Nail in your tire: is it safe to drive?

Should you pull the nail out?

No. The nail often plugs its own hole, so pulling it can turn a slow leak into a flat tire.

Leave it where it is until the tire is ready to be inspected. If the head is loose and clicking on the road, that is fine. It is still doing a job. Mark the spot with chalk or tape if you can, so it is easy to find later.

Can you drive on the highway with a nail in your tire?

It is a risk worth skipping. Speed and heat add stress to a damaged tire, so stay on surface streets and keep the trip short.

A slow leak at low speed is mostly a nuisance. The same leak at highway speed builds heat, and a tire that runs low can be damaged inside. If you must use the interstate, check the pressure first and watch the warning light.

• Keep the trip short and the speed down.
• Don't carry a heavy load on that tire.
• Pull over if the car starts to pull or shake.

How do you know if it's leaking?

Check the pressure with a gauge and compare it with the number on the driver's door sticker. A drop over a day or two, or a warning light on the dash, means air is getting out.

1. Read the door sticker. It lists the right pressure for your car, front and back.
2. Check the tire cold, before driving or after it sits for a while.
3. Check again the next day. Losing a few pounds overnight means a leak.
4. Try soapy water on the nail. Growing bubbles show the leak.

USTMA advises checking tire pressure once a month on every tire, even if your car has a pressure warning system. That habit also catches nails early, before they cause a flat.

Repair or replace: what decides it?

Where the hole is decides it. In the tread and ¼ inch (6 mm) or smaller, a tire is usually repairable; in the shoulder, the sidewall or over an old repair, it must be replaced.

These limits come from the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA). It also says the tire must come off the wheel to be inspected, and that a plug alone is not an acceptable repair. Our plug vs patch guide explains why.

What if the tire went flat and you drove on it?

Then the inside may be damaged, even if the nail hole is small. The tire has to come off the wheel and be checked before anyone calls it repairable.

Driving on a tire with little or no air crushes the sidewalls against the road. That can leave marks, creases or rubber dust on the inside. A tire like that may look fine from outside and still be unsafe. Expect the inspection to decide, not the size of the nail.

What if you find the nail at home or at work?

That is the easy case. Check the pressure, leave the nail in and have the tire looked at where the car is parked.

If the tire still holds air, you have time to plan. Note the tire size from the sidewall, for example 225/65R17, and take a photo of the nail. That helps anyone quote the job before driving out. See flat tire repair at your car.

If the tire is already flat, don't drive on it at all. Put on a good spare, or have a new tire brought to the car. Our roadside tire change page covers the spare.

How do you find a nail you can't see?

Roll the car forward a little so you can see the whole tread, and look in the grooves. If the tire keeps losing air and you see nothing, soapy water on the tread will show the leak.

1. Inflate the tire to the door-sticker pressure, so the leak is easier to find.
2. Look at the tread in sections, rolling the car a few feet at a time.
3. Listen for a hiss in a quiet place.
4. Spray or brush soapy water over the tread, the valve and the wheel edge.
5. Watch for growing bubbles. That is where the air escapes.

Bubbles at the valve stem or where the tire meets the wheel point to a different problem. Those leaks are not a nail, and the fix is different too.

What if the pressure light comes on while you drive?

Slow down and find a safe place to stop, such as a parking lot. Then check every tire with a gauge, because the light often doesn't say which one is low.

• A solid light usually means one or more tires are low.
• A flashing light can mean a sensor problem instead.
• The car pulls or shakes: stop and look before going on.
• On the interstate: get off at the next exit if the car handles well.

Cold mornings can also turn the light on, because cold air takes up less room. If all four tires read a little low and nothing is stuck in the tread, adding air may be all it needs.

What about a screw or a bolt?

The same rules apply, but measure the hole, not the head. A thick screw or a bolt often leaves a hole wider than ¼ inch, which can't be repaired.

• Small finishing nail in the tread center: often repairable.
• Drywall or deck screw: check the shaft width, not the head.
• Bolt, bracket or metal strip: usually too wide to repair.
• Anything that cut a slit instead of a round hole: usually replace.

Screws are common near building sites, and they often sit at an angle. An angled hole can run toward the shoulder under the surface. The inspection from inside shows where the hole really goes.

Can you add air and keep driving?

Yes, for a short trip, if the leak is slow and you can check the pressure again soon. Adding air is a way to reach a repair, not a fix.

• Fill to the door-sticker number, not the number on the tire.
• Check again before every trip until it is repaired.
• If it drops fast, stop driving on it.

Sealant cans are another short-term option, but some shops won't repair a tire full of sealant. Read the can and check before you use it.

What does Tire Amigo do about a nail?

A tire tech we work with looks at where the nail is and tells you, before any work, whether the tire can be repaired or must be replaced. If a full repair can't be done at the car, you hear that first.

The price comes by text before anyone drives out. If the tire needs replacing, we can bring a new tire in your size.

When to contact us: Found a nail and the tire is still holding air? Send us your details with the tire size and where the car is, and reply to our text with a photo of the nail.