Les Schwab Tire Center

Dear Les Schwab Management, I wanted to bring to your attention a very concerning experience my husband and I recently had at your Lake Hazel and Five Mile location. On October 16th, my husband dropped off our Ford F-350 King Ranch to have new tires installed. While it was there, your team advised him that the shocks and a few other components needed attention. Since he had just returned from a year deployment and wanted the vehicle to be safe and properly serviced, he agreed to have all recommended repairs completed. $4,620.53 He picked up the truck the following day. However, on November 2nd, while preparing to install new brakes with a friend, he discovered that the steering stabilizer had not been reconnected and that the front lower shock connections were not installed correctly. He had noticed the truck didn’t feel quite right over the past few days—now we understand why. When he returned to your shop this morning to have the issue corrected, the staff simply said they could fix it, but there was no apology or acknowledgment of the oversight. He asked if, given the situation, they could help install the brakes to make things right, but was told that your store does not install parts not purchased there. We are both very disappointed, not only because of the safety issue, but because of the lack of accountability and customer care. We have always associated Les Schwab with integrity and excellent service, but this experience has left us feeling let down. I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as we truly value safety and trust in the professionals we do business with. The phrase you have on your door "Goodness comes full circle"??

Eric who is the manager provided amazing service and was SO helpful and accommodating. He took great care of my car. I am very selective of who works on it and I trusted him completely.

I brought my relatively new vehicle to this location last week knowing that I likely needed a brake replacement. Since this was the closest shop to me and they offered free brake inspections, I decided to give them a try. After the inspection, I was quoted more than $1,100 for a rear brake replacement. According to the employees I spoke with, a large portion of that cost was due to replacing the calipers, which alone were quoted at $561. I was told that they could not obtain calipers through their normal supplier and that there was no way to know for certain whether my existing calipers actually needed replacement. However, I was very heavily encouraged to go ahead with the caliper replacement because if I didn't I wouldn't be eligible for their warranty. This seemed super odd to me. I would hate to replace perfectly good parts. I contacted three other repair shops to get other opinions. All of them told me that there are absolutely ways to determine whether calipers need replacement and that it is actually quite uncommon for calipers to fail on a vehicle as new as mine. I decided to contact the closest dealership even though I was fully expecting their quote to be even higher as they use authentic parts. Instead, they informed me that my calipers did not need replacement. They also let me know that they are aware of this tactic being used by Les Schwab to sell parts that are not needed. Turns out I can get this repair done at the dealership with authentic parts for 1/3 the price I was quoted at Schwab. This was extremely disappointing. I felt pressured into repairs that were unnecessary. Whether intentional or not it felt predatory and I cannot recommend Les Schwab, especially this location based on this experience. I encourage anyone who is considering repairs at this shop to get another opinion.

Incredible service from start to finish. Allison at the front desk was welcoming, highly efficient, and got me into the system immediately. Logan was the tech in the bay—he was fast, professional, and got my tire patched right the first time so I could get back on the road. No upselling, no delays, just honest hard work. This is exactly how a local business should be run. I will definitely be back for my next set of tires.

Summary: What began as routine preventative maintenance escalated into documented brake-system damage, dealership-confirmed module and harness replacement, extended downtime, regulatory escalation to Idaho's Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, additional transportation expenses....and even settlement documentation attempting to restrict my own ability to publicly disclose this experience online. I urge consumers to read this review in full & seriously consider any safety-critical work being done at this location. Every statement below is supported by written service records, dealership findings, and documented claims. Any public response contradicting these facts should be compared directly to the written records. ------------------------------------------- January 10, 2026: I brought my 2016 Mazda CX-5 to the Lake Hazel Les Schwab for routine preventative brake service. The vehicle was fully functional before this visit. During that brake service, Les Schwab acknowledged that the vehicle developed a major hydraulic brake fluid leak and an Emergency Parking Brake (EPB) malfunction. They replaced the EPB motor as part of that repair. They also later acknowledged issues involving the rear brake calipers and right-rear wiring harness during that same service. This FIRST incident alone left my vehicle inoperable for multiple days and resulted in uncovered transportation costs. -------------- January 18, 2026: The electronic parking brake failed completely and the vehicle had to be returned to Les Schwab. After extended troubleshooting, Les Schwab stated it needed to go to a Mazda dealership for further diagnostics. I was initially given the option to personally drive the vehicle to Team Mazda despite the known EPB failure. I declined due to safety concerns. Les Schwab then arranged to have the vehicle towed rather than operate it themselves. Team Mazda documented a broken right-rear connector lock and determined the Rear Brake Control Module (RBCM) required replacement, noting no output from the RBCM to the right-rear motor. The RBCM communicates through the SAME right-rear connector assembly Les Schwab had previously acknowledged was damaged during their brake service. Team Mazda also documented a binding right-rear caliper requiring replacement. Les Schwab denied responsibility for the RBCM, characterizing the failure as an extremely “rare coincidence.” I formally requested technical documentation supporting that conclusion. NOTHING has been provided to date. After denying the claim, communication stopped entirely. My follow-up inquiries went unanswered while the vehicle remained unrepaired. It was not until I filed a complaint with the Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division that Les Schwab responded and agreed to cover the RBCM. -------------- Les Schwab initially refused any rental vehicle coverage, forcing additional transportation expenses. Partial rental coverage was approved only after corporate escalation. HOWEVER, rental coverage was cut off before repairs were completed while the vehicle remained inoperable, resulting in further out-of-pocket costs. -------------- Their initial legal settlement document included language that would have restricted my ability to publicly disclose or review this incident online (INCLUDING THIS GOOGLE REVIEW). That provision was removed only after I formally objected. -------------- Total out-of-pocket transportation costs: $400+ Total Days Without my vehicle: 35+ Consumers experiencing objectively documented issues should know the Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division accepts complaints.