Are your tires looking a little rough? Have you had a piece of tire rub off while grazing a curb? I just did and when looking at the tire I knew it was time to replace all of them. This is no fun adventure and one quickly thinks how much is this going to cost to replace 4 tires!
The typical cost to replace 4 tires is estimated to be $370 to $1600 and above. This includes labor and some of the other fees associated with installation. As the size of your tire grows so does the cost.
If you are looking for highly specialized off-road tires or street tires those can get up to $700 per tire!
Read on to learn where to buy these tires and what to look out for!
Tire Change Costs Breakdown
Here we will break down the typical cost associated with replacing tires besides the price per tire.
Labor for installation and various shops will charge differently per their sales model. If the tires are more expensive then labor may be cheaper or vice versa. At the time of this article, you could expect to pay $15 to $24 per tire. This assumes that you buy the tire from their store.
If you bought the tire from an online retailer and take it to a tire store then you could expect installation costs to double. Typical costs tend to be around $40 to $50 and if they are larger than normal tires expect to add another $10 per tire.
Tire disposal fee. This fee is typically low around $3.50 per tire but it is necessary because tires are an environmental hazard due to their chemical composition as toxins are generated when they decompose.
Tire sensor fee per tire. If you have a newer vehicle then your mechanic will have to ensure the tire sensor is working properly once the new tire is installed. The tire sensor lets your vehicle know when the tire pressure is 25% below the recommended pressure. This cost could be around $7.50 per tire.
They also try to sell you on nitrogen and extra insurance which I always decline. Nitrogen is a waste unless you have the time to always refill with Nitrogen.
Best Place to Buy Tires Cheap?
Typically the best places to buy tires are going to be the places that can buy them in bulk. This typically means Walmart or the warehouse stores. But deals can be found at every location discussed below so it is best to search the internet first prior to heading into a store. Check for tire manufacturer rebates or dealer incentives.
Below is a list of the best places to buy tires.
Walmart
Everyones low priced box store. Be sure to check that the Walmart nearby has an auto center.
Positives:
- Can get other maintenance services done there
- Online shopping for a wide variety of choices & free shipping
- Physical stores in many locations
- Can return online purchases to physical stores
Negatives:
- Does not do alignments. Will need to visit another shop.
- Hazard protection available for purchase
- Lifetime maintenance for the life of the tire (rotation/rebalancing/tire repair)
Sam’s Club
Membership is required for Sam’s club but your tires will be installed onsite.
Positives:
- Hazard protection is provided for all tires purchased
- Lifetime maintenance for the life of the tire (rotation/rebalancing/tire repair)
Negatives:
- Selection can be limited
- Does not do alignments. Will need to visit another shop.
Amazon
Since you are buying online you will have to take the tires to a store to get them installed. Or save on time and have a mobile van come to you!
Positives:
- Most tires have free shipping
Negatives:
- Selection can be limited
- Harder to compare against other tires
- No physical store will need to have another shop install
Costco
Membership is required for Costco to get deals on tires.
Positives:
- Great sales and installation service
- Lifetime maintenance for the life of the tire (rotation/rebalancing/flat repairs)
- Membership protects against hazards like tread wear damage and tire failure
Negatives:
- Selection can be limited
- Does not do alignments. Will need to visit another shop.
- You have to be a member
BJ’s Tire Center
A wholesale club that will install your tire onsite if you have a membership.
Positives:
- Great sales and installation service
- Lifetime maintenance for the life of the tire (rotation/rebalancing)
Negatives:
- Must be a member for tire services
- Cannot install other tires at these locations
Tire Buyer
Tire Buyer offers shipment to their local store or a mobile van can come to you for installation.
Positives:
- Free Shipping
- Network of 10,000 local tire shops and mobile installers
- Big selection of tires
Negatives:
- No physical stores
- Returns include shipping fees
Tire Rack
Since you are buying online you will have to take the tires to a store to get them installed. Or save on time and have a mobile van come to you!
Positives:
- Free Shipping on orders over $50 and can go to your home or to an installer of your choice
- Big selection of tires
Negatives:
- They do not have a physical presence.
- Be sure to double-check that you ordered correctly because you will be charged shipping fees on returns.
- Only a 30-day return policy
Discount Tire
Discount is an online store and has stores in 48 states. They are one of the largest independent tire stores in the world.
Positives:
- One of the largest selection of tires
- Free Shipping to you or an installer
Negatives:
- They do not have a physical presence.
