Personally, I think the whole plug n’ patch thing is overkill. Not so long ago, you could get a plug installed for $4-5 at the corner full service gas station (sometimes for as much as $10). Now you pay $30-50 for a plug n’ patch at a tire shop. Coincidence? I doubt it.
I’ve had tires plugged, and when desperate, I’ve installed plugs in my tires myself, and I’ve never had a problem because of a plug. Those days are long gone now since I now buy road hazard protection for my tires, so I don’t have to pay when I get a plug n’ patch.
CapriRacer makes a good point. It might be illegal, not because of statutory laws, but because of case law decided in a lawsuit about the industry standard.
That wouldn’t make it illegal, it would only establish precedent on which to argue a civil case. Whether it would even be allowed would depend on the individual court, the case itself, and/or particular state tort laws.
When I had to get my tire fixed they charged me $30 for it, but they used the TPMS excuse to charge that much. Tire rotation was cheaper than the repair.
“Now you pay $30-50 for a plug n’ patch at a tire shop.”
But the hourly rate is $60 or more now. It may not seem like long ago, but I bet it was 20 or more years ago. I know that I have time compression problems. It seems like only yesterday that my kids were born, and the oldest is 24; youngest 19.
I am thinking of 11 years ago, not 20. The last time I had a tire professionally plugged was when the OEM tires on my 1999 Civic started showing signs of wear at about 30,000 miles, which makes it circa 2001.
A reputable tire dealer around here stopped doing plugs about 15 years ago because of a large award in a lawsuit,supposedly caused an accident,when the plugged tire failed,Never had a flat tire wreck me or had a plug fail me either(generally self installed) we have ran repaired and cured truck tires for years and never had a failure,I taken recaps off that had as many 3 repairs in the tread,but this only works as long as the structure of the tire isnt severally damaged-Kevin
As a corporate trainer for the passenger, truck, and OTR tire industries I can tell you this, an outside-in or plug style passenger tire repair is considered a “temporary or emergency repair”. Performing this type of repair immediately voids the warranty of the tire. These style repairs are now meant for off-road repairs such as four wheeling so you can get back from the woods. This is why they are sold over the counter however, they are not illegal for passenger tire use depending on the state.
Outside-in/plugs may let the tire hold air and last a while but here’s the problem. There’s a strong chance that even though the tire is holding pressure from the inside, water could be entering the steel belt package from the outside thus rusting the belts which can result in tread separation or catastrophic failure (BOOM!). That’s the problem because of today’s steel belted radial tires. If you should perform this type of repair, it’s meant to get you from the road to a repair facility immediately. It’s NOT designed as a permanent repair for shops to perform and send you on your way thinking that it’s permanent.
Proper tire repair per industry guidelines (permanent repairs) can be found at the Rubber Manufacturers Association web page. I suggest that if you are a strong believer in temporary plugs then the next time you need brakes, ask for a temporary brake job and let someone you love drive that car!
I was always told that steering assist (suicide) knobs on a steering wheel were illegal in my state. I recently discovered that they are not now or ever have been illegal.
While I don’t approve of shoddy, dangerous repairs on tires or anything else of that significance to safety I detest condemnation of repairs that are considered safe and adequate by ‘real world’ professionals by sanctimonious, self righteous industry shills. How often do industry approved repairs seal water in the carcass and as a result steel belts corrode?
Maybe some would support laws that force people to have tire repairs ‘certified’ and preventing a car from being driven on the street until a ‘certified’ repair is made. And we can have tire patrols that stop cars and boot them if any section of tread is below 3/32". Maybe that can be tried in a few cities. And to make the tire patrols worthwhile there must be a fine for driving on tread below 3/32" or with a DOT date more than 6 years old or a missmatch in style, size or wear among the tires. Doesn’t that sound great when 7 in 10 Americans live pay check to pay check.
But what do Goodyear, Firestone, Goodrich, etc to with tires that are cured with a drill bit left in a mold vent that results in a hole? Guess what?They skive out the inner liner and vulcanize a patch in the tire that is difficult to discern by even a professional but no effort is made to seal off the body plies or belts from water intrusion. Profit rules in manufacturing and marketing.
I would think if someone can be held legally libel for plugging a tire & having a failure that the people that recap tires would be living dangerously . I see big hunks of failed recapped tires along the road all the time . Most are from big trucks which would make them even more dangerous .
Tire plugging is not illegal. It may be ill advised at times, but not illegal. Now repairing a tire in an unsafe, incomplete, or unprofessional manner could be considered negligent and a court of law may find a shop liable if such a repair could be proven to have caused damage or injury.
However the lawyers wouldn’t go after the corner garage or small business in such a scenario. There’s not enough money there. They’d have to go after the plug equipment manufacturer or the deep-pocketed chain store to get to the big bucks.
I carry a tire plug kit plus a razor blade , needle nose pliers and a mini compressor in my car, easier that removing a wheel and putting on a temporary spare.
I’ve run into a lot of mechanics who are fuzzy on the difference between “it’s illegal” and “my boss told me never to do this because it will get us sued.” I suspect that’s the genesis for this as well.
Sounds like a theory that has little basis in actual occurrence. I have cars and trailers with numerous rope plug patches, some of them 5-10 years old. They don’t leak at all and no tire has ever failed on me in 40+ years of doing it. One trailer picked up a nail at the transfer station a week after I bought it. It’s been patched ever since and sits outside in the woods when not in use.
A rope plug spreads out significantly on either side of the tire if done properly. I cannot believe that water can pass that seal if done correctly.
I’m with insightful, how does a patch/plug repair improve on this outside sealing compared to just the plug?
The biggest issue with the liability of rope plugs is not with the quality of the plug. A proper rope plug used in a simple straight clean puncture will outlast the tire. The problem is the guy who has a nail in his tire, repeatedly drives the tire low for a month and a half, and has driven the inside of the tire to shreds from the sidewall being so low. Without dismounting the tire, there’s no way to determine the extent of the wear/damage, if any, from driving low. And once the tire is dismounted, might as well patch it.
Otherwise, you may be putting a plug in a tire that’s about to blow out.