How much does Tire rotation cost?

Based on 604 real quotes from businesses in United States.

$19

TYPICAL

$30

$79

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Yelp calculates estimated costs by gathering and analyzing real quotes provided to consumers by businesses on Yelp. Actual costs may vary.

Key takeaways

Regular tire rotations can maximize the life of your tires
Rotation costs vary, so it pays to shop around
Look for package deals that include a free tire rotation with an oil change

Regular tire rotations are one of the keys to getting the longest life from your car’s tires. Along with maintaining the right tire pressure, they help ensure that those new tires you bought will wear as evenly as possible, saving you from having to replace tires prematurely down the road.

Tire rotations also optimize your car’s handling, ride comfort, fuel economy, and overall safety. Plus, they’re required to maintain your tires’ treadwear warranty.

Generally, you should have a professional shop rotate tires twice a year, or every 6,000 miles. But check your owner’s manual for your vehicle’s recommended rotation schedule.

This guide explains why you need tires rotated, how you can gauge the cost, and factors that may affect the price of tire rotation.

What is tire rotation?

A vehicle’s four tires wear differently, depending on their location on the car. Front tires, for example, support more of the car’s weight and handle the brunt of the braking and steering, which can cause them to wear more quickly than the rear tires. On a front-wheel-drive car, they also deliver the engine’s power to the road, which causes more friction and wear.

Wheel alignment also affects tire wear. Tires are set at a specific angle, depending on whether they’re in the front or rear, and left or right. This allows the tire and suspension to flex when cornering, keeping the maximum tread on the road. But that also causes tires to wear in different areas of the tread, even when driving straight ahead.

Pro-tip: Regular tire rotations are especially important for all-wheel-drive vehicles because uneven tire wear can put extra stress on their drivetrain components.

Tire rotations help balance out this uneven wear by regularly moving the tires to new positions on the vehicle. This maximizes the life of your tires and delays having to buy new tires.

Regardless of the rotation schedule, however, it’s important to watch for uneven tire wear on an ongoing basis. According to Justin Cupler, former ASE certified technician and shop manager, “If a tire is showing uneven tread wear or has significantly more wear than other tires, get a tire rotation despite how long it’s been since your last one.”

How shops rotate tires

Tire shops use 5 basic tire rotation patterns, depending on your vehicle and tires:

Forward cross. This is the primary rotation pattern for front-wheel-drive vehicles. The front tires move straight back to the rear without changing sides while the rear tires swap sides when they move to the front.
Rearward cross. This is a common pattern for all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive vehicles. Here, the rear tires stay on the same side as they move to the front axle, but the front tires change sides as they move to the rear.
X-Pattern. This is another common pattern where the front and rear tires change sides as they move to the rear and front axles, respectively.
Front-to-rear tire rotation. This is the most common method, if your tires have a directional tread pattern that’s designed to rotate in only one direction. Here, the front and rear tires simply swap places while staying on the same side of the car.
Side-to-side tire rotation. Some vehicles have larger tires on the rear than the front, so you can’t rotate them front to back. This pattern simply swaps the tires between the left and right sides.

Total cost of a tire rotation service

Depending on your vehicle and the shop you use, the average cost of tire rotation for all four tires can range from $20–75. Some shops, however, often offer free rotation with another service, such as an oil change.

Cost factors

A handful of factors can impact the cost of a tire rotation:

Tire and wheel size. If you have a vehicle with big, heavy wheels or large aftermarket wheels and tires, this extra heft can drive up the cost by as much as $40.
Number of wheels and tires. Rotating all six wheels and tires on a dual-rear-wheel pickup (dually truck) involves extra labor. At minimum, you’ll want to multiply the standard tire rotation cost by 1.5 to account for the two extra wheels. But there may also be surcharges for removing and torquing the additional lug nuts.
Additional services. Replacing a damaged lug nut or wheel stud could cost an extra $50–100 per wheel. Opting for extra services, such as tire balancing, will also incur more costs.
Local labor rates. Tire rotation is 100% labor, and these rates vary greatly by geographical area.

How to save money

Save cash on the cost of tire rotation with these quick tips:

Find package deals. Look for deals that offer a free tire rotation with another service, such as an oil change.
Coupons. “Repair shops love offering coupons on labor-only jobs because there’s no direct cost to the shop,” says Cupler. Keep an eye out for coupons in your local paper or mailers.
Shop around. Auto repair shops charge different labor rates, so call a few highly-rated local facilities to find the best prices.

FAQs

Is a tire rotation worth it?

A tire rotation maximizes your tires’ lifespan. And with a new set of tires costing $320–1,000, a tire rotation is well worth the cost.

Must I pay for balancing when rotating tires?

No, tire balancing is a separate tire maintenance service. It doesn’t hurt to balance the tires at the same time, but then the rotation should be free.

Must I pay for wheel alignment when rotating tires?

A wheel alignment is a separate service. But it doesn’t hurt to have the alignment checked if the auto repair shop offers this as a complimentary courtesy.

Find a tire rotation professional in your area.

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