Tire Rack is a large online tire and wheel retailer based in South Bend, Indiana. It ships tires to your door or to a local installer, publishes its own tire tests and reviews, and in some cities can send a mobile crew to mount tires at your home or office.

We reviewed Tire Rack's shipping, return and road hazard terms, along with its BBB and Trustpilot profiles and recent customer feedback. Short answer: yes, Tire Rack is a legitimate, highly rated retailer owned by Discount Tire, but you'll need to arrange installation and learn the road hazard claim rules before you rely on them.

Tire Rack at a glance

Founded1979, in South Bend, Indiana
Headquarters7101 Vorden Pkwy, South Bend, IN
Owner/parentDiscount Tire (since December 2021)
What it sellsTires, wheels and wheel-and-tire packages
Shipping (US)Free standard ground shipping on orders of $50 or more before tax, to the 48 contiguous states and DC; to your home, office or an installer
ReturnsWithin 30 days of delivery if unused and not driven on; return authorization required; freight usually deducted
Road hazardFree 24-month protection on eligible tires, with no proration
Customer serviceCustomer care at 888-981-3953
BBB (as of November 2026)A+, accredited since 1988; 104 complaints in 3 years; 4.89/5 from 2,819 reviews
Trustpilot (as of November 2026)4.8/5 from about 10,800 reviews

Who is Tire Rack?

Pete Veldman founded Tire Rack in South Bend in 1979, and his son-in-law, Mike Joines, later became president. The company grew into a national online seller with its own warehouse network; by 2017 it operated ten warehouses in nine states. The BBB lists the business as started in May 1979 and accredited since November 1988.

Discount Tire bought Tire Rack in December 2021, and Tire Rack still operates under its own name from its South Bend headquarters. In April 2025, Scott Clark, a former CEO of Michelin North America, took over as Tire Rack's chief executive, and Joines became executive chairman. A year earlier, electric-vehicle maker Rivian had named Tire Rack its recommended third-party source for replacement tires.

What Tire Rack sells and how prices compare

Tire Rack's core business is tires, plus wheels and wheel-and-tire packages that ship already mounted. Its own tire tests and reviews sit alongside the catalog, which makes the site a useful research stop even before you buy.

Ordering online can undercut local prices. One BBB reviewer in September 2026 said he saved about $80 per tire and $60 per wheel by ordering from Tire Rack. Manufacturer rebates can sweeten a deal, but they're processed by the tire brands and don't always pay out. A 2026 BBB complaint described a declined $110 Continental prepaid card rebate on a four-tire purchase, and Tire Rack asked for details so it could contact Continental on the customer's behalf.

Remember that the tire price isn't the whole bill. Unless you mount tires yourself, you'll pay an installer for mounting and balancing, and prices vary by shop. Where it's available, Tire Rack Mobile Installation advertises prices starting at $40 per tire.

Shipping and delivery

Standard ground shipping is free on orders of $50 or more before tax, a bar nearly any tire order clears. The offer applies to retail customers in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, and exclusions apply, so buyers in Alaska and Hawaii should check costs at checkout.

You choose where the order goes. Tire Rack will ship to your home or office, or to one of the more than 10,000 shops in its Recommended Installer network, where you book an appointment and bring your car in. In select metro areas, Tire Rack Mobile Installation can mount the tires at your home or workplace instead.

Tire Rack ships from its own network of warehouses, and recent BBB and Trustpilot reviewers often mention fast delivery, including one who said his tires and wheels arrived the next day. The weak spot is stock. A 2026 BBB complaint said not every tire listed as in stock was available, and a Trustpilot reviewer couldn't find the wheel size they wanted.

How Tire Rack's road hazard protection works

Tire Rack includes free road hazard protection with eligible tire purchases. It advertises 24 months of repair or replacement reimbursement with no proration, plus roadside assistance and up to 50 miles of towing. That's useful if a nail or pothole damages a tire, though payouts follow the program's rules: one BBB reviewer said it covered only $12 of a $48 patch bill that included installation.

The fine print matters. Claims are handled by a third-party administrator, and if a tire needs replacing, you must get pre-authorization before the shop replaces it. Cosmetic damage isn't covered, and the protection only applies to losses that occur in the 50 US states.

