Discover whether to patch or replace your flat tire. Learn expert tips on tire repair decisions, cost-saving strategies, and ...

Patching a tire is often inexpensive and fairly quick to do, but if you get a puncture on the tire's sidewall, you're out of luck. Here's how close you can get.

A plug or patch can't bond securely here, and even a small hole compromises the entire tire's structural integrity. If the puncture happens in this area, you will be buying a new tire.

Puncture damage or deep scrapes on a tire's sidewall could also reveal wires, and the NHTSA has unequivocally said that all sidewall injuries cannot be repaired.

Patching a tire is often inexpensive and fairly quick to do, but if you get a puncture on the tire's sidewall, you're out of luck. Here's how close you can get.