Can All Damaged Tires Be Repaired?

A flat tire can be one of a driver's most inconvenient circumstances. But is there a silver lining? Can the tire be repaired? The answer is yes, depending upon the type of damage and how quickly you realize your tire has a problem.

After safely & carefully pulling off the roadway, locating the damage will be the first consideration. If you've gotten lucky, the sidewall hasn't been sliced, punctured, or sustained abrasions or circumferential scuffing, as these types of damage aren't repairable. If the sidewall is abrasion-free, the damage is likely in the tread & you're one step closer to a positive repair outcome!

Note: as tires require appropriate inflation in order to carry the load of the vehicle, aside from when using run-flat tires (50 miles at 50 mph) - driving any distance on a low or flat tire should never be done, if it can be avoided.

After locating the damage, say a nail or screw in the tread, the second consideration will be - how damaged is it?

While the rubber doesn't appear to have been severely damaged driving this tire for one mile when flat, the exterior abrasions confirm the sidewalls scuffed across the pavement due to the absence of air pressure allowing the tire's reinforcing cords to fold under the weight of the vehicle.

Viewing the interior of the same tire reveals its innerliner has been destroyed and reinforcing cords have most likely been permanently weakened. The interior sidewall chafing against itself has caused the rubber to crumble into loose fragments. This tire must be replaced.

Although some manufacturers are more stringent, industry guidelines typically allow for the repair of tread punctures of up to 1/4" in diameter. Some manufacturers limit the number of repairs to two, and how close together they can be, usually no closer than 16". Should you have a small puncture, or even two, you may be rolling again quickly with a simple patch and plug repair.

This tire has been punctured in the tread area by a screw less than 1/4" in diameter. If no internal damage is found when the tire is dismounted, this puncture can be repaired following industry guidelines and the tire returned to service.

This tire has been punctured through the shoulder area long enough ago for part of the nail head to have worn away. Since the puncture is outside the permitted repair area, this tire must be replaced.

Larger tread punctures, long straight cuts, or irregular gashes are also not repairable, as these types of damages have likely compromised the strength and durability of the tire.

While this tire had only been in service for 24 hours, it ran over some accident debris that sliced through the tread, steel belts and body plies in an instant. The size of the jagged cut prevented repair to even be considered.

The interior inspection confirms the extent of the damage. The long cut would prevent the steel belts from providing the strength and durability needed for continued safe operation. This tire is beyond repair and must be replaced.

While having a flat tire is indeed an inconvenience, driving on a permanently weakened or incorrectly repaired tire can have disastrous results. Replacing a questionable tire is always safer than repairing it, so when in doubt- change it out!