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Man Gets New Tires At Mavis. Then A Worker Doesn’t Know Whether To Fill Them Up Per The Tire's PSI Number Or The Cars'

"Firestone, here I come!”

Man gets new tires at Mavis. Then a worker doesn’t know whether to fill them up as per the tire specs or the cars

Photo by: ind.free.thinker & billtster

Ljeonida Mulabazi

By: Ljeonida Mulabazi

Feb 20, at 7:00pm ET

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Getting your tire pressure wrong can lead to uneven wear, poor handling, and, eventually, serious safety risks on the road. Yet many drivers unknowingly rely on the wrong number when inflating their tires.

Mechanic and TikTok creator @ind.free.thinker sparked a discussion online about tire pressure after sharing what he described as a frustrating experience at a local tire shop.

He explains his day started like any other, and that his daughter was in town. After hitting a pothole in North Alabama, he says her car needed an alignment.

"So I took it down to the local Mavis here," he says.

This wasn’t his first time doing business with the company.

"I’ve been dealing with [them] for $25,000 worth at least," he says. "I've had tires put on my Camaro, my Cadillac, and this F-150 pickup."

He says his appointment was scheduled for noon, but the process took significantly longer than expected. "Almost five hours later, I'm just getting home," he says. "They put it on the rack, and they refused to align it."

The mechanic says staff told him they couldn’t perform the alignment because of wear on the left front tire. That explanation confused him.

"So I looked at the lady, and I said, ‘Lady, what the hell does the tread have to do with the alignment?’" he recalls.

He goes on to explain that, in his understanding, tire condition shouldn’t impact their ability to perform the alignment.

"When you do an alignment, they put it on a machine and they got things that bolt to the hub, to the rim of the tire, and it lines it up by a computer," he says. "So the tires have nothing to do with alignment."

He says they eventually finished the alignment.

How Does Over-Inflation Affect Tires?

Then the staff reportedly began discussing wear on one tire and attributed it to overinflation. He clarifies that the tires in question were purchased from the same shop in 2024 and are their in-house brand. "It’s the Mavis all-season HT," he says, filming the tire up close.

He notes that the tire itself lists a maximum pressure rating of 44 PSI. "So guess what? That's what my daughter has been putting in," he says.

However, a staff member informed him that’s the incorrect number to use when inflating a tire. "You’re supposed to fill your tires according to the air pressure on the inside of your door," he recalls being told.

He questions why the tire’s recommended pressure would differ from the vehicle’s.

"If I’m not supposed to put the amount of pressure in the tires that you got on this truck… how come you sold me the tire?" he says.

He claims that Mavis staff sold him the wrong type of tire because the PSI on the tires does not match the recommendation on the inside of the door.

"Needless to say, I'm livid today," he says. "It took way too long to get this done."

He adds that he’s grown increasingly concerned about what he described as a lack of hands-on mechanical expertise in some shops.

"The idea that you can't take a vehicle to a shop now and talk to somebody that's mechanically inclined… that's the past," he says. "I guess we're a dying breed."

He concludes by saying he no longer plans to return to Mavis.

"At one time, I placed my faith in a tire store, Mavis," he writes in the video’s caption. "I’ve always had great service, interaction, and knowledgeable mechanics. Today ended that relationship! Firestone, here I come!"

What’s the Correct Way of Inflating Tires?

According to Car and Driver, it’s your vehicle that determines the correct pressure for your tires, not the tire itself.

Just like the staff at Mavis, it recommends checking the owner’s manual or looking at the vehicle information sticker on the driver’s side door. Car and Driver notes that the sticker may sometimes be found on the fuel flap, inside the glovebox, or on the trunk lid.

That PSI number @ind.free.thinker spotted on the tire is the maximum air pressure. The full indicator he filmed reads: "Max Press. 800 kPa(44 PSI)."

That number "indicates the maximum pounds per square inch pressure needed for your tire to support the weight of its maximum load-carrying capacity," as per a guide by KalTire.

Was He Right About The PSI For His Mavis Tires?

In the comments section, users pointed out he was mistaken about the correct recommended PSI indicator.

"As a 35 years’ experience dealership automotive technician I can say 100% that the PSI on the tires will NEVER match the PSI on the door sticker; even aftermarket tires," one user wrote.

"I’d be terrified to have you as a mechanic!" another stated. "Tires have a max PSI; that doesn’t mean you inflate the tires to it! Yes those tires are made for MORE THAN ONE VEHICLE."

Others had separate complaints about Mavis.

"I went to same company said I need 1500 hundred … before they could sell me tires," one wrote. "Next shop said they worked on bonuses."

Is Mavis Tires Worth It?

Mavis Tires has over 2,100 locations across the United States, so drivers' experiences vary from one location to another.

Some customers have complained online about the quality of the tire technicians’ work. One Reddit user claimed Mavis changed the wrong tire on their vehicle, while another was "clearly flat."

Another claimed that one location changed their tires, damaging their powder-coated rims, and wouldn’t take responsibility.

What do you think?

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However, plenty say they’ve had a good experience. The company currently holds a 4.3 out of 5 score based on 5,170 reviews on Consumer Affairs, with reviewers praising them for fair prices, high-quality work, and professional staff.

Motor1 has reached out to @ind.free.thinker via TikTok messages and Mavis via contact form. We’ll update this article if either responds.

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