Not automatically — an alignment is only worth paying for when there is evidence: the old tires wore unevenly, the car pulls to one side, the steering wheel sits off-centre, or you recently hit a serious pothole or curb. If the old set wore evenly and the car tracks straight, new tires alone are fine. At Taylor Tire we read the wear pattern on your old tires when they come off and tell you straight either way.
When new tires do call for an alignment
Alignment is evidence-driven. Any of these on the outgoing set or the car itself says yes:
- Uneven wear on the old tires — inner or outer shoulder worn down while the middle still has tread, a sawtooth "feathered" edge you can feel by hand, or one side of the car worn noticeably more than the other;
- The car pulls to one side on a flat, straight road with your hands loose on the wheel;
- The steering wheel sits off-centre when you are driving straight;
- A recent hard hit — a serious pothole or a curb strike. Ontario spring potholes are the classic cause; the tire can look fine while the angles underneath moved.
Putting new tires on a misaligned car burns the new set the same way it burned the old one — often visibly within one season. That is why shops raise alignment at tire time: it is the moment the evidence is in your hands, not an upsell script.
When new tires alone are fine
If the old tires wore evenly across the tread, the car tracks straight, the steering wheel sits centred, and you have not hit anything memorable — skip it. The alignment has not gone anywhere, and paying to measure angles that are already right buys you nothing.
New tires on a properly aligned car will wear the way the tire maker intended. If you want a second opinion on whether your old set really was even, that is exactly what we check at install — see the section below.
Alignment vs balancing — two different services
These two get mixed up constantly. Balancing fixes vibration: small weights are added to the rim so the tire-and-wheel assembly spins true. Every new tire gets balanced at installation — that part is automatic. Alignment fixes direction and wear: the suspension angles (toe, camber, caster) are measured on an alignment rack and adjusted in fractions of a degree so all four wheels point the way the chassis intends. A shaking steering wheel at highway speed is a balancing problem; a car that pulls or eats tire shoulders is an alignment problem.
Your old tires are free evidence — we read them
The best alignment diagnostic you own is the set coming off the car. Wear that is heavier on the inside or outside shoulder points to camber or toe being out; a feathered, sawtooth surface points to toe; one side of the car worn more than the other suggests something shifted on that corner. Even wear edge-to-edge is a clean bill of health.
When your old tires come off at Taylor Tire, we look at that pattern before they go in the pile — it costs nothing and it is the honest basis for a yes or a no. We have been fitting tires in Markham since 1978; telling you to skip a service you do not need is how that works long-term. Questions about alignment or any other service, see our services page or call (905) 475-2104.
Common questions
How often should a wheel alignment be checked?
There is no fixed schedule. Check it when symptoms appear — pulling, an off-centre wheel, uneven wear — or after a hard pothole or curb hit. Many drivers have it checked once a year with the seasonal tire swap for peace of mind, and that is reasonable, but it is a habit, not a rule.
Will new tires fix my car pulling to one side?
Usually not — pulling is almost always an alignment or suspension issue, not a tire issue. New tires on a pulling car will just wear unevenly while the pull continues. Get the alignment checked first, or at the same time as the tire install.
Is balancing included when I buy new tires?
Yes — every tire we install is balanced on the machine as part of installation. Balancing fixes vibration; it is separate from alignment, which corrects suspension angles and is only needed when there is evidence for it.
Can hitting a pothole knock my alignment out?
Yes — one hard enough hit can move the suspension angles, especially at Ontario pothole season in early spring. If the steering wheel position changed or the car started drifting after an impact, have the alignment checked before the new tires start wearing to match.
Questions about your own car? Bring it to the counter — straight answers, all-in prices, same-day when the schedule allows.
Updated 2026-08-11 · Taylor Tire, Markham