Dealer claiming I need an alignment after I had one less than 3 months ago

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Had the vehicle in for a recall and the dealer claims I need an alignment. I told him that I had an alignment at a very trusted local auto shop 3 months prior when I got new tires. They still claim it is misaligned. Could they be making this up or can it (somehow) get misaligned that quickly without me noticing?
 
If you have a spouse or driving-age children that have operated the vehicle, it's entirely possible. I was over at a friend's house last night helping him change out the steering rack in his wife's car - she claims she didn't hit anything but the ripped boot, bent tie rod, damaged external hydraulic lines and abrasions in the area tell a different story. That said, many shops and dealers offer complimentary alignment checks. If you do not believe the dealer, take the car elsewhere and get the alignment checked.

My record between alignments is less than two days. Got an alignment after installing all new suspension parts up front in a Ford truck, went through a nasty pothole and the truck instantly started having really bad bump steer. Back to the alignment shop it went.
 
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Ask them if you can be preent while they check e geometry. You look at the reults and you KNOW if it needs doing or not.

My hunch is, if you haven't replaced components or crashed then nothing could have chanaged the geometry
 
Did the dealer do an alignment check on the machine?
Did they provide a printout to show you?
If you do need an alignment, can you tell yourself by looking at your tires or feel it in the car?
Can you bring it back to the shop that performed the alignment for a check?
 
*Was the reason that you brought the car into the dealer for the RECALL, have anything to do with them checking the alignment?
*Did you ask them to check the alignment?
*Did they inform you that they were going to check the alignment?
 
Originally Posted by Char Baby
*Was the reason that you brought the car into the dealer for the RECALL, have anything to do with them checking the alignment?
*Did you ask them to check the alignment?
*Did they inform you that they were going to check the alignment?



+1 How does the vehicle steer and handle? How are the tires wearing? Do you trust the dealer? And finally how did the dealer determine there was a problem with the alignment?
 
Check wiith the shop that did the alignment. Some offer some months to one year guarantee on their work. They can do a check to verify if they have that kind of warranty, or you can get a second opinion from them.
 
Ask the dealer for a printout to prove their claim. You could throw a front end out of alignment five minutes after having it done by hitting one good pothole or curb.
 
Originally Posted by Lubener
Ask the dealer for a printout to prove their claim. You could throw a front end out of alignment five minutes after having it done by hitting one good pothole or curb.


+1
 
Originally Posted by The Critic
I doubt they placed the car onto an alignment rack. They are probably using a system like this one:

https://youtu.be/d4HeoAwSRNM
I've seen a similar to/same check system at local Honda dealer, and gotten a printout for a Civic. Ime does a respectable job, doesn't take long, and saves being put on the rack to check in the back service area.

Many variables here, as noted OP should at least ask the dealership for a printout showing alignment needed.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
Originally Posted by Lubener
Ask the dealer for a printout to prove their claim. You could throw a front end out of alignment five minutes after having it done by hitting one good pothole or curb.


+1


This, exactly.
 
Whammo, did he tell you what he did to diagnose you needed an alignment? Maybe the tires are wearing funny?
The first shop could have done a poor job. It's possible.

I had my 4Runner aligned by a reputable alignment shop as it was pulling left to the crown of the road. I got a printout of before and after.

I decided to rotate my tires as I had neglected to do so for about 10K. Long story. Tires started singing. Took to my tire man's shop
and asked him to align it. Got before and after print outs. Unbelievable the difference between both shop's alignment papers.
I couldn't figure out how the initial reading on the second alignment was so WAY different than the final version reading of the first alignment.
There apparently was a massive change in my alignment in 1 week. It is possible but I'm the only driver and I didn't hit anything.

Another time a shop entered in my LS430 as and air suspension car. It is not. The alignment specs were different than a non air suspension car.


If the alignment operator inputs bad data your print out sheets could read "perfect" but you actually have a bad alignment for your car.

I'd check the print out you got from the first alignment shop just to be sure they got the right car specs.
 
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Originally Posted by The Critic
I doubt they placed the car onto an alignment rack. They are probably using a system like this one:

https://youtu.be/d4HeoAwSRNM


Yep my local dealer has one of those.. pretty much every jeep sets it off as needing alignment... funny how when its a brand new car with 5000miles they tell you to ignore it.. and once it hits 20000 miles they want to do an alignment....

fyi it did the same thing everytime on my 2017 cherokee trailhawk.
 
Originally Posted by Lubener
Ask the dealer for a printout to prove their claim. You could throw a front end out of alignment five minutes after having it done by hitting one good pothole or curb.

This is the key. Alignments are a common upsell at many dealers, tire shops, etc. If they won't produce the numbers, they're lying.
 
I almost NEVER have my vehicles aligned and tires wear perfectly. If the alignment is on, it's on, and you would have to hit something pretty hard to knock it out, you pretty much have to bend something that holds the alignment in place. My daughter hit a curb so hard it blew out the tire and destroyed the wheel, but the alignment was still fine, no bent parts or other damage. Alignments are so over sold. If you constantly have alignment problems then it's likely the shop or mechanic not knowing what they are doing, it's not the car (there are a few exceptions). To me, it seems the shops with the latest and best equipment do the worst jobs, and shops with the old stuff know what they are doing...at least around here. Tire shops are notoriously bad at doing alignments.
 
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