There was this 87 Tempo that ate tie rod ends. I used to have the alignment done every two years. Other cars may go longer without “needing” anything. The 87 Mazda pickup truck I had didn’t seem to require a lot of alignments because it was built so much tougher than a Tempo.
I recommend an alignment/check every two years for cars with automatic transmissions because they can be stressed to the point of failure by front wheels that try to point toward one another wnen you step on the gas. It’s tough to push a car when the wheels don’t agree on which way the car should go.