Flat tire cost estimation (do they really charge $200+ for labor?)

[avi7116]

last week MY had a nail in one of the tires when I called Dublin tesla, they quoted me 350$, then one of my friends suggested me to check with Seever & Sons Tire in Pleasanton, they asked me to bring my car immediately, I dropped my MR around 3: 30 PM and my car were ready by 5:30 PM, and they did a good job and they chared 0$., they chared 0$ to remove the nail.

 

[Daekwan]

Everybody reading this thread.. do yourself a big favor and go immediately order a $20 tire puncture plug kit off Amazon. Keep this kit + air compressor in your Tesla at all times. As many people have pointed out Teslas tend to have a lot of tire issues, most of them being punctures. This is an incredibly easy repair you can do yourself, in about 2 mins and you do not need to remove the wheel from the car to fix this. I ran into the same issue, luckily wasn't far from a used Tire shop and they plugged the tire in a couple of mins and only charged me $10 for the fix.

Amazon.com

• Find a safe place to park
• Make sure to drive the car forward/back enough where you can easily access the nail/screw (helps to turn your front wheel, if it happens to the front)
• Remove the nail/screw with some pliers
• Immediately clean up the actual puncture area with the file tool (leave the tool in to keep air from leaking)
• Pull the rubber plug 50/50 through the hole in the fix tool, lubricate the plug with rubber cement making it much easier to insert, and push about half of the plug into the tire
• Pull out the fix tool. The plug should remain in the tire and the leak should now be 100% sealed.
• Snip or cut off any remaining plug so that the tire can roll completely flat
• Finally, air up your tire to 42psi

This video shows you the entire process

You will be back on the road in no time. And won't have to bother waiting on a tow truck, paying Tesla $300 for a new tire or driving around on a flat tire looking for a tire shop to do the same repair and charging you for the same repair. If you use this kit once, it will be worth every penny. And it works on any car so it's a great kit to have for any emergency stop.

Also, be advised you need to know the difference between a puncture and a blowout. A puncture is just that.. a nail/screw-like object in the tire.. probably picked up from a construction site or driving on the shoulder of the road. A blowout... OR a puncture that is outside of the tire tread cannot be repaired. In that case, the tire needs to be replaced completely.

 

[Kairide]

Everybody reading this thread.. do yourself a big favor and go immediately order a $20 tire puncture plug kit off Amazon. Keep this kit + air compressor in your Tesla at all times. As many people have pointed out Teslas tend to have a lot of tire issues, most of them being punctures. This is an incredibly easy repair you can do yourself, in about 2 mins and you do not need to remove the wheel from the car to fix this. I ran into the same issue, luckily wasn't far from a used Tire shop and they plugged the tire in a couple of mins and only charged me $10 for the fix.

Amazon.com

• Find a safe place to park
• Make sure to drive the car forward/back enough where you can easily access the nail/screw (helps to turn your front wheel, if it happens to the front)
• Remove the nail/screw with some pliers
• Immediately clean up the actual puncture area with the file tool (leave the tool in to keep air from leaking)
• Pull the rubber plug 50/50 through the hole in the fix tool, lubricate the plug with rubber cement making it much easier to insert, and push about half of the plug into the tire
• Pull out the fix tool. The plug should remain in the tire and the leak should now be 100% sealed.
• Snip or cut off any remaining plug so that the tire can roll completely flat
• Finally, air up your tire to 42psi

This video shows you the entire process

You will be back on the road in no time. And won't have to bother waiting on a tow truck, paying Tesla $300 for a new tire or driving around on a flat tire looking for a tire shop to do the same repair and charging you for the same repair. If you use this kit once, it will be worth every penny. And it works on any car so it's a great kit to have for any emergency stop.

Also, be advised you need to know the difference between a puncture and a blowout. A puncture is just that.. a nail/screw-like object in the tire.. probably picked up from a construction site or driving on the shoulder of the road. A blowout... OR a puncture that is outside of the tire tread cannot be repaired. In that case, the tire needs to be replaced completely.

