The corporate-owned alternative
Pep Boys is one of the oldest national chains in the US aftermarket auto sector, founded in Philadelphia in 1921. Mavis Tire, which acquired Pep Boys from Icahn Enterprises in 2026, operates roughly 800 Pep Boys service centres alongside a parts retail business. Most locations are corporate-owned rather than franchised, which delivers more pricing consistency from one store to the next than the franchise-heavy Midas footprint.
For a tie rod job specifically, Pep Boys positions roughly 5 to 15 percent below Midas on equivalent work, with a shorter standard parts warranty (12 months / 12,000 miles vs Midas Lifetime on most steering components). The shop quality is comparable; most Pep Boys locations employ ASE-certified technicians and use mainstream aftermarket parts (Moog, Mevotech, and Pep Boys' own house brand).
The most interesting Pep Boys angle for cost-conscious owners is the combined parts-retail-plus-service model. Pep Boys sells the same Moog and Mevotech tie rod ends through their retail counter at significantly lower prices than the same parts installed through the service centre. For a DIY-capable owner this opens a hybrid path: buy the parts at Pep Boys retail, install the outer end yourself in the driveway, then drive the car to the same Pep Boys for the four-wheel alignment. The combined cost can be 40 to 50 percent below a full-service ticket.
What Pep Boys actually quotes
The table below shows model estimate ranges for Pep Boys pricing (not quotes collected from stores), built from typical corporate-chain labor rates and mid-tier aftermarket parts. Pricing variation across stores is meaningfully smaller than at franchise-heavy Midas; most Pep Boys locations within a metro area quote within 10 percent of each other on the same job.
| Service | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Outer end (1 side), compact car | $220 to $350 | Add alignment if not bundled |
| Outer end (1 side), mid-size sedan | $250 to $390 | Common mid-pack pricing |
| Outer end (1 side), SUV | $280 to $440 | Plus alignment |
| Outer end (1 side), full-size truck | $340 to $530 | Higher than indie alternative |
| Both outer + alignment, mid-size | $590 to $890 | Common bundled ticket |
| Full inner + outer + alignment | $970 to $1,620 | Mid-size, varies by vehicle |
Model estimate ranges. Bundle pricing changes seasonally; ask the service writer about active promotions.
12/12 standard, with options
Pep Boys' standard repair warranty covers most work for 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. Tie rod ends installed at Pep Boys typically fall under this standard warranty. Some component categories (brake pads, batteries) carry longer warranties; tie rod ends do not.
Pep Boys sells its four-wheel alignment as either a 30-day-warranty service or a one-year (12 months / 12,000 miles) warranty alignment; it does not currently offer a lifetime alignment plan. Owners who want an unlimited lifetime alignment bundled with years of suspension work (tie rods at 130k, struts at 160k, ball joints at 180k, each requiring a fresh alignment) should look at Firestone Complete Auto Care, which still sells one. At Pep Boys, budget $90 to $140 per alignment on a transactional basis.
The Pep Boys warranty story is less generous than the Midas Guarantee lifetime parts coverage, but more generous than the typical independent shop's 12-month parts warranty. The pricing premium over an independent is also smaller than the Midas premium, which makes Pep Boys an interesting middle option.
Why Pep Boys is unusual
Most chain shops resist customer-supplied parts because their warranty model depends on shop-supplied components. Pep Boys is a partial exception because their parts retail business and service business operate under one roof. Buying Moog Premium tie rod ends at the Pep Boys retail counter at $32 to $90 each, then asking the same Pep Boys to install them, sometimes works smoothly and sometimes encounters store-level resistance. Outcomes vary.
The cleaner version of this strategy: buy the parts at Pep Boys retail (or AutoZone, or RockAuto), install the outer end yourself in the driveway in 2 to 3 hours with hand tools, then drive the car to any alignment shop or Pep Boys for the $90 to $140 four-wheel alignment. Total cost for an outer-end-only DIY-plus-alignment runs $130 to $230 vs $220 to $350 for the full-service Pep Boys ticket. The DIY skill required is genuine but accessible; see the DIY guide for procedure details.
And when it isn't
Right choice when: you want chain-shop consistency without the Midas premium; you live in a metro area with strong Pep Boys coverage and weaker independent options; you can use the BYO-parts angle to capture meaningful savings; you want corporate-owned store-to-store consistency over franchise variability.
Wrong choice when: you have a trusted local independent at meaningful savings; you want the longest-possible parts warranty (Midas is better here); you live in an area where Pep Boys has weak review density (check Google reviews before booking).