4 Perks You Probably Didn't Realize Come With Buying Tires At Sam's Club

Buying new tires is rarely fun, but it feels a little better when you know you're getting something extra with your purchase. Any time a tire retailer throws in some perks, you can rest easier knowing you got more value out of that new set you bought. While most focus on pricing or brand, the real value shopper keeps an eye out for who has the best incentives, as well. Sam's Club is one such place. If you're a member, your tire purchase comes bundled with several benefits you might not even know about.

Like all the best warehouse clubs, Sam's Club wants to make the shopping experience feel more elevated for tis members. This is especially true of its Tire & Battery Center. Members get a whole range of tire perks, and that's in addition to the discount you get from simply being a part of the warehouse. These benefits are automatically included with your tire purchase, too, so you don't even have to do (or pay for) anything extra to enjoy them.

You get free lifetime tire maintenance when you buy tires at Sam's Club. It's a standing benefit that lasts for the usable life of the tires (defined as when tread depth reaches 2/32 of an inch). This maintenance package includes free tire rotations, balancing, tire pressure top-offs, tread depth checks, and flat repairs, all at no additional cost to you.

These no-cost maintenance tasks add up fast. Rotations alone are recommended every six months or 6,000 miles, and the average cost of a rotation and balance can be over $130 on average. Over the life of the tires, that could add up to over a thousand extra bucks in your pocket. As long as you buy and install them through the Tire & Battery Center, you're covered for the life of the tire. Add in the free flat repairs, which are over $50 on average, and that's even more cash you don't have to spend.

Potholes, nails, broken glass, even ladders... you're bound to encounter at least one out there. Road hazards are simply a part of life as a driver, and there's no way to predict when or where you might encounter one. But encounter one you surely will. That's why Sam's Club's road hazard protection is such a nice advantage. They go beyond the manufacturer's standard warranty to cover any damage caused by these everyday driving hazards. If one of your Sam's club tires gets punctured out on the road and can't be safely patched, Sam's Club gives you a replacement credit pro-rated based on the remaining tread.

Essentially, Sam's Club makes it so that you're only responsible for the portion of the tire you used. That's so nice, especially if the tire's on the newer side. That pro-rated coverage will shave a ton off the cost of replacing the tire replacement. No separate package purchase or special enrollment required, either. It's automatically included as part of the installation package.

At Sam's Club, every qualifying tire purchase comes with up to four years of 24/7 emergency roadside assistance. Starting from from the date of purchase, you're covered for a wide range of common roadside issues. This includes towing, flat tire assistance, jump-starts, fuel delivery, and lockout service. You won't find that in a Costco tire package.

To use it, all you have to do is call the toll-free number they give you at purchase. As long as your membership's active, you can call and request assistance at any time, day or night. It's kind of like their own version of AAA's roadside assistance, in a way. Whether it's a dead battery in a parking lot or a flat tire on the highway, knowing you have help available saves you the headache of paying for a separate subscription service... or, worse, wishing you had. By bundling it into tire purchases, Sam's Club saves you hundreds you would have had to spend on something like AAA.

All Sam's Club members, regardless of tier, get competitive pricing on all their major tire brands. But Plus members get another perk: a 50% discount on tire installation when purchasing a set of four tires. Given that installation typically costs $20 per tire, this discount translates to an immediate savings of $40 per set. Costco doesn't charge installation fees, but Sam's Club tends to have cheaper tires. With the Plus discount on those installation fees, Sam's tires look like the better deal.

The installation package includes mounting, balancing, valve stem installation, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) reset, and environmentally responsible disposal of old tires. That last one often shows up on your receipt as a hidden fee at other places, so it's really good to know you're getting a discount on it as a Plus member. Even if you're just a base-tier Sam's Club member, don't be dismayed: you still get all the other perks listed above.