Flat tire? We fix it where you parked.

Can my flat tire be repaired?

Often, if the hole is in the tread and is ¼ inch (6 mm) across or smaller. The tire industry's repair rules rule out the sidewall and the shoulder.

• The hole sits in the tread, where the tire meets the pavement.
• The hole is ¼ inch (6 mm) across or smaller.
• No cut, bulge or hole in the sidewall or shoulder.
• The tire wasn't driven far while flat.
• No old repair overlaps the new hole.

These are the US Tire Manufacturers Association's rules. More in our plug vs patch guide.

Plug or patch: which repair do you get?

The tire industry calls for a plug and a patch, fitted from the inside with the tire off the wheel. Before any work, the tech tells you which repair your tire can get at the car.

• A plug alone, pushed in from the outside, is a temporary fix.
• If a full repair can't be done where the car is, you hear it first.
• Then the choice is your spare, a new tire, or a temporary fix to get you to a shop.

When is a tire not worth repairing?

When the damage is in the sidewall or shoulder, the hole is too big, or the tire was driven flat. Then a new tire is the safe choice.

• Sidewall or shoulder damage: see can a sidewall be repaired?
• A cut or gash, not a round puncture.
• Rubber dust or creases inside: it was run flat.
• Tread worn down to the wear bars.
• Old repairs too close to the new hole.

Then we can fit a new tire at your car.

What do we need from you?

The car, the tire size, where the car is and where the hole is, if you can see it.

• Year, make and model.
• Size from the sidewall, like 205/55R16.
• Where the nail or damage is: tread, edge or side.
• The locking lug nut key, if your wheels have one.