Why annual wheel alignment is a myth that can harm a car

Walk into any tire shop or dealership service center, and you will hear the same recommendation. "You should align your wheels every year or every 10,000 kilometers. It"s preventive maintenance. Like changing your oil." The recommendation sounds reasonable. Wheels take abuse from potholes, curbs, and rough roads. Surely they drift out of alignment over time. Surely checking and adjusting them annually is cheap insurance against uneven tire wear and poor handling. This belief is wrong. Wheel alignment is not preventive maintenance. It is corrective maintenance. Performing it without a genuine problem does not protect your car. It introduces risk.