I wouldn't necessarily say Teslas tend to have a lot of tire issues. Tires are tires, if you hit a nail or screw it will puncture no matter what car you're driving. These self plug kits are good for emergency situations, i.e. stranded in the middle of nowhere and your tire is leaking with the object in your tire. If you're around civilization and your tire is slowly leaking or not leaking at all, you're better off driving to a tire shop for a proper plug. They type where they take the tire off and plug from the inside. You also need to be able to determine if the puncture is far enough away from the sidewall for a safe plug. Some tire shops will even plug for free. Americas Tire in California does.
I'm all for doing my own repairs, but I usually leave tires to people who aren't arm chair quarterbacks (myself).

 

[Daekwan]

I wouldn't necessarily say Teslas tend to have a lot of tire issues. Tires are tires, if you hit a nail or screw it will puncture no matter what car you're driving. These self plug kits are good for emergency situations, i.e. stranded in the middle of nowhere and your tire is leaking with the object in your tire. If you're around civilization and your tire is slowly leaking or not leaking at all, you're better off driving to a tire shop for a proper plug. They type where they take the tire off and plug from the inside. You also need to be able to determine if the puncture is far enough away from the sidewall for a safe plug. Some tire shops will even plug for free. Americas Tire in California does.
I'm all for doing my own repairs, but I usually leave tires to people who aren't arm chair quarterbacks (myself).

I have to disagree there. I find there are a ton of tire issues with Teslas. Most of the people I personally know with Teslas have had tire issues. So much so I was specifically warned about this by several Tesla owners before purchasing my car. Same with the cracked/chipped windshield and making sure to get $0 deductible on glass. It's an extremely common problem among the Tesla community. As someone else pointed out.. maybe its something to do with the extra weight of battery-powered vehicles .. or possibly the high air pressure.

Granted I agree these circumstances are still random. But you still cannot ignore how popular tire & windshield issues tend to be with Tesla owners.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with calling the tow truck or driving carefully to a tire shop for them to do the repair. If that's all that you are comfortable with, then by all means.. please stick to that. But I'm not going to pretend that plugging a tire hole in a tire is scary or difficult. It is insanely easy to do. Easier than changing a spare tire even. And if you've ever actually take the time to try it yourself, then I have no doubt you'd actually come back and edit your comment to also agree it's an option that should be kept in the vehicle at all times.

Who knows when or where a flat tire will even occur? Could be the middle of the night. Could be the middle of nowhere. Could be in a dangerous setting where you cannot afford to wait for help. Being able to do this quick repair is an awesome option depending on your specific circumstances.

 

[Kairide]

I have to disagree there. I find there are a ton of tire issues with Teslas. Most of the people I personally know with Teslas have had tire issues. So much so I was specifically warned about this by several Tesla owners before purchasing my car. Same with the cracked/chipped windshield and making sure to get $0 deductible on glass. It's an extremely common problem among the Tesla community. As someone else pointed out.. maybe its something to do with the extra weight of battery-powered vehicles .. or possibly the high air pressure.

Granted I agree these circumstances are still random. But you still cannot ignore how popular tire & windshield issues tend to be with Tesla owners.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with calling the tow truck or driving carefully to a tire shop for them to do the repair. If that's all that you are comfortable with, then by all means.. please stick to that. But I'm not going to pretend that plugging a tire hole in a tire is scary or difficult. It is insanely easy to do. Easier than changing a spare tire even. And if you've ever actually take the time to try it yourself, then I have no doubt you'd actually come back and edit your comment to also agree it's an option that should be kept in the vehicle at all times.

Who knows when or where a flat tire will even occur? Could be the middle of the night. Could be the middle of nowhere. Could be in a dangerous setting where you cannot afford to wait for help. Being able to do this quick repair is an awesome option depending on your specific circumstances.

All EVs are heavier due to the battery packs, so they do put more strain on tires than ICE equivalents. This just means they have a tendency to wear through tires quicker. This does not mean they will pick up foreign objects more than another type of vehicle. If you ask Tesla owners only if they have had tire issues, then yes, of course you will hear an increased number of issues with Tesla based on the population you asked. Personally I've got 29,000 miles on my original Model S tires and still have 6/32nds of tread left.
Same with windshield issues. It's all about being in the wrong place/wrong time to get a tire puncture or a rock in your windshield. The vehicle you drive won't make a difference.
Plugging isn't scary or difficult, although it is more challenging to do it correctly if you have foam tires. You would need to somehow ensure you can get the plug in far enough through the glued on foam. The majority of punctures are slow leakers or non-leakers. You're better off just leaving in place and driving home or driving to a tire shop to repair.
If you want to sit on the side of a busy freeway at night looking for the nail in the dark, then trying to plug it, that's all you.