Road hazard claims are a recurring source of friction. Of Tire Rack's 104 BBB complaints in the last three years, 62 are filed as service or repair issues, and five of the eight most recent complaints involve road hazard claims, including one denied for late filing and lack of prior authorization. Tire Rack responded to each, sometimes with one-time credits such as $122 or $159.35, and pointed customers to the program's terms. On Trustpilot, recent critics describe a frustrating claim process and towing that didn't cover a trip from home to a shop.

Returns, refunds and warranty

Tire Rack accepts returns within 30 days of delivery, subject to inspection by a returns specialist. Only unused products that haven't been driven on and aren't damaged qualify, and you need a return authorization number from customer care at 888-981-3953 before sending anything back. Credits go to the card you used on the order.

Who pays for shipping depends on why you're returning. Under the standard policy, tires and wheels are credited minus all freight charges, and one Trustpilot reviewer in August 2026 said return freight left little of the refund. If you shopped with your vehicle details and the product doesn't fit, the Perfect Fit Promise applies instead: call within 60 days of purchase, and Tire Rack says there's no restocking fee and it covers return shipping on products that haven't been driven on or damaged.

Mounted products have tighter rules. Wheels can't be returned once tires have been mounted on them, so test-fit wheels on your car first. Returned wheel-and-tire packages are credited minus a $60 dismount labor charge and freight. Once a tire has been driven on, it's no longer returnable, so check the size, load index and speed rating before installation.

Defects and premature wear fall under the tire maker's warranty rather than the return policy. In replies to BBB complaints, Tire Rack says its Tire Warranty Team handles those cases, and it often explains the difference between manufacturer warranty and road hazard coverage.

What customers say

Feedback is strongly positive overall. On Trustpilot, Tire Rack scores 4.8 out of 5 from about 10,800 reviews as of November 2026, with 90% five-star and 2% one-star ratings and more than 1,200 new reviews in the past year. The company had replied to 81% of negative reviews, usually within 24 hours. The BBB gives Tire Rack an A+ rating, and its 2,819 customer reviews average 4.89 out of 5.

Happy customers mention easy ordering, fair prices, fast delivery and helpful customer service. Complaints cluster around a few themes: road hazard claims, manufacturer rebates that were denied, installation or balancing problems, return freight deductions and occasional damaged wheels. One reviewer who received damaged rims said Tire Rack offered $60 per rim.

On the BBB, Tire Rack logged 104 complaints in three years and 30 in the past 12 months as of November 2026. Every one is marked answered or resolved, with 41 resolved. Beyond service and repair disputes, the categories include product issues (18), sales and advertising (9) and delivery problems (6).

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Selling tires since 1979 and owned by Discount Tire since 2021
  • 4.8 on Trustpilot, 4.89 in BBB reviews and an A+ BBB rating
  • Free standard shipping on orders of $50 or more to your home or one of 10,000-plus installers
  • Free 24-month road hazard protection with no proration
  • Perfect Fit Promise covers return shipping when a product doesn't fit
  • Mobile installation from $40 per tire in select areas

Cons

  • You have to arrange and pay for installation separately
  • Road hazard replacements need pre-authorization, and claims draw many complaints
  • Standard returns deduct freight, and packages carry a $60 dismount charge
  • Tires that have been driven on can't be returned
  • Free shipping doesn't cover Alaska or Hawaii
  • Rebates are handled by tire makers, and some get denied

Tips before you order from Tire Rack

  1. Shop with your exact vehicle entered, so the Perfect Fit Promise covers you if something doesn't fit.
  2. Pick your installer before you order, confirm the price and appointment, and ship the tires straight there.
  3. Test-fit new wheels on the car before any tires are mounted on them.
  4. Inspect everything on arrival, and don't mount or drive on tires until you've confirmed the size and condition.
  5. Keep your invoice, and after a flat, get pre-authorization for a replacement before any shop does the work.
  6. File rebate claims promptly and keep copies of everything you submit.

Is Tire Rack legit? Our verdict

Yes, Tire Rack is legit. It's a decades-old retailer backed by Discount Tire, with excellent review scores on Trustpilot and the BBB, free shipping on nearly every tire order and an installer network of more than 10,000 shops. It suits drivers in the contiguous US who like to research their tires and are happy to ship them to a local shop or have them mounted at home.

If you'd rather have one place handle the sale, installation and any warranty claim, a local store may be simpler. Tire Rack's parent, Discount Tire, and Costco's tire centers are the obvious alternatives, and SimpleTire is another online option worth comparing on price.

Visit Tire Rack

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