Wheel alignment cost
Wheel alignment typically costs £50–£110 in the UK. Basic front-wheel tracking starts around £40, full four-wheel laser or Hunter alignment runs £60–£110. Cheap job, expensive to skip, misalignment quietly eats tyres at £100+ a corner.
Tracking vs four-wheel alignment
Front tracking adjusts toe on the front axle only and suits older or simpler cars. Four-wheel alignment measures all four corners against the car's centreline and matters on anything with adjustable rear geometry, after suspension work, or when the steering wheel is off-centre. If a garage can only show you two numbers, you had tracking, not alignment.
When you actually need it
After hitting a serious pothole or kerb, after any suspension or steering repair, when tyres wear unevenly, or when the car pulls on a flat road. You do not need it on a schedule, and you do not automatically need it with every set of tyres, despite what some fitters imply.
What a proper job looks like
A printout or screen showing before and after readings for toe, camber and (where measurable) caster on all four wheels, with the steering wheel clamped centred. No readings shown usually means no proper alignment done.
Camber and caster caveats
On many ordinary cars only toe is adjustable. If camber is out of spec on a car with no camber adjustment, something is bent, a wishbone, a strut, a knuckle, and alignment alone will not fix it. A good garage tells you that instead of just charging for the alignment.
Common questions
How do I know if my alignment is out?
The car drifts on a flat straight road, the steering wheel is not centred when driving straight, or the inside or outside edge of a tyre is wearing faster than the rest.
Is four-wheel alignment worth the extra over tracking?
On modern cars, yes. Rear axle position affects how the car tracks, and a rear-out-of-line car will still eat front tyres after front-only tracking.
Does alignment come with new tyres?
No, it is a separate job. Worth checking if the old tyres wore unevenly, but you do not need it with every tyre change as a routine.
Can a pothole really knock alignment out?
Easily. A hard pothole strike can move toe enough to start feathering tyres immediately, and a big one can bend components that alignment will reveal but not fix.