 

[mangrove79]

When I had my MY tire punctured by a nail the first time, I first took it to my Costco tire center since that's where I go for this with all my previous ICE cars. It only costs $12 to fix a tire there. However, Costco told me that because Tesla tires are lined with a custom mesh on the inside to reduce road noise, they can't repair it. So I made a service appt with Tesla service center. My initial in-app estimate also came out to $400-500 range, but the rep told me that it's just an estimate. Depending on where the puncture is, it can be patched as opposed to replaced. If the puncture is in the tread section of the tire, then yes, patch will work. But if it's on the sidewalls, then no, it has to be replaced. Mine happens to be in the tread so it ended up just costing me $80 for the labor, no material. This was back in Nov, 2021, in FL.

 

[Darmie]

Everybody reading this thread.. do yourself a big favor and go immediately order a $20 tire puncture plug kit off Amazon. Keep this kit + air compressor in your Tesla at all times. As many people have pointed out Teslas tend to have a lot of tire issues, most of them being punctures. This is an incredibly easy repair you can do yourself, in about 2 mins and you do not need to remove the wheel from the car to fix this. I ran into the same issue, luckily wasn't far from a used Tire shop and they plugged the tire in a couple of mins and only charged me $10 for the fix.

Amazon.com

• Find a safe place to park
• Make sure to drive the car forward/back enough where you can easily access the nail/screw (helps to turn your front wheel, if it happens to the front)
• Remove the nail/screw with some pliers
• Immediately clean up the actual puncture area with the file tool (leave the tool in to keep air from leaking)
• Pull the rubber plug 50/50 through the hole in the fix tool, lubricate the plug with rubber cement making it much easier to insert, and push about half of the plug into the tire
• Pull out the fix tool. The plug should remain in the tire and the leak should now be 100% sealed.
• Snip or cut off any remaining plug so that the tire can roll completely flat
• Finally, air up your tire to 42psi

This video shows you the entire process

You will be back on the road in no time. And won't have to bother waiting on a tow truck, paying Tesla $300 for a new tire or driving around on a flat tire looking for a tire shop to do the same repair and charging you for the same repair. If you use this kit once, it will be worth every penny. And it works on any car so it's a great kit to have for any emergency stop.

Also, be advised you need to know the difference between a puncture and a blowout. A puncture is just that.. a nail/screw-like object in the tire.. probably picked up from a construction site or driving on the shoulder of the road. A blowout... OR a puncture that is outside of the tire tread cannot be repaired. In that case, the tire needs to be replaced completely.

I second this. Even if the puncture is near the sidewall, it may hold enough to get to where you can get some help. I will say this is not the easiest thing to do but can be done. Keep using the reamer tool until you can push the plug in the tire.

 

[Daekwan]

I second this. Even if the puncture is near the sidewall, it may hold enough to get to where you can get some help. I will say this is not the easiest thing to do but can be done. Keep using the reamer tool until you can push the plug in the tire.

The last Tesla owner I shared this with.. took my advice and ordered the kit. Literally picked up a nail while waiting for Amazon to deliver it lol!!!

We were sharing jokes back & forth while he waiting for the tow truck to come and get him.

 

[blissdancer]

last week MY had a nail in one of the tires when I called Dublin tesla, they quoted me 350$, then one of my friends suggested me to check with Seever & Sons Tire in Pleasanton, they asked me to bring my car immediately, I dropped my MR around 3: 30 PM and my car were ready by 5:30 PM, and they did a good job and they chared 0$., they chared 0$ to remove the nail.

That's great. I just got a nail a tire and Tesla wanted to charge me 120.00 but I balked so they gave me a one time 50% discount. They say they do a better job as they removed the foam liner and apply a patch not a plug. I need to find a free place to get mine fixed.

