What Happens If You Drive On A Flat Tire?

Picture this, you’re about to head to work, school, or back home and go out to your car only to find that you have a flat tire. What should you do at this point? Is it safe to drive on a flat tire? If so for how long can you drive on a flat tire?

Table of Contents

What To Do If You Have A Flat Tire

If you walk up to your car and notice that it has a flat tire then you have a few options. First, inspect the tire to see if you notice any metal objects like a nail or screw that you can see embedded in the tire tread. If you do notice something embedded in the tire tread it’s best to leave it for now until you can get the tire patched or replaced.

If your car is equipped with a spare tire now would be a good time to check to make sure it’s still inflated and begin swapping it out with your tire that is currently flat.

If your car does not have a spare tire then you will need to either get your car towed or find a way to inflate your tire enough to allow you to drive on it. Otherwise, you risk damaging your rim if you drive on it for long distances.

I like to carry a portable air pump in the trunk of my car that allows me to inflate my tires anywhere I go. The portable air pump has come in handy many times because it allows me to try to inflate my tire to see if it will hold air or to determine if I need to put my spare tire on.

What Should You Do If You Have A Flat Tire While Driving?

If you are unlucky enough to hit a pothole at high speeds or pick up a nail in your tire it’s important to pull over as soon as you notice that your steering is not acting normal.

Signs that you may have a flat tire are that your steering is pulling in one direction or your steering wheel shaking uncontrollably.

Driving on a flat tire long enough can damage your rim and tire to the point of being unable to be repaired, so it’s best to pull over as soon as you notice there is a problem. Once you’ve had a chance to pull over to a safe area it’s best to get out of your car to see what is going on.

What Can Happen If You Drive On A Flat Tire?

While you may be able to drive a very short distance on a flat tire it’s generally not recommended as you risk doing more damage to your rim and tire than if you were to just pull over and not drive any further. If your tire is fully deflated you will be driving on just the metal rim, which is very likely to damage the rim.

Rim Damage

Deciding to drive on a flat tire may mean that you have to replace that rim and tire altogether. That’s why it’s best to pull over once you notice that you may be driving on a flat tire.

If you notice that your car has a flat tire when parked it’s best to try to re-inflate the tire, put on the spare tire, or call a tow truck. Each of these options will be cheaper than replacing your rim and tire with new ones.

Tire Damage

Driving on a flat tire can damage the sidewall of the tire, the longer you drive on the flat tire the more damage to the sidewall of the tire will occur.

As you drive on a flat tire the rim edge will be sitting on the sidewall of the tire which will wear down into the sidewall of the tire in the shape of a ring.

If you keep driving on the flat tire long enough the rim will eventually wear through the tire and pieces of the tire will start to shear off from the tire.

Body Panel and Brake Damage

If you continue to drive while riding on the rim eventually your tire will start to shred into pieces which can also damage other components in your car.

Eventually, the tire would not be able to hold up any longer and would completely separate from the rim which is definitely bad news.

When a tire becomes separated from the rim it can damage your brake calipers, wheel wells, and fenders as the rubber pieces bang up against the car and brake components.

Will Driving On A Flat Tire Ruin the Rim?

Yes, driving on a flat tire even for short distances can run the rim. When driving with an inflated tire the air inside tire will protect the rim from damage because the sidewall of the tire will absorb most bumps without allowing the rim to hit the road surface.

Hitting a pothole at high speeds or a deep pothole can allow the rim to come in contact with the road which usually results in a tire blowout.

How Many Miles Can I Drive On A Flat Tire?

Let’s say you get a flat tire on a busy highway and want to move your car to a safer spot to get out and change your tire. You may be able to get by with driving for a few miles but you risk damaging your rims and tires.

My recommendation would be to drive at a very low speed until you can get to an area that is safer to pull over. Once you are in a safe area you can call for help or attempt to change your tire yourself if your car came with a spare tire.

How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Flat Tire?

The costs associated with fixing a flat tire will vary depending on if you need to replace your tire and if you had to get a tow to fix the flat tire. Hopefully, you can patch the tire and it doesn’t need to be replaced.

Usually, a tire can be patched if the hole in the tire is in the tire tread and not in the sidewall of the tire. The cost to have your tire patched will vary depending on who you take your car to but can range anywhere from $15-25.

A hole in the sidewall of a tire means that it will need to be replaced, which is going to be more costly.

What Do You Do If You Have A Flat Tire and No Spare?

A newer trend in the automotive world that’s on the rise is automakers selling new cars that don’t come with a spare tire. To help car manufacturers save weight and increase the mileage of their vehicles they have started selling brand new cars that don’t come with a spare tire. So what do you do if you have a flat tire and don’t have a spare in your car?

Usually, brands like BMW and Mercedes will install run-flat tires on their cars that don’t come with a spare to allow the driver to be able to keep driving even if the tire has lost all internal tire pressure.

If your car didn’t come equipped with run-flat tires and you don’t have a spare there is likely a fix a flat kit that you can try to use to patch your tire on the side of the road to allow you to re-inflate it. A fix a flat kit will essentially inject a tire sealant into your tire to attempt to plug up any hole that may be allowing air to escape from the tire.

Can I Drive With A Screw In My Tire?

If you spot a screw in your tire it’s best to leave it in place until you can get the chance to get it patched. Removing the screw will create an open hole in the tire that won’t allow the tire to hold air.

Chances are you will be able to inflate the tire to allow you to get somewhere to get the tire patched. The tire will have a slow leak but you can temporarily drive on the tire until you are able to get it fixed as long as the tire is still inflated and the tire will still hold air.

If your tire is deflated and you don’t have a way to inflate it then you should put on your spare tire or as a last resort have your car towed to get your tire patched. Usually, a screw or nail in the tread means that the tire just needs to be patched and not replaced.

How Long Can You Drive On A Tire With A Plug In It?

I recently picked up a screw in one of my tires and the tire shop said that the tire plug they installed is a lifetime tire plug. Obviously that’s going to vary depending on who you take where you take your car to have the tire repaired and what kind of plug they use on the tire.

I’ve previously had issues with a tire that had been plugged having a slow leak but it does not seem to be the case with the tire plug installed this time around as I’ve not had any issues with it losing air.

How Do I Find A Slow Leak In My Tire?

The best way to find out where a slow leak in a tire is by using water to determine where the leak is located, once you’ve been able to locate the leak then you should be able to patch it.

First, you’d want to remove your tire so that you can inspect it to see if anything out of the ordinary is embedded in the tire. This could be things like a screw, cracks in the sidewall, or a piece of metal.

If you don’t see anything that could cause a leak by visually inspecting the tire you would want to position the tire in an area that you don’t mind getting wet as you will be using water to check for a leak.

Ideally, you’d want to submerge the tire in water as it would be very clear where a leak was coming from if the tire was fully submerged in water. If you don’t have a way to fully submerge the tire in water then you would want to cover the entire surface of the tire in water and look and listen for any bubbles or hissing coming from the tire.

The water will make seeing and hearing any leaks easier because it will bubble up in areas where there is a leak. If you still can’t find the slow leak in your tire it’s probably best to take your tire to a tire shop to have them inspect the tire for any problems.

When Should You Not Plug A Tire?

A tire shop will tell you the only time they won’t plug a tire is if there has been damage to the tire’s sidewall. This means that most tires can be plugged as long as you didn’t suffer a complete sidewall blowout or have the sidewall bubble from an impact. Once a tire has a bubble or hole in the sidewall it will need to be replaced.