Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $128–$255 · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $153–$306 (the headline above) · Dealership (~$175/hr) $223–$447. Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
Check a quote against these ranges
This sets your number beside published ranges and owner-written bills. It is not a verdict: ask the shop what the quote includes (parts grade, labor hours, fees, tax). It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How serious did it get for owners?
2% of the 1,725 complaints report crash, the most common serious outcome; the other outcomes counted below are rarer, and an owner can file without mentioning one.
What it shows: Crash reported is the largest at 41, followed by Towed at 33; the smallest shown is Fire reported at 2.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is under 50,000 (77%), against 60% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is under 3 years old (54%), against 40% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
1,725 owner complaints name this part.
Owners most often describe "recall mentioned", in 24% of these complaints.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 1,725 owner complaints naming this part, tire installation is named in 8% of them, more than any other part.
Owners name the tire installation most often in the same complaint, which is not proof that one caused the other. Ask the shop whether it checked the tire installation too, so you are not quoted twice for one visit.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster is the largest group at 56%, out of 838 complaints.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
2018 is the most common model year in 1,660 complaints naming this part (15%); 4 model years account for 51%.
What it shows: 2018 is the largest at 245 (15%), followed by 2015 at 197 (12%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 73 (4%).
What do state inspectors fail cars for?
Among 8,738,476 initial safety inspections in North Carolina in 2017, tires caused 8.5 failed items per 1,000 inspections, more than any of the other three parts the state reports.
What it shows: Tires is the largest at 8.5, followed by Lights at 5.2; the smallest shown is Brake components at 1.9.
Was my tire a known defect, and which tire lines has NHTSA recalled?
NHTSA lists 139 tire recall campaigns filed since 2015 (every tire recall), covering 4,604,281 tires; the largest, Amp Mud Terrain Attack M/T in 2024, covered 673,000.
What it shows: Amp Mud Terrain Attack M/T is the largest at 673,000, followed by Michelin Agilis Crossclimate C-Metric at 542,110; the smallest shown is Bf Goodrich Commercial T/A A/S 2 at 104,000.
Does vehicle age change how underinflated tires are?
NHTSA's 2001 measurement of 11,530 vehicles found 8% of tires on cars 3 years old or newer underinflated by 8 psi or more against 15% on cars over 6 years old, and 12% against 24% on pickups, SUVs and vans.
Share of tires deviating 8 psi or more from the maker's pressure, by vehicle age, measured in 2001. 3 years or newer, pickups and SUVs: 12%; 3 to 6 years, pickups and SUVs: 15%; Over 6 years, pickups and SUVs: 24%.
What do owners who wrote down a dollar amount say they paid?
Among 35 NHTSA owner complaints about this part that name one component and one repair, the middle dollar amount an owner wrote was $888, with a quarter at $306 or less and a quarter at $2,200 or more; these are selected owner reports, not a representative price.
| Measure | Amount or count |
|---|---|
| A quarter of owners wrote this much or more | $2,200 |
| Middle amount owners wrote | $888 |
| A quarter of owners wrote this much or less | $306 |
| All complaints naming the part with any dollar amount, before the filter | 120 |
| Complaints with one component, no repeat or tow wording, and a dollar amount | 35 |
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for parts matched to a wheel alignment since model year 2015, covering about 3,643 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a wheel alignment since model year 2015 | 3 recall campaigns covering about 3,643 vehicles |
How many miles a year does my kind of vehicle really drive?
In the 2022 National Household Travel Survey, Van owners report driving an average 15,194 miles a year against 13,298 for Pickup owners, and 24.5% of Van owners drive 15,000 miles or more (reported mileage, survey-weighted).
| Vehicle type | Average miles per year | Share driven 15,000 miles or more | Vehicles surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van | 15,194 | 24.5% | 648 |
| Car | 14,950 | 20.6% | 6,232 |
| SUV | 14,351 | 21.5% | 4,479 |
| Pickup | 13,298 | 22% | 2,331 |
Which tire on the car fails most often?
Driver-side front is the largest group at 23, out of 48 complaints.
Check that tire first, but look at all four: every position is in the reports.
How old were the tires when owners reported the problem?