 

[avs007]

That's great. I just got a nail a tire and Tesla wanted to charge me 120.00 but I balked so they gave me a one time 50% discount. They say they do a better job as they removed the foam liner and apply a patch not a plug. I need to find a free place to get mine fixed.

Discount Tire does it for free. They remove the foam and fix it correctly too.

 

[blissdancer]

Discount Tire does it for free. They remove the foam and fix it correctly too.

Thanks for the info. I should have check with ya'll before going to Tesla. I have a question about the Tesla repair. There is a small round nub that protrudes about 1/8 of an inch beyond the tire tread where the puncture was, is this correct. I have had punctures repaired on other cars but the repair was always smooth to the tread. Is tesla doing something different or just wrong?

 

[Flybuddy]

Thanks for the info. I should have check with ya'll before going to Tesla. I have a question about the Tesla repair. There is a small round nub that protrudes about 1/8 of an inch beyond the tire tread where the puncture was, is this correct. I have had punctures repaired on other cars but the repair was always smooth to the tread. Is tesla doing something different or just wrong?

Sounds like they plugged the tire.

 

[Paul1]

I heard if you just got your car, you can take it to Discount/America's Tire, and get certificates for the OEM tires... Then should you get an unrepairable flat, you can just get a "free" replacement instead of having to fork out additional dough. I would've done that if I knew, since I always go to Discount Tire anyways.

Are you referring to warranty registration of the tires?

 

[silverforums]

No this is roadside tire insurance that they sell

 

[chan_man]

Had the same experience with one of my original Conti tires with a screw, took it to a local tire shop, they did ask if I had the pucks to lift the car. Removed the tire, placed a patch and done. Got charged $25.00

 

[AlexP]

I got my Model Y Oct. 5th and just one month after on Nov 4th I have a flat tire.
Requested road assistance service and had someone towed it to a service center last night. Towing is free.

This morning in the app, it shows the cost estimate is $560, with $300 for a new tire and $233 labor fee, $26 tax.

1. The tire is already more expensive than I thought. Do they really charge $200+ for labor?
2. The service advisor mentioned in the app message later that they haven't looked at my car yet. If they have not looked at it, why would there be a cost estimate?
   1. They are not responding now, so asking here.
3. Any suggestions if that turns out to be the actual cost? Would towing it to third party for patch or replacement cheaper?

Hello OP,

I would never take my cars to Tesla for a tire repair/exchange.

I got to Costco tire repairs. If the tire is not repairable I buy from Tire Rack. They give you quote for install at many different places, even one that comes to you to do the tire install. They can ship directly to you or the installer you chose. They have many warehouse around the country. To Miami usually takes 2 days.

The best part is that they offer a 2 year free road hazard protection. If you get a flat tire they cover it. If the tire is not repairable they will send you a check for the full amount you paid for the tire and you can buy a new one. It works, I used in the past, got a check for the full amount I paid for the tire that was unrepairable.

Regards,
Alex

 

[Tronguy]

Hello OP,

I would never take my cars to Tesla for a tire repair/exchange.

I got to Costco tire repairs. If the tire is not repairable I buy from Tire Rack. They give you quote for install at many different places, even one that comes to you to do the tire install. They can ship directly to you or the installer you chose. They have many warehouse around the country. To Miami usually takes 2 days.

The best part is that they offer a 2 year free road hazard protection. If you get a flat tire they cover it. If the tire is not repairable they will send you a check for the full amount you paid for the tire and you can buy a new one. It works, I used in the past, got a check for the full amount I paid for the tire that was unrepairable.

Regards,
Alex

Alex, the tricky bit with a Tesla flat tire is that most Teslas don't have a spare. So, without one of those high-pressure donuts in the rear, that means that a Tesla with a flat is very thoroughly stuck.

The Tesla Flat Tire Kit (complete with air compressor) or equivalent can get one out of a fix when one is in the boonies by putting a liquid glue agent into the tire; once that dries, one can limp to a tire repair place somewhere where the tire can (possibly) be de-glueified and repaired. But that only works if the tire is damaged on the main belt with a puncture or something. Sidewall problems are Other; for that, the glue wouldn't work and, even if it did, would be very unsafe.

