At Seattle Tire Shop in Seattle, a punctured tire is repairable when the damage sits in the center tread, away from the sidewall and clear of any earlier repair. If the puncture is on the shoulder or sidewall, or the tire has already been patched nearby, it gets replaced instead.
What decides whether a puncture can be plugged?
The location of the damage is the first thing to check. A puncture in the center of the tread — away from the shoulder and sidewall — can usually be repaired from the inside with a proper plug-and-patch, not just a plug pushed in from outside.
A tire that's already carrying a repair nearby, or one that's been run flat and had its inner liner damaged, doesn't get a second patch. At that point the structure underneath the rubber is the question, not the hole itself.
Why won't a sidewall puncture get patched?
The sidewall flexes constantly as the tire rolls, and a patch there doesn't hold the way one does in the stiffer tread area. A nail or screw through the sidewall is one of the more common reasons a tire that looks fine otherwise still has to be replaced.
Does a repaired tire wear out faster?
No — a properly bonded inside patch doesn't change how the tread wears. It restores the air seal, not the rubber's remaining life, so a repaired tire keeps going for whatever tread it has left.
Can I drive on a tire with a nail still in it?
Drive slowly and directly to the shop if you have to, but it's safer to call ahead first. Pulling the nail yourself lets air out faster and can turn a repairable puncture into a flat before you get there.
Will a repaired tire need a new valve stem too?
Often, yes — the valve stem gets replaced as part of a proper repair, since it's a wear part and cheaper to swap than to risk a slow leak from an old one.
Can a run-flat tire be repaired?
Most run-flat tires aren't considered repairable once punctured, because the reinforced sidewall that lets them run without air also makes a patch unreliable. Seattle Tire Shop can take a look, but plan on replacement.