GENEVA, Ill. (Sept. 24, 2004) — Merlin's Franchising Inc., parent company of Merlin Muffler & Brake Shops, plans to offer a lifetime warranty on tires at its shops beginning next week.
The company said the warranty would cover defects in workmanship or materials as well as normal wear out and failure from road hazards. The customer is required to follow a regular maintenance schedule including tire rotations, wheel balancing and related services.
“We know that giving a lifetime warranty on tires is unheard of in the tire business, but it's long overdue,” President Frank Smola said in a statement. “For years all of the major players in the business have been offering customers a lifetime warranty on mufflers. So why not tires, too? Just like mufflers, tires wear out, and we believe that our customers deserve the same assurance of warranty protection with tires.”
Geneva-based Merlin operates 70 auto repair facilities in Illinois, Georgia, Michigan, Texas and Wisconsin.