Most reputable shops back their alignment work with some form of warranty or guarantee, but the details vary widely. Coverage usually protects you against the alignment falling out of specification too soon due to quality. It typically does not cover normal wear, damage from potholes or curbs, or worn suspension parts.
To understand how these warranties work, it helps to know what an alignment actually promises. When your wheels are aligned, the technician adjusts the angles of your tires to match your vehicle manufacturer's exact specifications. If the work is done correctly, the car should track straight, steer evenly, and wear its tires evenly for a reasonable amount of time. A warranty is the shop's way of standing behind that result.
At most independent shops in Ann Arbor and around Michigan, an alignment typically comes with a quality guarantee measured in months or miles. A common example is our parts-and-labor guarantee of 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. If the car develops an alignment-related issue during that period and the cause can be traced back to the original service, we will recheck and readjust the alignment at no cost.
There are a few things warranties usually do not cover, no matter where you go. If you hit a large pothole or curb, that impact damage is on you, not the shop. If worn parts like tie rods, ball joints, or control-arm bushings are causing the alignment to drift, those parts need to be replaced before another alignment will hold. And normal wear from tens of thousands of miles of driving is expected, not a warranty issue.
Because warranty terms vary widely between shops, it is smart to ask what is covered before the work begins. Hoover Street Auto Repair backs alignment work with our 24-month, 24,000-mile parts-and-labor warranty and a satisfaction guarantee that has kept Ann Arbor drivers coming back since 1980. Learn more on our wheel alignment and guarantee pages.