Why You Should Get Your Tires Checked at Your Toyota Service Center

When it comes to good maintenance habits, tires might not be the first thing that comes to mind. They should be, though, and they’re an important part of the service you’ll find at your local Toyota dealership.

“It falls on us to educate our customers about the importance of tires and when to change them,” says Jack Donaldson, the Service Director at Lawrence Toyota in New Jersey.

“While some customers are very specific about their tire needs, others aren’t,” he says. “So we have to educate them about tires and why they should be considering replacing them.”

Donaldson says that connecting to customers that way helps get the message across. That’s exactly the kind of service and support you won’t find from an online tire retailer or third-party tire shop.

When you take your Toyota in for service, each of your tires are inspected and the technician makes a note of the tire tread depth to give you a solid recommendation about when you need to get your tires replaced.

Tires affect almost every aspect of the way your car drives. If your tires are worn, then your braking distances will be longer, your steering will be less responsive and your vehicle’s ride quality will not be the same.

“A lot of customers don’t know that you’ll increase braking distances,” says Donaldson. “We educate them on the vehicle at that point and what they should
look out for before their next service.”

Getting advice and information from your Toyota technician about when to get your tires changed is a huge help but many are skeptical about the idea of actually buying tires from the dealership or service center.

Donaldson explains that some customers will take the technicians recommendation, but then head online or to another shop, buying tires based on the size of tire their vehicle supports.

“We can always tell which tires aren’t exactly right for the vehicle,” he says. He understands why those customers do it. They cross shop other retailers’ tire prices, and see that sometimes there is a price difference.

However, the tires you buy at a Toyota Service Center feature the same specifications as your vehicle’s original tires. These are things like the speed and load ratings and tread wear rating which are some reasons why they may be a bit more expensive than the ones you find online.

“The tires that are offered by a Toyota dealership are quality tires and are specially matched to your Toyota,” he says.

Toyota knows your vehicle best and the tires that are fitted to your vehicle from the factory are specifically engineered for that model. While there are many tires out there that can physically fit your vehicle, there are only a few that are chosen specifically by Toyota that are fully compatible, making them a perfect replacement for your original tires.

Not only are the tires compatible with your vehicle, but they’re also compatible with you - specifically your wallet. Toyota dealerships are equipped with a number of different tire options in order to satisfy the budgets of their customers. These tires all fit the needs of your Toyota, but may come from a different tire manufacturer, which may make them more affordable.

For those who live in areas which see regular snow, specialty tires are a big safety advantage, helping drivers stay on the road in the winter. Toyota dealers and service centers will also have snow tires available which are specially paired to each Toyota, to ensure you stay safe in cold weather. Other kinds of specialty tires- including run-flats are also easily available at your local Toyota Service Center.

This kind of support and service helps your Toyota Service Center stand out as the ideal location for getting your Toyota a new set of tires. The Toyota experts will help educate you on what your vehicle needs and when you should consider getting a new set of tires. Finally, they have a set of tires specially chosen to suit your Toyota at a wide range of price points. Your local Toyota service center isn’t just a spot to get your vehicle’s routine service done; it’s your go-to shop for anything related to your Toyota.