AUTONET TV

To Fix or Not To Fix (Tire Repair)

Posted April 26, 2026 1:20 PM

You know that sinking feeling when you realize one of your tires has a problem. It may be making an odd noise or behaving oddly when you're driving. You may hit a pothole or curb and one suddenly goes flat. Or you may head back to your vehicle and discover it has one tire deflated without a clue of what must have happened to it.

With a lot of different tires hitting the streets these days, the issue of whether to have a tire repaired or replaced can be tricky, and we strongly recommend you have a trained technician help you make that decision.

One of the most common causes of flat tires is picking up a screw or nail in the tread area. Many of those can be patched and plugged if the puncture isn't more than ¼ inch/6 mm in diameter. Most tires can handle two of this type of repair, but any more and you should buy a new tire.

If there's a puncture or bulge in the sidewall or shoulder, the rule of thumb is it's not repairable. The sidewall doesn't have the reinforcements that the tread area does. In fact, any puncture that's more than a ½ inch/12 mm away from the edge of the tread should not be fixed.

Many newer vehicles have no spare tires (to save weight and fuel) and instead have a type of tire called "run-flat." Sometimes, the only way you know they're deflated is when the tire pressure monitor alerts the driver. Driving on them more than 50 miles/80km can render them un-repairable. They may be fixable if you pulled off to the side of the road before driving on them too long. Our technicians can evaluate whether they can be driven further or should be replaced.

Other vehicles with no spare include a can of tire sealant and a compressor. If you use it, tire experts say to have the tire professionally repaired as soon as possible.

If you have had a flat tire, try not to drive on it unless it's necessary to get your vehicle away from a dangerous situation. Our technicians can evaluate any tire you may be having problems with and recommend whether repair or replacement is the best option. Your safety is riding on your tires.

High-Tech Auto and Truck Center
4007 Westfax Drive
Chantilly, VA 20151
7039686648
high-tech-auto.com

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What Our Customers Are Saying

Taylor & the hard working crew at High Tech 4x4 are hands down the best garage i’ve used/found in the Northern Virginia area. I have brought them all types of cars with all types of issues, and some of them needing some extensive troubleshooting. These wonderful men and women have always come through with great trouble shooting at a very reasonable price. This is very hard and rare to find anywhere in this area. I’ve been an extremely loyal customer and client of theirs for over 10+ years. I won’t take my cars anywhere else. They always keep me updated, provide me with detailed estimates that are very reasonable. They stand behind their work, and they always keep all of five of my cars on the road. They will work on anything that I bring them without any complaint or hesitation. They just recently helped me on a JDM car that was only sold in Japan. The technicians were able to troubleshoot a couple electrical and mechanical issues easily and resolved these issues even without having any service repair manuals for these cars that were only sold in Japan. Very impressed with their quality of work, the way they approach the work and their pleasant attitudes. Every time i arrive with a problem Taylor & the entire crew at high tech find a solution. You guys make a car repair look easy and I appreciate you all. They are A++++ Thanks, your lifelong customer Mark
Chantilly, VA

Mark Plumb, 07/28/2026

Very attentive to my concerns. The waiting area has coffee, cold drinks, and snacks. They even adjusted my headlights and pached a hole in the roof of the cab, all at no extra charge.
Chantilly, VA

Tset Wong, 07/12/2026