Wheel Alignment Cost?

charliesangel04, Aug 29, 2:01am
What does a wheel alignment cost? I have a holden berlina, I'm just wondering what the general cost is so I can find a good reasonably priced place to do it.
seadubya, Aug 29, 2:04am
$60-$80 around here if you aren't buying tyres etc, some of the local places give a discounted or free alignment depending on how much you spend on tyres.
mainlander05, Aug 29, 5:03am
Yeah well watch the cheapies.we do wheel alignments and get a tad tyred(pun intended)when people say x will do it for free with three.yes they will do only the front wheel toe in or out.a good wheel alignment will do all 4 wheels.toe and camber included for around $80.so don't be in a hurry to get a cheap one.ask for a before and after print out.
Cheers dennis
alimac1, Aug 29, 7:32am
Interestingly, the best alignment I ever had was also the cheapest. And yes, it was all 4 wheels, and had the most even wear I've ever had on a set of tyres
charliesangel04, Aug 29, 9:13am
I took the car to my local holden dealer work shop and it cost me $168, I'm feeling like I have been ripped off! They also did a check of the car and have given me a list the length of my arm with problems the car has! How can I get a warrant 4 weeks ago with absolutely no problem and no warnings on any wear and tear and then be told of all these problems?
2sheddies, Aug 29, 9:32am
In my experience, it's not so much the cost, as finding the right guy. There are tyre fitters who do wheel alignments, then there are alignment specialists. Seems like many can do it, but doing it properly is an art.

And #5 sounds very much like a rip!
curlybear446, Aug 29, 11:59am
Around $70 but Tony's will reduce that to about $45-50 if you're getting a new tyre or two as well.
morticia, Aug 29, 12:22pm
$69 for 4 wheel alignment at the tyre shop after I got new front tyres.
charliesangel04, Aug 29, 12:33pm
I think I need to call them on Monday and see why I got charged so much, my child carer took it in and picked it up so didn't think to question the cost.
bryshaw, Aug 30, 7:28am
For a Holden it may not matter a lot, but for some Japanese cars an experienced aligner will know the tricks, and why some models wear tyres because of dicey suspension. A specialist will pay in the long run.
woodypc, Aug 30, 7:40am
I have found it is a massive hit and miss with getting wheel alignments. Car at the moment had good alignment but my last car took 3 different people. I told them I will not pay unless they can do the alignment as I am sick of paying for a job that has not been done.
goosegander, Aug 30, 8:15am
Hi all
Been doing wheel alignments for over 30 yrs in the collision industry
And we find the day to day public get there's done at the local tyre shop
Other than ur day to day shopping car park dent most others involve the wheels getting hit that's where we come in , understanding the workings of the geometry and alignments is very precise so if u the public are having trouble Check out local collision repairer (with W/A gear) and I'm sure they can sort out he problems others can't
Hope this helps all , PS we charge a $60-$75 + gst
charliesangel04, Aug 30, 10:29am
Invoice states:
Check wheel alignment
Initial suspension and steering component check. Alignment adjust rear tracking toes and both front toes. Rotate all four road wheels and set pressure. Torque wheel nuts.

Is this a general wheel alignment or has he done extra?
No one has said they paid more than $80, yet I paid twice that amount, not happy!
pandai, Aug 30, 10:41pm
Either it will be a company policy, i.e. charging a minimum 1 hour labour, or it will reflect the extra time spent rotating your wheels and checking your steering/suspension.

I find, for some reason, nobody can align the wheels on my Honda as well as the dealer can, so I just go there now and cough up.

Was $138 for me last time, they did take all the wheels off and check every bushing etc and tell me there was a bit of play in my steering column but there was nothing to be worried about. I was used to paying $80 for this at the same place but they told me it's only cheaper when I get it done at the same time as a service.
scuba, Aug 30, 11:03pm
If they did what they say and are competent then not excessive for a dealership.
Many franchises farm out their wheel alignments and tyres to a tyre shop or a repair shop- generally the cheapest .who then do $40 toe and go to which the franchise then add their mark up.
OR
they send it to someone who knows what they're doing as said above an accident repair or some tyre shops that do repair work tend to have people with experience so know what to look for rather than just try to get the settings in the green.

Most outfits you get what you pay for.
3412cat, Aug 30, 11:27pm
Just had my audi allroad done $75.00 for all 4 wheels and received printout of the befores and afters.
charliesangel04, Aug 31, 2:28am
If they were going to send it out to another garage to do would they tell me that? If that's the case then I could have just taken it to where ever they sent it and not paid the middle man cost!
mainlander05, Aug 16, 10:32am
Some garages don't have a wheel alignment setup angel as they would never recoup the cost.we discount the alignment so the garage can charge it at a competative price to the customer.
Mostly when a suspension part has been replaced.