Don't let the dealership align your car

[jime]

I purchased a new 1995 Acura Legend coupe and had the rear tires totally wear out in 7000 miles because the car was delivered with the rear tires out of alignment. Since then I have made it a practice to have the wheels aligned on any new car I purchased.

At 7400 miles I got new Michelin tires on my Genesis from the tire recall. At 14,600 miles I had my car aligned at the local Hyundai dealership and at that time the service department documented my tire wear at 10/32 for all four tires. I was unsatisfied with the alignment as the printout indicated that the rear tires were out of alignment after it was completed. After significant discussion with the service department they emailed me a document stating that all models of 2015 Hyundai vehicles did not require the rear wheels to be aligned.

However, just 7700 miles later at 22,300 the dealer documented my tire wear at 6/32 front and 3/32 rear and suggested that I purchase new tires for the rear.

I took my car to an independent “hole in the wall” alignment specialist and watched as he reset the alignment on all four wheels. The “before” printout indicated that 3 of the 4 wheels were out of specification, and the two back ones were way out. I was impressed as not only did the mechanic get all 4 wheels within alignment, but he put each one right in the middle of each specification.

 

[Mark_888]

"Don't let the dealership align your car"

Excellent advice. Go to good suspension shop instead. I asked Costco about an alignment when I bought new tires (the best time to do an alignment), and they said they didn't do them, and they referred me to a shop that did an excellent job

 

[dougmcp]

Off hand I'd say it is dealer inexperience or laziness as all vehicles require a 4 wheel alignment these days.
Personally I have serious doubts about Hyundai policy stating all 2015 Hyundai vehicles not requiring rear wheel alignment, can you post the document sent to you by the dealer service dept?

 

[homeofstone]

Off hand I'd say it is dealer inexperience or laziness as all vehicles require a 4 wheel alignment these days.
Personally I have serious doubts about Hyundai policy stating all 2015 Hyundai vehicles not requiring rear wheel alignment, can you post the document sent to you by the dealer service dept?

+1 Either it was a fake document or the complete policy/TSB was not shown.

 

[jime]

In reviewing the information that was sent to me I think I was purposely mislead. It is one page of TSB # 12-SS-001-1 which lists the (front only) alignment specifications for all 2012 models. I think that by the time I received the documentation 2 days after the alignment I was just ready to give up trying to deal with the dealership. My mistake was not having the car re-aligned at that time, but my thought was that the service department would perform the complete 4-wheel alignment if it should have been done.

 

[dougmcp]

The previous year's TSB (11-SS-001-1) is all I could find but the 12 page TSB lists the complete procedure for customer complaints right down to the rear wheels.
Here is the page to view that procedure https://www.carmd.com/Tsb/Download/86963/11-ss-001-1

I'm just a little confused here. I assume the OP has a 2015 model DH and the documentation he was provide is for a 2012 model BH. Agreed they may be similar I can't believe they are identical.
This almost seems like the service writer was scrambling for something to put in front of the OP face to prove a point and deflect responsibility.

 

[zeez]

Any thoughts on Firestone? I bought the lifetime alignment thing on my Sonata back in the day, but wasn't sure whether to get it again for the Genesis.

 

[dougmcp]

Any thoughts on Firestone? I bought the lifetime alignment thing on my Sonata back in the day, but wasn't sure whether to get it again for the Genesis.

That's pretty subjective and individually location dependent on the type of equipment used and the quality and integrity of the service tech. IMHO if an alignment is done correctly in the first place it shouldn't need attention until you change tires or unless you hit something.

 

[StarPower]

I have had my rear alignment adjusted at the dealership. They adjusted the rear camber, but not toe (toe was fine). The printout lists measurements for rear camber, toe, and thrust angle with specifications for camber and toe.

I asked a local Firestone about an alignment when I had my tires replaced. They told me they couldn't do the alignment on cars with the driver assistance features.

 

[TheDr9669]

I asked a local Firestone about an alignment when I had my tires replaced. They told me they couldn't do the alignment on cars with the driver assistance features.

Wow, that's a pile if I ever heard one... The alignment of the wheels has nothing to do with the calibration of the assistance features. (I know because I calibrated the Lane Departure and Smart Cruise Control MYSELF at the dealership.) The Firestone near me does a good alignment; They will usually nail it perfect every time. My TL has a lifetime alignment and gets one every time I rotate the tires. My Genesis gets it at the dealership where I help setup and adjust myself.

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