Most lifetime alignment plans allow you to come in every six months or six thousand miles, whichever comes first. Some plans allow more frequent visits. A few caps the number of full adjustments per year, even if measurement checks are unlimited. The exact frequency is written into your plan's terms and can vary quite a bit between shops.
At first glance, unlimited alignments sounds like unlimited value. In practice, "unlimited" almost always has structure around it. The most common framework is a six-month or six-thousand-mile visit interval. Some plans phrase it as a recommendation. Others phrase it as a requirement, and skipping the interval can void the entire agreement. Reading the actual document matters, because the marketing language and the fine print sometimes tell different stories.
A related question worth asking is what "a visit" actually includes. Some plans include a full alignment adjustment every time. Others include only a measurement compared against factory specifications, with any adjustment billed separately. Two lifetime plans sold with nearly identical marketing can produce very different experiences when it comes time to pay.
There is also a practical question that gets less attention. Just because you can come in every six months does not mean your car benefits from a visit that often. Alignment does not drift on its own. On a healthy car with sound suspension parts that has not hit a serious pothole or curb, the wheels stay within specification for a long time. Coming in twice a year on a vehicle that shows no symptoms and has not experienced any events usually does not improve the car's condition.
There is also a subtle risk in making repeated adjustments to a symptom-free car. Every alignment involves a technician physically moving hardware to hit a target angle. On a car that was previously in a collision, the current alignment may include careful compensations that keep the vehicle driving straight. Resetting those angles blindly to factory specifications can reintroduce a pull or an uneven wear pattern that a previous technician had dialed out. More visits do not always translate to a better-driving car.
The most useful indicators of when to look at alignment are symptoms and events. A pull to one side, a crooked steering wheel, uneven tire wear, a recent pothole hit, a bumped curb, or a suspension repair are the moments when attention to alignment is worthwhile.
Because how often to check alignment should be driven by how the car is behaving, not by a plan's calendar, working with a shop that respects your time and your money makes a meaningful difference. Hoover Street Auto Repair has served Ann Arbor drivers since 1980, and our advice is always free, even when we do not think an alignment is needed. Learn more about our wheel alignment service.