Not every flat or damaged tire can be fixed. Sometimes, you just need to replace a flat or damaged tire. However, there are other instances when you can get the tire and your entire car back on the road with a quick tire repair.
Here, we’re going to steer you toward when you should get a tire repaired and when you should get it replaced.
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A tire can be repaired if:
This procedure takes 60-90 minutes to be done properly.
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In some cases, the tire can’t be repaired due to the location or severity of the damage. If the tire meets any of the non-repairable guidelines below, it’s time to buy a new tire.
A tire plug is a sticky, expandable object that gets pushed into the damaged area of the tire from the outside and is adjusted until the air is no longer leaking from the tire. Although the leak may stop, it is easy to believe that the tire is repaired and good to go; unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Tire plugs are a quick fix and can fail over time. They can also potentially cause air to become trapped between the layers of tread, eventually causing the tread to separate and result in needing to buy a new tire.
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The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA, formerly known as Rubber Manufacturers Association) and Tire Industry Association (TIA) standards:
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On average, tire puncture repair will cost you between $10 and $20. The repair will involve getting the tire patched. Some tire dealers will repair a punctured tire for free if you purchased your tire from them.
If the tire has two punctures, getting a tire repaired may still be an option as long as the punctures are at least 16 inches apart and the maximum number of repairs does not exceed a total of 2 in the tire. No more punctures than that, and you should consider getting a new tire.
Yes, you can patch a minor hole in the tire’s sidewall using a plug kit and a rubber cement that comes with it. However, enthusiast drivers and tire experts do not recommend it for safety reasons. The Tire Industry Association expresses that you must not repair any damage on the tire’s sidewall.
Puncture repairs are limited to the center of the tread area. If there are punctures or damage in the shoulder or sidewall of the tire, it is not repairable.
Tire plugs are not meant to be a permanent fix and should only be driven on for as long as it takes to get to a repair shop for a more permanent repair. Depending on the location of the puncture, a plug and patch kit may be used to fix the damage and can last for several years.
On average, tire experts predict that a proper plug and patch can last from seven to ten years. Although tire patches can last a long time, a tire should never be patched more than once. It can negatively affect the speed rating and potentially cause blowouts.
A standalone tire plug should only be used as a temporary repair solution and should only be used for as long as is needed to get the vehicle to a shop or other location to perform a proper repair. A plugged tire is not meant to be driven on for long distances.
As long as you notice the puncture or leak in time and don’t continue to drive on a flat, then the patched tire will function as well as your other tires on the road.
Like with plugs, patches are said to last from seven to ten years or for the rest of the life of the tire. Again, this tire may not last if the installation goes poorly or there are issues with the location of the hole.
Valve stems and cores (the tiny valve itself, inside the tube) with leaks also can be replaced. If the slow leak is because the wheel isn’t fully seated against the tire, sometimes removing the tire and applying a bead sealer can stop the leak.
The short answer is yes, you can drive with a nail in your tire. Drivers cruise over nails all the time and don’t realize it. Nails can lodge in a tire so tightly that air isn’t able to escape; the car hits the nail so fast and so hard that air is never given the opportunity to release.
Walmart does fix flat tires at locations with an Auto Care Center as of 2022. Typically, the price of fixing a flat tubeless tire at Walmart starts at $15 per tire and can take 1-5 hours to fix. If the flat tire is beyond repair, Walmart also offers tire installation services from $10 per tire.
Puncture repairs are limited to the center of the tread area. If there are punctures or damage in the shoulder or sidewall of the tire, it is not repairable.
The tire replacement cost of a single standard tire is about $50-$200, depending on brand and quality. SUVs and other large vehicles can rise to around $350. Large trucks, such as pick-ups, usually cost about the same. Generally, it’s a good idea to replace all your tires at once.
Typically, when you’re faced with replacing only one tire, it’s the result of an unrepairable situation such as a flat or a blow-out. Unfortunately, not all tires are repairable or worth saving. Replacing only one tire mostly depends on how much tread is remaining on the opposite tire on the same axle.
Regardless of tread wear, vehicle manufacturers generally recommend you replace your tires at six years. Most tire manufacturers recommend you replace your tires at 10 years.
On average, people drive between 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, which means the average good quality all-season tire will last somewhere between three and five years, depending on maintenance, driving style, and conditions, etc.
Replacement tires are any other tire, which may be purchased thereafter. The replacement may be necessary due to wear or the age of OE tires. Or you may decide that you would like a new tire that delivers more of a particular feature. An OE tire isn’t necessarily an average tire.
If you are looking to replace all-wheel-drive tires, we recommend replacing all four at once. While it may be tempting to replace only two at a time, mixing new and worn tires can create a size difference from front to back, which can lead to damage to your vehicle.
Changing tires doesn’t have to mean a trip to the garage. It’s easier than you think. Changing your own tires is a job you can handle yourself if you already have rims attached to your tires. Anyone can do it, it just takes knowledge, practice, and confidence to build the skill.
If so, most vehicle manufacturers and the Tire Industry Association (TIA) recommend that you always replace all four tires at the same time. That’s because the reduced diameter of the lower-tread tires causes them to spin faster than the new ones.
No. Do not drive on a flat tire. However, it may be necessary to travel a short distance on a flat tire when pulling over to the side of the road. But driving on a flat tire is a surefire way to put your passengers at risk and seriously damage your vehicle.
It’s always best to replace all 4 tires at the same time. This is because all 4 tires spin independently of one another, and different tread depths and/or styles can cause them to spin at different speeds. That could potentially damage the drive train, and possibly affect an indirect TPMS system if the vehicle has one.
