I was told to NOT rotate tires --- New Law?

Mark F

2012-01-18 16:20:26 UTC

What you are dealing with is a service writer (and possibly a store manager) with no sense of either the law or normal tire industry practices.

It has been the case for a number of years now throughout the tire industry that if only 2 tires are being replaced on a car the new pair are installed on the rear axle. The reason for this is that it improves vehicle stability in bad weather, and therefore safety to have better tread at the back of the car - it prevents the car from spinning out in slippery conditions. Every tire manufacturer and major tire retailer in the world is on board with this.

But it has nothing to do with tire rotations, only with the installation of new tires in sets of less than 4.

The purpose of rotating tires from the front to rear axle and vice-versa is to maintain even wear across all 4 tires. If the tires are not rotated they are not only more prone to uneven wear but the front tires will wear at a considerably higher rate.

Your local Pep Boys is confusing the first issue (2-tire replacement) with the second issue (maintenance designed to maintain even tire wear) in a misguided effort to cover their own ***. There is no statute in any state that I am aware of regarding any of this and I do keep abreast of such developments since I work in tire retail for a living and care about what I do.

Now if the difference in tread depths (wear) is significant front to rear and if you live in a wet northerly climate this time of year there might be an argument for leaving the better tires on the back - but they can not refuse your request to rotate them and there is certainly no harm in rotating them if there is only a marginal difference in tread depths front to rear.

mister ss

2012-01-18 17:45:31 UTC

never heard of such a thing, just must be a pep boys way of selling you new tires sooner, keep getting them rotated if you want the tires to last.

mighty_tonka_truck

2015-03-30 12:19:06 UTC

I'm sitting at Pep Boys right now having a front tire plugged. I asked to have the tires rotated on my front wheel drive Santa Fe as I see the front is slightly more worn than the rear and they're giving me this cockamamie regulation excuse. Once they're done with my vehicle I'll tell them I won't be back. Discount Tire can have my business til they piss me off as well.

Bob McKim

2014-11-19 02:13:05 UTC

I bought 4 new tires on 2/15/13 of over $300.00 at Capital Tire. I lost a valve cap and they were nice to replace it for me, but here is the kicker. I stopped in on 8/1/14 to ask about rotating my front tires to the back and the back to the front. I had a broken sway bar link and a tie rod replaced and had it lined up back in 2011 at Monroe Muffler and Brake, even though I had they had lined it up and had a wheel bearing replaced in June on2014. My van has been running out of line even after Monroe Muffler and Brake lined it up. I also have one wheel that is almost the same, but has a slight difference in the offset and has to stay on the back. This woman that works at Capital tire told me that they couldn’t move my front tires because they were wore down to far on the outer edge on one and inner edge on another one and it was caused from vehicle malfunction and she said that there is a tire rotation liability law that prevents them from rotating my tires and on top of that she was trying to tell me that the wheel that is on the back will not go back on because the hole pattern is different. It is on my van now, how can it be different other than the offset. I told them what I thought and left. I got the money to buy two new tires and went back to buy them and I was holding the money for them to see, but they told me that they was too busy and for me to come back another day. As I was leaving, I saw the guy I was talking to talking to the manager and the woman that I told off.

DonRojo

2013-11-29 12:48:03 UTC

Had this happen to me at NTB as well.

I can understand this issue for rear wheel drive but I dont see how it applies to front wheel drive. The good tires should be in front. Sounds like a couple of issues here:

1. retailers with no clue

2. retailers taking advantage of a law to sell more tires (4 instead of 2)

g

2012-01-19 15:00:32 UTC

There is no such "law" that is preventing Pep Boys from rotating your tires. What has happened is tire installers want their customers to have tires with the most tread on the rear. Why? To reduce the risk of hydroplaning.

Three things give your tire traction. They are not all equal. Remaining tread depth/void area typically is more than 1/3rd the equation when in adverse weather. Your tread compound and tread shape are the other two things contributing to traction. If your tires are worn, your ability to resist hydroplaning is greatly reduced. So if the most worn tread is on the rear of your automobile the hydroplaning is at a higher risk.

You can still have them demand to rotate your tires, buy please just understand why they told you what they did.

?

2017-04-08 03:28:26 UTC

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RE :I was told to NOT rotate tires --- New Law?

VERY strange ---- Need a mechanic...

Been going to "Pep Boys" for a bit two years now because they offer 'free tire rotation' with an oil change.. So every other (mabe every third) oil change, I get a rotation.

I bought 4 new tires in March 2011 and waited 10 months to rotate the tires.

I went into Pep Boys and asked for an oil change and free rotation.. In the MIDDLE of the job, the mechanic comes out to me and says Pep Boys has a new policy that they will NOT rotate tires if the treads on the rear tires are better than the front ones.

Um... Why was I not told this up front? I only go to Pep Boys because of the FREE rotation. They said there is a new law (which I can't find any info about in California) that the REAR tires are ALWAYS supposed to have the better threads.

Clearly, in my mind, this just wears out the front tires so I would need new ones sooner. I did ask that they rotate them this time since I was not aware of this law (which they did), but I called the 800 number for customer service and was given a whole explanation that didn't make any sense..

Has anyone heard about this 'law'? What are your thoughts? I have been driving for a LONG time and have ALWAYS been told to rotate tires... Heck, I only do it once MAYBE twice a year. I don't get it.

HELP!

1 following 9 answers

haag

2016-09-29 06:33:02 UTC

Pep Boys Tire Rotation

Stephen

2016-09-25 14:38:17 UTC

I would never go to Pep Boys. They once told me I had a bad water pump and they would have to lower my engine to get to it and it would cost over $600. I went down the street and got a small local shop to do it for $79 parts and labor (no lowering of engine required). They also once tried to charge my wife over $60 for an oil change. After I complained that she did not know better they finally refunded me $20. Beware.

Country Boy

2012-01-18 15:43:08 UTC

Your question would have made more sense, if you had listed the year, make and model of the car. I can assure you that the Pep Boys half baked refusal to rotate the tires isn't isn't a national law. The best tires should always be on the drive axles. Where did you buy the tires and what make and model are they? If you bought them last March and they have been rotated their should be very little wear, unless of course, you bought them from Pep Boys.

Call the dealership of the car and see if this is a Nasty Nancy Pelosi rule.

2012-01-18 19:16:54 UTC

I was told the exact same reason at Midas. It's the LAW. I requested that they honor my coupon and rotate my tires, they did. I think this new policy is as a result of law suit as explained by the service advisor.

If there was a great concern over saftey, why has tire rotation been allowed for so long.

It may appear more service shops will stop rotating tires.

as far as LAW, I think it's more store policy.

?

2012-01-18 15:31:41 UTC

That's pretty weird. The reason for rotating the tires is because the front tires wear faster than the rear tires on a FWD car. If they have such a rule it makes their rotations worthless. If the tread is unsafe on the rear it is unsafe on the front.