Discount Tire Fail!

[Traction]

Had one of my tire customers with 2012 Toyota Highlander decide to take a leaking tire to Discount tire for a free flat fix, and they dunked checked it, and could not locate the leak. So they dismounted the tire and inspected it, and did not find anything, so they just slobbered a bunch of bead sealer on the wheel and tire and let him go. So, a week later he calls me, and says the tire is still leaking. So I checked it, and luckily found the leak from a small nail, after spraying soapy water on it in a couple minutes. Repaired it with a combi mushroom patch. Not only did they use bead sealer that was not needed on a clean wheel, but they put the wrong brass valve core back in, and a regular non-sealed valve caps, and the balance was off too. Sure, they might be the biggest tire retailer in the country, but sometimes you get what you pay for I guess. I can't believe how many shops SOP is to use bead sealer. It is not used on OEM's, so why? It makes the problem even worse, and even causes a leak sometimes from overuse, and difficult to undo. Bead sealer is supposed to be used only on the actual tire bead that has been is service for sometime, and already messed up from a corroded wheel. It usually will not adhere to the wheel where they all spread it.
This all came after a set of tires I carefully installed 6 months earlier, and they messed it up. I fixed it for free too, this time.

 

[Mr Nice]

Tire tech doing [censored] quality work.

 

[Nick1994]

They're too impatient. I've had a lot of good work done by DT, but I've had tires that leak and leak and they can't find the leak. Took the spare from my grandpa's Jeep in there 2 times for leaking, they couldn't find anything but replaced the valve stem each time.

The 3rd time I took the spare tire in there, they found a small nail in the tire and patched it. The spare hasn't been used in about 8 years, so it's not like the tire has seen the ground since the last time they've seen it.

 

[eljefino]

I can see both sides of this coin: Can't find a leak, break it down, probably a bead leak, slap some goo on there so you can tell the customer you tried (found) something.

When I used to do it I had 18 minutes from pulling it in to handing the keys back. The system is what it is. Everyone wants "discount" service.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Tire tech doing [censored] quality work.


No it couldn't be! After all the auto industry PR folks tell me that most techs do excellent quality work and are professional too!
They don't even cheat, steal, or break things while working on your car. It's just a few noisy disgruntled customers that are unhappy, almost all others customers are completely satisfied with the quality of work done, the honesty, and price paid...

 

[dan_erickson]

I have had so much bad wok done at discount it is not even funny. I bought brand new wheels and tires for my car and I asked for a road force balance. Of course they did not do the road force balance because I had a vibration at highway speeds. I took my car to Levin Tire and paid them to road force my wheels. Vibration gone. That's just the beginning. I have been in a screaming match with the manager on more then one occasion for their [censored] work on my car.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Tire tech doing [censored] quality work.


No it couldn't be! After all the auto industry PR folks tell me that most techs do excellent quality work and are professional too!
They don't even cheat, steal, or break things while working on your car. It's just a few noisy disgruntled customers that are unhappy, almost all others customers are completely satisfied with the quality of work done, the honesty, and price paid...

This!! Every vehicle I've bought that came with service records/receipts, the customer was taken for a ride on 2/3 of the so-called repairs/maintenance, and often for thousands of dollars. Fuel injection service at 20k miles. Struts replaced at 60k. Transmission filter & flush on one that has no serviceable filter. The list doesn't end and it's absolutely ridiculous.

 

[CKN]

Another bash the retailer/dealer thread-they stink etc., almost as bad as these threads....


Nobody is perfect guys....not even those who post on BITOG......

We don't get threads on how BITOG members mess up (for the most part) but you know it happens.


Let's all bash Discount tire......it will be a dealer tomorrow. REALLY...........

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: dan_erickson
I have been in a screaming match with the manager on more then one occasion for their [censored] work on my car.


Wasn't once enough?

 

[userfriendly]

It amazes me that a person can be incapable of removing a tire from their own car, finding a leak, and having it repaired.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: dan_erickson
I have been in a screaming match with the manager on more then one occasion for their [censored] work on my car.


Wasn't once enough?


Exactly. Once is all it takes to lose my repeat business.

 

[Rand]

I had alot of good work done at the local .. extremely clean DT

I did get a bunch of dummy stares when I asked for match mounting and roadforce balance.

I still go there. IF I have a balance problem they will get one chance to fix it.

I also only go there when its not Extremely busy... and I take photos of my wheels.

With the wavy roads and enormous expansion joints in ohio its hard to tell sometimes. I thought a few times now I needed a rebalance and its simply the wavy section of RT 224 between 77N and 21N.. ROAD IS NOT FLAT.

Other states have bad road craters we have extremely bad expansion joints. driving down the road 2per second Thunk-WHAM

Some will trip my ESC/Traction control if they are in a decent curve on the highway.

About hit your head on the ceiling.. and that's in a good car.

To get an idea of how bad they are think of your worst nearby bridge expansion joint bump.. Then put about 100 per mile.

 

[stephen9666]

My local DT doesn't have Roadforce machines. They have pretty advanced balancers that can measure runout in the tire, but they aren't Roadforce machines. Perhaps that explains the alleged confusion over that issue in this thread.

Also, I think a lot of places that have RF balancers don't even use the road force function in many cases, they just do a normal balance. Optimizing the RF numbers takes extra time and effort that won't be needed in most cases.

Optimizing the RF numbers can be helpful to diagnose the causes of a vibration, but it really isn't necessary every time tires are mounted.

Back on the original topic,
DT isn't perfect. I'm not surprised some people have had issues. That will happen with any chain.

In my experience, DT has offered the best service I've received from any tire business and their prices can't be beat. That's good enough for me.

 

[totegoat]

I had a slow bead leaker, DT replaced the tire.

 

[Traction]

Another REALLY annoying thing the local DT store does, is it leaves two 24 foot overhead doors open all winter long in sub-freezing temperatures, apparently just to show they are open for business. What a total energy waste that costs everyone money, just for show.

 

[dan_erickson]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: dan_erickson
I have been in a screaming match with the manager on more then one occasion for their [censored] work on my car.


Wasn't once enough?


Exactly. Once is all it takes to lose my repeat business.


I tried to give the DT store the benefit of the doubt, and I had a complaint so the manager raised his voice at me first both times.
Never Again.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Never had problem with local DT in Orange County, So Cal. Of all the tires stores from Mom&Pop to Walmart to Costco, I had better services with DT(actually it is called AT in So Cal) than any mentioned above.

But, it's very possible that some local stores have not so good manager(s) and technician(s), if I encounter a bad attitude manager I would contact DT corporate to let them know.

 

[maximus]

I've worked plenty of retail in my day and I'd venture to say some of the posters in this thread are typical, impossible to please customers who enjoy raising [censored].

I've been buying rubber from DT for 12 years and never had a bad experience. A few years ago, I took my wife at the time's old Camry in for tires and they discovered one of the wheels was incorrect for the car even though it looked like an OEM, matching wheel. Probably a replacement after an accident. They had a matching one with correct lug nut seats brought from their warehouse FREE of charge.

Prices are always negotiable.

 

[maximus]

Originally Posted By: Traction
Another REALLY annoying thing the local DT store does, is it leaves two 24 foot overhead doors open all winter long in sub-freezing temperatures, apparently just to show they are open for business. What a total energy waste that costs everyone money, just for show.


Typical liberal, tree hugger rhetoric OR you're disgruntled over your local competition. Is it really your business if they leave their bays open? Do you pay their heating bill?

 

[Colt45ws]

People will literally keep on driving if the bay doors are closed. It would be throwing away business.