Can a tire be repaired, or does it need to be replaced?

If the hole is in the tread and no wider than 6 mm, about a quarter inch, a proper repair can save the tire. That's the limit in the repair guidelines tire makers publish. Outside those lines, the safe answer is a new tire, and we'll tell you so before anything is charged.

1. Where the damage is

Repairs belong in the tread, the band of rubber that meets the road. The shoulder and the sidewall flex with every turn of the wheel, and a repair there won't hold. A nail in the sidewall means a new tire, even if the hole looks tiny.

2. How big the hole is

The limit is 6 mm across. Most nails and screws are well under that. A cut or a gash means a replacement.

A tire can take more than one repair, as long as the repairs don't overlap.

3. Whether it was driven flat

A few blocks on a flat tire can chew up the inside while the outside looks fine. That's why a proper repair starts with the tire off the rim, where the inner liner can be checked.

4. How the repair is done

A plug pushed in from outside, the kind in a roadside kit, is a temporary fix to get you home. A permanent repair seals the hole from inside the tire with a combined patch and plug, and the tire has to come off the rim for it.

That's the repair we do. The trailer carries a tire machine, so the tire comes off the rim right in your driveway.

5. How much life the tire has left

If the tread is close to the wear bars, or the rubber is cracking with age, a repair buys very little time. We'll tell you when replacing makes more sense and quote the new tire before anything is ordered. The new tire signs guide covers how to judge tread and age.

A repair runs about $40. Essentials members get one free flat repair a year, and Preferred members get two.

Found a nail? Leave it in, since it's partly plugging the hole. Top up the pressure and book a repair before it goes flat.

Last updated: September 2026