What steps do I take when replacing tyres
Dear Neto,
This is my first time to buy a Mercedes C200 Compressor. As a woman who is not tech-savvy, I would like get advice on fitting new tyres. My garage attendant told me the treads are worn out and I need new ones.
How do I make sure I buy the right tyres and not pay too much for services I don’t need?
Purity.
Dear Purity,
You must make sure you get a full explanation on how much the tyres will cost you and how much work will be involved in fixing them so that you don’t have any nasty surprises when you turn up to collect your car.
The fact that you take your car to that garage and you trust them should not let you fall into the whims of attendants who want to get commissions or bonuses from sales. It happens when they scare you into buying new tyres when the ones you have can still serve you.
Just make sure you seek a second opinion elsewhere if your tyres really need changing.
Shop around for the best prices and particularly shops that include mounting and balancing as this will save you money in after-sales service. Confine yourself to your budget because any garage will see tens of other things that need changing like brake pads while they still have some kilometres to do.
They will also push for an oil change when they realise you have no record of the intervals. You can easily escape such overtures by keeping a good service record so that you are not persuaded to spend more.
Do not be misled, just keep your records well and your services prompt and you won’t spend unnecessarily.
Got any questions about cars? Send them to nnfeatures@ke.nationmedia.com with Wheels in the subject line.