'I Want To Know Why:' Customer’s Tires Only Last 3 Months. Then the Mechanic Explains Why

A Pennsylvania-based car dealership is asking viewers an important question: What happens if you decline an alignment?

In a simple music and text based Facebook video from Kenny, who specializes in Chrysler, Dodge, and RAM vehicles, appears to sit at his desk at the dealership, while singing along to the 1996 pop hit “How Bizarre" by the New Zealand one-hit wonder OMC. Overlaid on the screen, it says, “No, I don’t want an alignment check! I want to know why my tires only last three months!”

The song choice is ironic. Kenny’s saying that if you don’t do your alignment, your tires are obviously going to wear down. Is it true?

The Effect of Declining an Alignment

Wheel alignment, sometimes called tire alignment or tracking, refers to the process of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that tires meet the road at the intended orientation. Key alignment angles include camber, or the tilt of the wheel inward or outward, toe, which refers to whether the front of the tires are turned slightly inward or outward as viewed from above, and caster, the angle of the steering axis when viewed from the side. When these angles are aligned, the tires will generally make consistent contact with the road.

Pirelli, the tire manufacturer, notes on its website that if you have more wear on one tire than the others, that’s generally a sign that you need to take your car into the shop for alignment.

“You can spot alignment problems by visually inspecting your tire tread when your vehicle is stationary,” Pirelli continues. “Certain sections that are more ‘worn-down’ than others or a difference in tread depth from the inside to the outside edge of the tire are signs of different types of alignment problems.”

The Italian company adds, “You may even be able to hear an alignment issue because misaligned wheels can cause tires to screech in situations where they normally would not.”

Essentially, tire health can be closely correlated with the process of adjusting alignment.

The American tire giant Firestone Tires put out a helpful guide showing how wheel alignment can preserve their product.

“Tires become ‘feathered’ when the tread is smooth or worn down on one side and sharp on the other,” they wrote. “This type of tire wear occurs when there's a combination of improper alignment settings.”

Motor1 reached out to Kenny through his Facebook account to learn more about what customer experience inspired his video. We will update this if he responds.