- Be sure to double-check that you ordered correctly because you will be charged shipping fees on returns.
- Only a 30-day return policy
Big O Tires
Another big chain in the West and midwest that has a huge selection available at a minimum in your area if not at the store.
Discount is an online store that has a huge selection
Positives:
- Includes free air pressure checks, rotations, and flat repairs
- Physical and online store presence
- Easy-to-use tire finder
- Always seem to be a special
- Can sometimes haggle price
- Offers other minor maintenance services
Negatives:
- Rebalancing of tires for life has to be purchased
- May not have free shipping on some orders
Priority Tires
Online tire provider that will ship your tires to your installer or to your door for a mobile installation by a third party.
Positives:
- Free shipping, order before 1 pm est will ship out the same day
- 90-day return policy
- Easy to use tire selector online
Negatives:
- No physical store
- Return shipping cost
Goodyear Tire shops
Goodyear supplies a large number of tires to the world not only in the US. One limitation is that they only sell tires that they produce or are affiliated with.
Positives:
- Physical stores and online store
- Always a current deal on the website
- Price Matching
- Offers other maintenance services
Negatives:
- Only 30-day return on unused tires
- Only sells tires they produce or are affiliated with
Firestone Tire shops
Similar to Goodyear in terms of their business model. See above
Positives:
- Offers other maintenance services
- Physical store locations and online comparison shopping
- Has a mobile tire installation crew
90-day buy and try guarantee (only on certain Bridgestone/Firestone tires)
Negatives:
- Only sells tires they produce or are affiliated with
Your local car dealer
This is typically your most expensive option. You will be paying for convenience because they already have you there for your typical maintenance routine. But at the same time saving time by avoiding another trip to a store can be very convenient.
Also, the dealer typically knows what is best for your car and you will not be tempted into buying the cheap tires made in other countries that some of the other dealers or online stores have.
Tips
It is best to do an online search on each of them to determine what rebates, promotions, or deals they may have going on. And most of the time the tire-only shops you can haggle them down to either give you a break on the tires or install them if they don’t have a special going on.
When online shopping it’s best to make sure the store of your choice actually has them in stock because they may have to order them or get them from another store which could save you a drive.
Check out below if you are trying to determine if your tires are going bad.
Symptoms of Bad Tires
Below we will discuss some things to be on the lookout for if you think your tires are starting to age or wear out. If you see any of these it is recommended to take them to a professional to get their opinion.
The last thing you want is to be driving on the highway and something happens to one or all of your tires.
What is Tire Dry Rot
Tire dry rot typically occurs when a tire has reached its shelf life and oxidation and sun damage have caused it to start cracking in many places. You will see cracking along the sidewall and even the tread cracking at the base of each section.
The rubber will start to become very brittle and can come off the tire easier. If you happen to scrape it against a curb at this point, sections of the rubber could come off leading to exposure of the tire wires. Complete failure could be next.
Appropriate Tread Depth
The minimum tread depth that is allowed legally is 2/32 of an inch.
The quickest way to test the depth of your tire is the penny test.
- Use a penny and insert it in the tire tread with good ol Abe Lincoln’s head pointing down to the tire.
- Now drop down so your eyes are level to the point where you have the penny and see if you can see Lincoln’s head.
- If you can see his entire head, it’s time for new tires!
- If you can’t see his head or can only see some of his head then you may have some life left in the tires.
- This is not the only indicator of the well-being of a tire but it is a great indicator of tread life.
- In some newer tires, there are indicator bars that appear when your tires have worn down to the replacement level. At this point, you should be in the market for new tires.
Here is a quick video from Pep Boys on the penny test to make sure you do it right. It’s short I swear!
Tire Sidewall Cracking
This is the easiest one to spot on your daily walk to your car. The sidewall is the part of the tire that is most exposed to you and it is located from the outer edge of the tire to the connection to the rims.
If you notice any cracking or chunks missing out of the sidewall a further inspection of the tire should be performed. It also could be signs of a tire blow out and a professional should be consulted right away.
Conclusion – Cost to Replace 4 tires
The Cost of tires can get very expensive. Before you are in need of tires it’s best to start to look around and see who has the better deals going on. Typically one of the many options provided above will have some type of promotion going on to save some cash.
Also, don’t be afraid to haggle a little bit if you are at the tire-only stores. They will typically give you up to $100 off per set of four tires but it may be a tire they are trying to push out the door.
If you are looking for how long a tire can typically last you can check out this article by us here. How Many Years Should Tires Last.