I'm in the UK, and I just ordered a new tyre (tire) to be fitted. The receipt says "as a reminder, wheel torque settings MUST be checked within 50 miles of wheels being fitted".
I've never heard of this before. When a mobile fitter replaced my tyres a few years ago, they didn't ask me to drive around for a few miles and then return to have the torque checked.
Is this torque check something that they just tell you about in the fine print to cover their behinds, knowing that most people won't read it and won't have the check done, because the check rarely finds any issues?
Or, is there significant risk if I don't get it done?
Update:
I just went to the garage to get the tyre changed. I showed them the receipt that said to get the torque checked after driving for up to 50 miles, and they said they'd never seen that before and never done it. They've been in business for decades. To clarify, I ordered the tyres online from a different company to be delivered to the garage, and it was the online company's receipt that said to get them re-torqued, not the garage.
At least they did confirm that they actually use a torque wrench and do look up the correct torque in a database.
Update 2:
I just called the main dealership (not the independent garage), and they said they've seen issues in the past where other garages have damaged the bolts by over-torquing. They said it would take them about 15 minutes to check the torques on all wheels if I ask them to, and that no one would charge me for that. They also said that they never normally would recommend a torque check if they themselves fitted the tyre, since they have more confidence in their ability to fit it properly.