The main catch is that a lifetime alignment package covers the alignment service itself, not the reasons your car needs one. Worn suspension parts, impact damage from potholes or curbs, ADAS camera calibration, and repairs on modified vehicles are almost always billed separately. And some plans only include measurements, not the actual adjustment.
The first thing worth knowing is that not every lifetime plan means the same thing. Some cover a full alignment adjustment each visit. Others include only a measurement against factory specifications, and the actual adjustment is a separate charge. Before signing up anywhere, it is worth asking exactly what a "visit" includes. The word "lifetime" on a coupon does not always mean what a driver assumes it means.
The second catch is more important and explains why so many vehicle owners become disappointed with these plans over time. Alignment does not drift on its own. On a healthy car, the wheels stay within specification for years. When alignment does move, it is almost always because a suspension or steering part has worn out. Tie rod ends, ball joints, control arm bushings, and strut mounts all wear gradually, and as they wear, the angles slowly change. No amount of prepaid adjustments will fix that. The parts have to be replaced first, and those parts are not part of a lifetime alignment plan. You pay for them at the counter, just like anyone else.
The third catch involves the required return visits. Most lifetime plans require you to come back on a fixed schedule, often every six months or six thousand miles, or the plan is considered void. That schedule is not based on when your car actually needs attention. It is based on how the plan is structured. A car that has not hit a pothole, bumped a curb, or had suspension work done during that period usually does not need anything adjusted at all.
There is also a subtler concern with repeated adjustments on a car that is not showing symptoms. Every alignment involves a technician physically loosening and repositioning small hardware to match a target angle. On a vehicle that was previously in a minor accident, the current alignment may already include small compensations that keep the car driving straight. Resetting those angles to factory specifications can actually reintroduce a pull or an uneven wear pattern that the previous technician had carefully dialed out. More visits do not automatically mean better alignment.
The best guide to whether your car needs an alignment is what it tells you. 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 events and symptoms that call for attention. If none of those are present, an alignment is not adding value.
Because the honest answer to "does this car need an alignment?" depends on symptoms and events rather than a calendar, drivers are usually better off dealing with a shop that recommends a wheel alignment service only when there is a real reason.
Hoover Street Auto Repair has served Ann Arbor drivers under a fair business policy since 1980; our advice is always free, and we only charge for work we believe your vehicle genuinely needs. Learn more or schedule a visit for our wheel alignment service.