2 to 3 years is the largest group at 17, out of 29 complaints (a small sample, so treat it as a hint).
A tire's age is printed on its sidewall as a four-digit date code (week and year): check yours.
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21E-027 | Ford F-150 2015–2018 | 2,394 | An incorrectly installed ball joint may cause the ball joint stud to break, which can compromise front wheel control, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V-040 | Porsche Cayenne 2021–2022 | 1,241 | Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 25V-605 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 2025 | 8 | A loss of vehicle stability control increases the risk of a crash. |
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep | Wrangler 2026; Wrangler 4xe 2026 | 19-001-26 | Jan 9, 2026 | Tie Rod and Draglink Adjustment Clamp Fasteners Not Fully Secured Customers may comment on the following: Degrading steering alignment. |
| Audi | S5 Cabriolet 2015–2024; S7 2015–2025 and 62 more | TSB_2056386_11 | Oct 17, 2025 | This bulletin provides information about the steering wheel alignment. |
| GMC | Sierra EV 2025 | N252507500 | Sep 17, 2025 | Certain vehicles may have a condition in which the rear lower control arm bolts were not fully torqued. |
| Tesla | Model 3 2017–2025; Model Y 2020–2025 | SB-25-31-004 | Jun 24, 2025 | A firmware diagnosis feature is being introduced on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that monitors wheel alignment over time. |
| Chevrolet | Express 2015–2025; Bolt EV 2017–2024 and 37 more | 05-03-07-009L | Feb 25, 2025 | This service bulletin provides information on Wheel Alignment Specifications, Requirements and Recommendations for GM Vehicles. |
| Audi | S3 2015–2025; Q4 Sportback E-Tron 2022–2025 and 59 more | A4424092056386_10 | Dec 6, 2024 | This bulletin provides information regarding wheel alignment. |
49 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (1)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai | Accent 2018–2019 | Aug 2, 2023 | 23-BE-008H | Horn inoperative due to internal contact alignment. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
Also charged $660 dollars for wheel alignment and placement of shims with a camber adjustment that “wheel wobble will never happen again “.
Took truck in to get alignment done and the reapir shop wants to charge $700 dollars for replacement drag link because they cannot adjust draglink due to previous recall.
Due to safety recall v06, I am no longer able to adjust the steering wheel in my truck after an alignment, leaving the steering wheel in a $60k truck off.
The tires were replaced & alignment done 2/16/21 for $1900.
Check your car
A four-wheel alignment costs $153–$306 at a shop charging $120 an hour, and the estimate is labor only. Front-end versus four-wheel, and independent shop versus dealership, move that range the most.
What does the estimate cover, and what does it leave out?
The estimate is the labor to measure and reset the wheel angles on one vehicle, priced at $120 an hour.
It leaves out parts. If a tie rod, control arm or ball joint is worn, most shops will not align the car until it is replaced, and that repair is priced separately. Tire balancing, a new set of tires and any inspection fee are also outside the number. Ask whether the quote is the whole bill or only the alignment line.
How much does each choice change the price?
Three choices move the number: how many wheels, which shop, and how many cars. Each row changes one setting from the default.
| Setting | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Default: four-wheel alignment, $120/hr shop | $153–$306 |
| Front-end (two-wheel) alignment | $102–$153 |
| Independent shop (about $100/hr) | $128–$255 |
| Dealership (about $175/hr) | $223–$447 |
| Two vehicles | $306–$612 |
| Four vehicles | $612–$1,224 |
Pick four-wheel if the rear tires wear unevenly or the shop says the rear angles are out of range; a front-only job leaves the rear wheels as they are. Ask the shop to show the before-and-after angles for the wheels it adjusted.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA recall file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- North Carolina Division of Air Quality, Vehicle Safety and Emissions Inspection Frequency Study data from 2017
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (P2 urban and rural population), joined to NHTSA owner complaints downloaded 2026-10-12
- NHTSA National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Tire Pressure Special Study: Vehicle Observation Data (DOT HS 809 317) data from 2001
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
- FHWA, 2022 NextGen National Household Travel Survey, vehicle file downloaded 2026-10
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts. Reported: figures as reported by the publisher, not independently verified.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($186–$273) on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of that range. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology