[f5fstop]

I have 18K on a vehicle primarily driven in MI, which is noted to have the worse roads in the US. I bounce into pot holes big enough to hide a Prius in, and my alignment seems ok. I have also off-roaded in Utah. My tires are wearing great.
When living in TN, which is rated to have the best roads, I had my Vette aligned at least every 10K miles, or at least checked. My jeep needed alignment whenever I went off road.
I took it as part of owning a vehicle, and would never have considered going to the dealer saying it was a problem with the car.
It is hard to say when a vehicle would need an alignment. Just hitting a pot hole at the right angle and speed could set the alignment on one tire.

Very few cars or trucks are ever delivered with a bad alignment, but it can happen. At the end of the line, the vehicle goes over an alignment rack and there the adjustments are made. Sure, if the person in the pit is not doing his job correctly, the alignment on a delivered vehicle could be off, that is supposed to be corrected during the pre-delivery inspection. Yes, a dealer can adjust alignment on a vehicle before 500 miles is accumulated on the vehicle. The dealer just has to get permission from the warranty group.