I had three tires replaced about 3 months ago. Before I took my car in for service, I had to take off the fourth tire to get it plugged and put on a spare. I had no issues removing the lug nuts and later putting the fixed tired back on.
When I took my car to Discount Tire, they called me up to the desk about 30 minutes after they started fixing my car. The guy explained that I needed all new lug nuts and wanted me to purchase them from him. I explained that I had recently changed a tire with no issue, and I didn't need new lug nuts.
Today, I learned why he wanted me to buy the new lug nuts. I ran over a large piece of metal that gouged a tear in my tire. When I went to change it, my lug wrench would not fit over the lug nuts. I tried it on all of the tires, and none of my lug nuts were fitting. (My father was a mechanic who taught me basic car maintenance, and I have previously changed tires on this car 4 times.) It was obvious that my lug nuts were switched and another set were put on my car. My boyfriend had to get his socket set to get the "replaced" lug nuts off. He looked up the specs on the lug nuts, and they did not match the factory issued lug nuts on my car.
In hindsight, I can see that the workers at Discount Tire realized they had taken my lug nuts off and put them on someone else's car. Instead of alerting me (and the other person who ended up with my lug nuts), they tried to pressure me into buying new lug nuts. When I didn't, they allowed me to leave knowing that my lug wrench would not work on the lug nuts they used on my car.
I was just in a remote part of Arkansas yesterday. What if this had happened there in the areas where I have no cell service? They put me in a very dangerous position, and now I have to replace all of my lug nuts because the new lug nuts are not even the right size for my vehicle. They gave me 22mm when my car uses 21mm, and I'm still having trouble getting them to fit to remove with a 4 way lug wrench.
So, if you want to end up stranded, go ahead and use this business. There is some poor person out there with my lug nuts on who will not be able to change their tire because it won't fit their lug wrench. read more