GRRR -- Service people clueless on "balancing" tires

This is one of the reasons I do not go to Sears for auto needs!
However, that being said you should have stood your ground and explained it to them, then tell them to redo it, correctly this time!

 

Glad it worked out for you. But in my opinion tires are a pretty major and important purchase for a vehicle, but whether it's tires or simply an oil change, you're paying to have it done right and to your satisfaction.

You can always be polite and nice, but Christmas or otherwise you should of spoke up when you first noticed the problem. Especially since you evidently discussed it with the service advisor before hand.

If I had specifically ask for something to be done, was assured it would be done right, then had my wishes obviously totally ignored either willfully or through ignorance, I'd be disappointed. That really has nothing to do with gender, and more to do with being a paying consumer.

Sometimes you have to make some waves. We're not talking Tsunami here, just some nice, polite, I'm not happy but will give you a chance to remedy, waves.

But on the positive side? You got to visit two Sears during the Holiday Season!

 

I'm not sure about the 2009's but it sure looks better without the cheap plastic covers. And no, leaving the covers off does not effect your mileage if and I'm mean a big IF you continue to drive it correctly!

 

Way back when, Sears Automotive was involved in several scandals.
Auto-repair Scandal Resurfaces - Chicago Tribune

 

I popped mine off a couple months ago because one of the ring mounting clips was busted causing a low speed rattle. Absolutely no impact on mileage, as I expected. I still have to put a little elbow grease into cleaning the marks off the spokes where the rings used to sit. They do look much better without those plastic skirts.

 

I agree the base wheels look better with no trim rings. I don't understand why they are there.

I always buy my tires at Discount Tire. They will match prices in most situations (they've matched to Tire Rack for me, but others have found they won't match special promotions like mail in rebates) and all they do is tires and they seem to take care in doing so.

When I bought aluminum wheels for my T'bird, they balanced them with only stick on weights, put all the weights inside and only behind the spokes. It takes a little more weight to do that, but it looks great. They also hand jacked it and they hand torque all lug nuts.

 

3 Sears stores? During the Holidays? You're the Luckiest Girl In The World!

 

Took mine off right after I bought the car. Looks much better.

I think the covers protect the wheel edge but not sure as its been years since I owned one. My wife has road rashed one wheel edge already.

 

Meeses...same thing happened to me. Went to get my car and walked around real fast and all the weights were on the outside of the rim. &*((^%%$$##!!!!! Was already late for a meeting I couldn't miss so booked. But my car had no wheel covers then. Never went back.

Went to different place next time and made sure they put them on the inside. I made sure cause I found the guy who was going to change them and duked him $10.

 

When you run the bare wheels do you bother with center caps? If so, where'd you get them?

 

Here you go.
toyota prius center cap | eBay

 

The center caps are separate from the wheel cover. There attached to the wheel itself. Keep those on!

I pull my center cap off every rotate and fill the hole with grease and put the cap back on. Keeps the big castle nut from corroding & serviceable. If you don't that nut just welds itself to the hub in one big corroded mess. I grease the wheel back too so it doesn't stick to the hub. Pity the guy who hasn't has there wheel off in 4 years and then gets a flat on the side of the road. Good Luck getting that wheel off in a G2 Prius!

Its a pain to clean the wheels with the covers on. You have to take them off. If you don't clean behind the covers water gets trapped against the wheel and tends to corrode the wheel behind the cover.

 

I had this problem with my daughter's Escort. Tried what you described but it didn't do it. I decided to drive around the block. Got down the street and the rust finally broke loose on the second turn. I immediately stopped, hopped out, snugged up the lug nuts and drove back to the garage and was able to get the wheel off fine.