This Tire Retailer Scores The Lowest For Customer Satisfaction In Consumer Reports' Ranking

Finding the right tires for your car can be both vital and confusing. Tires are the only part of your vehicle touching the road, so they're under a lot of pressure every time you take a trip. Adding a degree of difficulty is the fact that there are a lot of tire brands out there, and many actually have the same parent company. That's why we've covered topics ranging from every tire brand owned by Michelin to the best all-season tires you can buy. Yet that still leaves something important out of the equation: Where can you enjoy the best tire-buying experience?

Well, Consumer Reports is on the case, offering a list of the most- and least-satisfying tire retailers drawn from some 30 chains, independent shops, and car dealerships. The scoring was based on a CR survey of more than 24,000 members that purchased tires throughout the past year, focusing on individual factors such as pricing, installation quality, sales service, free perks, installation time, and tire selection.

At the very bottom of the list was Walmart, barely beating out Pep Boys for last place in the rankings — which probably shouldn't surprise you. According to the 2025 ACSI Retail and Consumer Shipping Study, part of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Walmart was dead last among online multimarkets and general-merchandise hypermarkets, and it was second-to-last in the supermarket category. It stands to reason that tire-shopping experiences there wouldn't rank so highly, either.

Walmart is known for its low prices, and the retailer did, in fact, have the lowest cost for tires amongst its rivals. It was also tied with multiple outlets — like Costco, Discount Tire, Sam's Club, and BJ's — for least expensive installation costs. (Keep in mind, though, that CR's list didn't break out installation charges for a few higher-rated tire sellers.)

The real issue seemed to be an inability to exceed customer expectations. Walmart shoppers rated the company's performance as middling in most categories, including installation quality, sales service, tire selection, shipping, and the ability to make service appointments. Meanwhile, the two categories in which Walmart scored the lowest weren't really related to the tires at all. Walmart had the lowest possible CR scores for free perks given to customers and the condition of its waiting area. Now, this can make some sense if Walmart's decision to cut back in those areas helps folks save money overall. All that said, Walmart was dinged a bit for how long installation took, too.

It's evidence that, according to Tess Yanisch, one of CR's senior research associates, "Most places will do at least an adequate quality installation and have at least acceptable sales help, which were the attributes that contributed the most to overall satisfaction." So what really held Walmart back? There are certain retailers that went beyond merely adequate and acceptable, and at the top was Les Schwab, which operates mostly out west. Independent outlets taken as a group and Point S Tire — an internationally-focused brand with 1,300 North American locations – were the only other retailers recommended by CR.

The top three tire sellers all had very close overall scores in the Consumer Reports rankings, but they achieved those results in different ways. For instance, Les Schwab helps boost its numbers with the only free-perk program to earn the highest possible rating on the CR charts. Notable no-cost Les Schwab services even include free flat repairs. If those don't work (since some areas of a tire can be patched but some can't), free tire replacement is available too.

Point S Tire, on its part, has the least expensive rubber among the leading threesome, and by a pretty significant amount. However, the CR survey didn't turn up enough data to rate Point S for factors like free perks, tire selection, or waiting area. You'll also have to be careful with independent tire stores. On  one hand, they had the quickest installation times; the independents were the only retailers on the list with the best possible CR score, and they excelled with appointment availability as well. Looking to have your tires shipped? Neither Les Schwab nor Point S can accommodate you, but some independents will. On the other hand, with thousands of independents from which to choose, picking the right one won't necessarily guarantee a top-quality experience.