I have been doing business with Les Schwab Tires for at least 18 years and have spent many hundreds if not a few thousand dollars with them maintaining my personal vehicles and my business service trucks.
I am reporting my complaint through this web site forum because as I found out there is, no e-mail address for Les Schwab to register a complaint.
One month ago I, had this company replace the tires on my E-350 cargo van which included "balancing" of course or so I thought. I drove the truck after the work was done and immediately noticed the shaking you get when the tires are not balanced properly. A week or so later I took the truck in and asked them to pull all the tires off and recheck them for balance.
Les Schaub agreed to perform the work and a technician jacked up the truck and loosened up all the wheels in preparation to do a balancing check then the shop manager appeared and informed me that the balancing had been done by himself and with some idignination he did put one of the rear tires on the balancing machine and showed me that the rim was bent and was corrected by using wheels weights to try to compesate for it. I could see his point as to the condition of the bent wheel and assumed in my ignorance that was all they could do and he had the technician remount all the tires without checking the balance on the other five tires and I left.
Now the rest of the story. I drove the truck for another week or so wondering why my truck was shaking worse than before I had the tires replaced "and I do mean shaking" so I took my truck in to Big O Tires and asked them to recheck the balance just to make it was done properly by Les Schaub.
Here is what they found. All six tires were under inflated with different air pressure readings on all six tires 35lbs to 48 lbs., the old wheel weights were left on and new ones were added "consequently all six were extremly out of balance". 108.00 dollars later I drove out of their shop happy, as a clam.
Additionally this is what I found out. I had more than one bent rim on my truck but, the balancing machine that Big O Tires uses is a very sofisticated balancing machine called the "Hunter balancing machine" that, can detect and correct to some extent any anomolies in a bent rim by using a term referred to as road force balance. It tells the technician that the tire has to be broken down and rotated on the rim to counteract the effects of the bent rim which helps in the balancing process when the wheel weights are added.
Although knowing that I have bent rims and that ultimently they will have to be replaced at least my truck is running down the road so much "smoother" what a difference!!!
Now aside from the fact that Les Schwab did a lousy job of installation and correcting the problem to the best of their ability with a smile, I, found that not only is their attention to detail lacking the balancing machine they use is old and antiquated and certainly does not preform as well as the Hunter Machine.
In summation, because of the way I was brushed off with an attitude from the manager of Les Schwab I will no longer be doing any further business with them. Also I have become aware that not all balancing machines are created equally. Assuming that all other components that affect the ride and comfort of your vehicle are in fairly decent condition, a proper and accurate balance of the tire can and will make a lot of difference.
The running to greet you fast service tire technicians certainly is inpressive but, does not equate to attention to detail and quality service even though they may claim to correct an outstanding service related problem.
Dennis
Auburn, Washington
U.S.A.
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