As it happens, a year and a half ago in the dark of the night, I happened to drive near the right edge of a road to avoid a speeding police car coming the other way and discovered that the homeowner there had allowed a number of granite pavers on a slope to fall onto the road. The front right discovered them, all right, and the sidewall was torn. There was just enough air left to limp off the heavily traveled road onto a side street. I was Very Happy that a mobile ranger for this purpose was on duty and not too far away. In the back of that mobile ranger's vehicle was a complete wheel that matched my make and model car, and I was on my way.

I did buy a replacement tire from some bunch down in Texas for a reasonable price and got charged around $200, total, for the roadside assistance and tire repair. Admittedly, with a car that had an actual spare, my total costs would have been about $100 less (tire mounting and disposal doesn't cost that much), but Teslas don't have spares. Like many other cars on the market. If one of those had this problem, then it would have been a flatbed tow truck or something to get the car somewhere, and probably at least a day or more before the car would be back in my possession and driving around again. So.. The $100 was probably worth it.

 

[AlexP]

he tricky bit with a Tesla flat tire is that most Teslas don't have a spare. So, without one of those high-pressure donuts in the rear, that means that a Tesla with a flat is very thoroughly stuck.

I understand and agree...

When you call Tesla roadside services, sometimes they have spares that will loan, but they will take you tire. You need to go to the service center to get it and do the tire swap. After that take the loaner tire back to the service center.

if they have the tire in the tow truck when you call Roadside, then you can request them to tow you home. Once you get the tire from Tire Rack or another place, then request another tow to the place that can change the tire.

I also have a tire inflator in both my cars. One time I had stop every mile to add air to the tire to be able to get home. With the car at home once I got the tire I requested a tow to the tire place.

Definitely more complicated but it is a way to avoid paying the exorbitant Tesla price for a new tire or for a patch.

The biggest advantage of doing all of this and buying the tire from Tire Rack is that if it were to happen again in 2 years or less you get a refund for the tire.

It believe tires in Tesla cars are prone to blowouts because of the weight of the cars and the very high recommended tire pressure.

 

[Tronguy]

I understand and agree...

When you call Tesla roadside services, sometimes they have spares that will loan, but they will take you tire. You need to go to the service center to get it and do the tire swap. After that take the loaner tire back to the service center.

if they have the tire in the tow truck when you call Roadside, then you can request them to tow you home. Once you get the tire from Tire Rack or another place, then request another tow to the place that can change the tire.

I also have a tire inflator in both my cars. One time I had stop every mile to add air to the tire to be able to get home. With the car at home once I got the tire I requested a tow to the tire place.

Definitely more complicated but it is a way to avoid paying the exorbitant Tesla price for a new tire or for a patch.

The biggest advantage of doing all of this and buying the tire from Tire Rack is that if it were to happen again in 2 years or less you get a refund for the tire.

It believe tires in Tesla cars are prone to blowouts because of the weight of the cars and the very high recommended tire pressure.

As it happened, it was a Michelin tire that died the death with that flat, bought at Tire Rack and installed at a AAA outlet. Deal was that, after the destroyed tire, turned out that Michelin had stopped making that particular style. The other three on the car were in good shape and were relatively new.

Naturally Tesla didn’t have that style tire and I wasn’t going to run around in a car that had one wheel with a notably different tread than the other three, not if I could help it. After quite the search found this auto racing supply crowd in Texas who had a few, bought one, and had it drop shipped to the SC in Springfield, NJ.

Nicely enough, Tire Rack’s warranty came through and paid off on the dead tire, although I had to wander through the SC to get the serial number off the dead one. A Michelin Cross-Climate XL, if my notes are right.

Again, roughly $100 for showing up in the dark with a spare wheel, getting the old tire off the rim, a new one put on, balanced, the old tire disposed of, and the uninterrupted commute in the meantime was worth it.

One minor note. The OEM tires on the car were also Michelin but wore out at about 25k miles, which I thought was very early. I did some digging through the tire warranty and discovered that Michelin’s standard warranty didn’t really apply, only the tire warranty booklet that came with the car. And that one had, for Michelins, a pretty short wear out distance warranty. The Crossclimates currently on the car have the more normal 45k mile wear-out warranty and, with over 25k more miles on the car, look it, with plenty of tread left. Which implies that Tesla’s selection of tires back in 2018 might have been a bit questionable.