Hayward, CA asked in Consumer Law for California

Q: My vehicle tires have damage due to to an oversight from an alignment. The shop wants to charge me to replace the tires

When I took the car back they fixed the issue at no cost but my tires are now ruined, should I pay for the two new tires plus labor or should the shop offer to replace them or the very least a discount?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Maurice Mandel II
Maurice Mandel II
Answered
  • Consumer Law Lawyer
  • Newport Beach, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: In theory, the bad alignment is responsible for the damage to the tires, and the shop that did the alignment should pay for that damage. The question is how to separated the white from the yolk in these scrambled eggs. The tires had wear and were depreciated at the time of the bad alignment. The shop is not necessarily responsible for replacing the entire tire, they might be entitled to a mileage adjustment for the wear before they did the work. You need to have a letter from a tire expert about the value of the damage and the amount of the mileage credit, or you could do these calculations yourself, and take it to small claims court. But don't expect the Judge to do the math for you.

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