Most and Least Satisfying Tire Retailers

Among major retailers, Les Schwab Tire Centers, Discount Tire/Tirerack.com, and America’s Tire were tops in the ratings. As a broad category, our members rated independent retailers they bought tires from as even higher than all chains except Les Schwab. Car dealerships as a group had a strong, above-average overall satisfaction. 

Of the 24 surveyed retailers, 15 were rated on a par or above for overall satisfaction, as were independent tire shops and car dealerships; none were rated unfavorable. Even still, there is a significant variation among the tire shops, with overall satisfaction spanning from 42 to 83 points. 

“The tire buying experience looks quite positive for most shoppers, based on our latest member survey,” says Ryan Pszczolkowski, Consumer Reports’ tire program manager. “But there are substantial differences in facets of the shopping experience that may drive customers to favor certain retailers. For instance, online retailers offer a wide selection, while physical retail stores may be more limited but may be able to get what you want if you can wait.”

Looking at the rating details, there are further distinctions, with notable variations in selections, installation time, and waiting area.

No retailer received our highest ratings for brand or model selection, nor for having the model in stock. Based on this, and experience buying about 800 tires a year for testing, our tire experts recommend calling ahead or ordering tires online to save time. 

“Most tire shops can get the model and size you need rather quickly,” says Gordon Gingras, an automotive engineer at Consumer Reports. “Unless you need to immediately replace a flat, build a little time into your buying process. This gives you that option to choose a highly satisfying tire shop with good prices and perks, like free tire rotation, rather than buying from the retailer that happens to have the tire in stock.”