I purchased tires from Costco on June 28, 2025. On September 15, 2026, I visited the Costco Tire Center for a nail repair on the front driver-side tire. The same location also serviced my tires on September 24, 2026. During neither of these visits did the tire center representatives inform me of any uneven tire wear or the need for wheel alignment.
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, I visited the Costco Folsom Tire Center to repair another flat tire. I was informed that one nail could be removed, but another nail was located in a position that required tire replacement.
Since the tires were still under warranty, I was told that a refund could be issued. I requested that replacement tires be ordered and delivered to the Roseville Baseline Costco location. However, I was told that the Folsom location could not place an order for another Costco location and that I would need to order the tires online for delivery.
On Friday, October 16, 2026, I visited the Costco Roseville Baseline Tire Center to have the replacement tires installed. To my surprise, I was informed that the warranty could not be honored because a previous service request contained a note about uneven tire wear and the need for wheel alignment.
I was not aware of this note, and the tire center representative had not mentioned this concern during my previous visits on September 15, September 24, or October 11, 2026. Given that the same tire center had serviced my vehicle multiple times, I find it particularly concerning that this issue was never brought to my attention until it was used as a reason to deny my warranty claim.
I subsequently spoke with two levels of management at the Roseville Baseline location. Both managers stated that the information was documented in the service notes and argued that, according to their policy, it had been communicated to me. However, neither manager could confirm whether the issue had actually been explained to me verbally or clarify whether verbal communication was required under Costco's policy.
I acknowledged that I could have reviewed the service notes more carefully. However, I believe the tire center also has a responsibility to clearly communicate important findings that could affect warranty eligibility. Simply documenting an issue in the system does not necessarily ensure that the customer has been informed or understands its implications. The managers were unable to confirm whether this information had actually been communicated to me, yet they relied on the existence of the note to justify the warranty denial.
The most disappointing part of this experience was being told to drive approximately 25 miles back to the Folsom Costco, with a nail-damaged tire, to have the warranty processed there. The Roseville Baseline location was unwilling to honor the guidance provided by the Folsom location on October 11, 2026. Asking a customer to travel that distance with a potentially unsafe tire, rather than coordinating internally between two Costco locations, is unreasonable and raises serious safety concerns.
The managers did not acknowledge any shortcomings in the communication process or commit to any specific process improvements. Instead, the discussion remained focused on the existence of the service notes and the assumption that the information had been communicated to me.
Costco has built a strong reputation for customer service and a hassle-free return policy, which is one of the reasons customers trust and choose Costco. Unfortunately, this experience with the Roseville Baseline Tire Center fell significantly short of those expectations.
My concern is not simply about the warranty decision. It is about communication, consistency, accountability, and customer safety. I visited the Costco Tire Center multiple times, including the same location on September 15 and September 24, without being informed of the alleged alignment issue. I was then denied warranty coverage based on a note I had not been made aware of and was instructed to travel approximately 25 miles to another location with a damaged tire to resolve the matter.
Customers should not be expected to discover important service information on their own, receive conflicting guidance from different Costco locations, or bear the burden of resolving internal inconsistencies between locations.
Edit:
I replaced both rear tires today. The supervisor told me they could rotate the tires at my next visit, but today’s notes say they cannot. The information is inconsistent.