To find a nearby installer, you can use Tire Rack’s online locator.

Tire Rack Installation

The installation will cost an additional fee. Before you decide where to have your tires installed, be sure to call a few tire centers ahead of time to find out exactly how much installation will cost and what the service includes. That way, if you live near more than one installer, you can compare the cost and benefits before deciding where to have your tires shipped.

5. Tire Rack’s Return Policy and Warranty

If you purchase a set of tires from Tire Rack and you aren’t completely happy with what you get, you can return them for up to 30 days from the date of delivery. Just know that tires are eligible for return only if they haven’t been driven on and aren’t damaged. If you pick up your order at a distribution center, only immediate returns or exchanges are accepted. 

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According to Tire Rack’s website, all tires (except for race and rally tires) sold by Tire Rack have a manufacturer’s limited warranty that covers things like quality of materials and/or workmanship. Generally, these warranties cover tires for four to six years or until the tread wears out. 

In addition to the manufacturer’s limited warranty, most passenger, light truck and SUV tires also come with free two-year tire road hazard protection. If one of your tires gets damaged on the road, you can get a replacement worth up to $599. Plus, the free protection includes flat tire repair coverage up to $40 per tire per occurrence. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, Tire Rack is a great place to shop for tires online. You’ll find a huge selection of popular brands and average prices compared to brick-and-mortar tire centers. The shipping is fast and free, but you will have to schedule and pay for installation separately. 

If you decide to purchase your tires from Tire Rack, follow these tips to maximize your savings:

  1. Visit the tire sales and deals page. If there are any rebates or promotions available when you’re ready to make your purchase, you’ll see them listed here. In February 2024, Tire Rack was offering a $100 rebate on a set of four select Goodyear tires. There was an additional $150 rebate available if you paid for them with a Goodyear credit card. 
  2. Filter your results by specials and closeouts. While you’re scrolling through the selection of tires that fit your vehicle, you can narrow your results by specials and closeouts. This is a great way to find a discount. You can also sort your results from the lowest to the highest price to see the best overall deal. 
  3. Pick up your tires and compare prices among installers. If you live near one of Tire Rack’s distribution centers, you can pick up your tires yourself and get an additional discount. When I added four tires to my cart that fit my Camry, I was offered a $40 discount for pickup. Whether you pick up your tires or have them shipped, take the time to call a few different recommended installers to make sure you’re getting the best overall deal.

Have you purchased tires from Tire Rack? Let us know about your experience in our Clark.com Community!

Article Updates
  • February 27, 2024: Updated tire prices and selections
  • February 27, 2024: Removed CR survey information (polled between Fall 2021 and Fall 2022) and replaced it with our own data on tire prices collected in February 2024
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