Costco Tires - Pros And Cons

For years now, Costco tires has been a fairly popular store for buying new tires. That said, there are a number of pros and cons to buying Costco tires which you should be aware of before making any decision.

Costco Tires Pros

Installation Packages - This is arguably one of their biggest pros. The package includes lifetime maintenance which includes things such as lifetime balancing and tire rotations, flat repairs, tire pressure checks, valve stems and more, as well as a road hazard warranty. The install package runs around $14 per tire and there is also a $1.00 tire disposal fee added.

Nitrogen Air Inflation - We include this as a pro, but honestly it could be both. The hype surrounding the benefits of using nitrogen is overblown. Sure, it helps keep tire pressure more stable, which can help in increasing tire life, we get that. But the results are minimal at best. Add to this the fact that finding gas stations with nitrogen is like finding a needle in a haystack, and you suddenly have a con because it means more trips to Costco to get your tires filled up. Naturally, if you shop at Costco all the time then this will not be an issue.

Road Hazard Warranty - This is included in the lifetime install package and can come in handy if you find yourself with a flat tire out on the road somewhere. Keep in mind though, there are plenty of exclusions under the terms and conditions. Be sure to look everything over so you know what is covered and what is not.

Costco Tires Cons

No Appointments - This is one of the biggest cons in using Costco for buying tires. You can't call and make an appointment in advance. Want your tires rotated or balanced? You can't make an appointment for that either. So that means you are at the mercy of however busy the auto department is that day. We've heard people talk of 2, 3 and 4 hour wait times. That's a long time to have to spend in the store. Would they be having a policy like this in order to hopefully see you spend more money shopping while you wait? Why not work on a new policy that is customer friendly and eliminates wait times for those who want to make an appointment?

Tire Selection - Costco Tires normally carries tires from Bridgestone, Michelin and BFGoodrich. Those are three excellent tire manufacturers, but what about others like Firestone, Hankook, Yokohama, Pirelli among others? We would like to see more of a selection available.

Price - While the prices on tires are the same or less than you can get from many of your local tire stores, online tire stores like Discount Tire or Tire Rack regularly have better prices on new tire sets. You'll likely find additional rebates that you can use to lower the price even more. To be fair, Costco will often have a rebate available as well. You just have to check.

As you can see, buying from Costco Tires has its share of pluses and minuses. Some drivers love them, while others do not. It all comes down to how much time you have to spend in getting your tires or tire services, and the type of tires you want for your vehicle.

Return To Tire FAQ