Wheel Alignment in San Jose, CA

What a wheel alignment is

An alignment sets the angles of your wheels, called toe, camber and caster, back to the carmaker's specifications, so the tires point straight and sit flat on the road. Potholes, curbs, speed bumps and worn suspension parts knock those angles out over time. When they drift, the car pulls, the steering wheel sits off-center, and the tires wear unevenly and wear out early.

Why it matters in the rainy season

San Jose gets about 82 percent of its yearly rain from November through March, according to the National Weather Service. Wet roads are where tire grip matters most. In a 2018 AAA study, tires worn to 4/32 inch of tread needed an average of 87 feet more to stop on a wet road than new tires, and a car on worn tires was still going about 40 mph at the point where the same car on new tires had stopped. A bad alignment wears tread unevenly, so one edge of a tire can reach that point while the rest still looks fine.

Signs you need an alignment

• The car pulls to one side on a straight, level road.
• The steering wheel is off-center when you drive straight.
• One edge of a tire is worn more than the other, or the tread feels feathered or saw-toothed.
• You hit a pothole or curb hard, or had steering or suspension parts replaced.
• You just bought new tires. An alignment protects them from the first mile.
• The lane departure or lane keeping system acts up after suspension work.

What we do

We check the tires and the steering and suspension parts that affect alignment, then measure and adjust all four wheels to the carmaker's specifications on our own alignment rack. If a worn part would keep the alignment from holding, we show you and quote it in writing before we go further.

Alignment and your car's safety systems

Many newer cars run lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control from a camera behind the windshield, and some add a radar sensor up front. These systems aim from the direction the car actually travels, and an alignment changes that direction. Carmakers differ on what is required afterward:

• Toyota's Collision Pros guidance (2018) lists a wheel alignment among the events that require its radar sensor to be aligned and calibrated.
• Honda's 2021 guidance says camera and radar calibration is not required after an alignment unless the service manual calls for it.

We do ADAS calibration here, so when your carmaker calls for it, the alignment and the calibration happen in the same shop. See ADAS calibration.

What it costs

• Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru and other Asian makes: $138
• Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, Dodge and other American cars and SUVs: $138
• Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen and other European makes: $198
• Cadillac, Lincoln, Genesis, Volvo and Mini: $198
• Light trucks, such as Tacoma, Tundra, F-150 and Silverado: $178
• Sprinter, Transit and ProMaster vans, and three-quarter-ton or larger trucks: $288
• Porsche and Land Rover: quoted by vehicle

SUVs are priced by make: a RAV4 is $138 and a Lexus RX is $198. Prices are before tax. See our current specials.

The fine print

• Parts needed to complete the alignment, such as tie rods, bushings or adjustment kits, are quoted in writing before we start.
• ADAS calibration, when your carmaker requires it, is quoted separately before we start.
• Lifted, lowered or modified vehicles are priced separately.
• An alignment corrects wheel angles. It does not repair tires that are already worn, and a pull caused by tire pressure, a tire defect or a sticking brake needs its own fix, which we quote first.

Related services

• Tires for new tires installed here
• ADAS calibration for lane departure and lane keeping cameras
• Brakes & Suspension for worn parts that affect alignment

Bring it to our San Jose shop on Keyes St, minutes from Downtown. Book your visit or call (408) 298-7777.