Tires & Wheels
Flat tire repair near you
Flat tire repair from the inside: the tire comes off the rim and a patch-plug seals the puncture, or it is replaced if beyond repair, at a shop or on site.
- Time at the shop
- 30 min
- about
- Mobile service
- Available
- at your address
- Shops in Canada
- 1
- doing this work
- Your price
- You set it
- shops bid on it
You set the budget
Shops near you send their bids
1 shop in Canada does this
Tires & Wheels
What flat tire repair is
A tire that keeps losing air usually has a nail or screw in the tread, a leaking valve stem or a corroded rim edge, and the first job is finding which. The wheel comes off, the tire goes into a water bath or is sprayed with soapy water, and the bubbles show the leak. Only a small puncture in the flat tread area can be repaired safely.
A proper repair is done from the inside. The tire is taken off the rim and checked for damage from being driven flat, the hole is reamed clean, and a patch-plug is pulled through it and bonded to the inner liner. The tire is then remounted, balanced and inflated. A string plug pushed in from outside is only a stopgap. Sidewall or shoulder holes, punctures wider than about 6 mm and tires damaged inside are replaced instead.
- For cars, EVs, vans, trucks, RVs and trailers
- Takes about 30 min
- Can be done at your address
What does flat tire repair cost?
It depends on your vehicle and the shop. Post a job with your budget and compare the bids shops near you send.
Get bids
Name your budget. Shops near you bid.
1 shop across Canada does flat tire repair.
What to expect
Flat tire repair, step by step
What the job normally covers, what to mention in your request, and the signs that it is time. Every shop says what its bid includes.
The job
What’s included
- Wheel taken off the vehicle and the leak located with soapy water or a test tank
- Tire dismounted so the inside can be checked for damage from being driven flat
- Puncture reamed clean and sealed from the inside with a patch-plug of the right size
- Rim bead seat and valve stem cleaned and checked, and resealed or replaced if they leak
- Tire remounted, balanced and inflated to the door-jamb pressure
- Pressure sensor tested and the dash warning light checked
- Wheel bolted back on and torqued, with the reason explained if the tire cannot be repaired
Checklist
Before you post
- 01Ask for an inside patch-plug repair; a plug pushed in from outside is a temporary fix meant to get you to a shop
- 02Tell the shop how far you drove on the flat; even a few kilometres with no air can wreck the inner sidewall
- 03Find out if the price includes remounting, balancing and a valve stem, or whether each one is an extra charge
- 04If the tire is beyond repair, ask about matching the tread depth of the other tires, especially on all-wheel drive
- 05For a roadside or mobile visit, give the exact location and say whether you have a spare and a locking wheel nut key
- 06Ask whether the shop that sold the tires repairs flats free or under a road hazard warranty
Signs
When you need it
- A tire that is low again a few days after topping it up, or flat in the morning
- A nail, screw or staple head showing in the tread
- Pressure warning light on, with one tire clearly softer than the others
- Air loss after a pothole, a curb hit or driving over road debris
- A slow leak that started over winter, often from a corroded rim edge
Sound familiar?Tell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsHow it works
Get flat tire repair done in four steps
You set the budget and choose the shop. Posting is free, and you pay the shop you hire once the work is 100% done.
- 01
Post your job
Choose the service, describe the job and your vehicle, and set your budget. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
- 02
Shops compete
Nearby shops that do the work see your request and send their best offer: price, when they can start, what is included.
- 03
Accept the best offer
Compare bids, ratings and distance, then hire one shop. The others are told, politely.
- 04
Talk and get it done
Your conversation with the shop opens right away to agree on the day. You pay only after the job is complete.
Keep exploring
Related services
Tire installation
Tire installation for cars, vans, trucks and trailers: new tires mounted and balanced on your wheels, with fresh valve stems and old tires taken away.
Rim repair
Rim repair for curb rash, scuffs, bends and some cracks in steel and alloy wheels, so the wheel runs true, holds air and looks right again.
Towing, Roadside & Transport
Roadside assistance & battery boost
Roadside assistance that comes to you: a battery boost, a flat changed to the spare, fuel delivered or a locked door opened, with a battery test.
Wheel balancing
Wheel balancing on a spin balancer, with weights fitted where each wheel and tire runs heavy, to stop steering wheel shake and vibration at highway speed.
Wheel alignment
Wheel alignment on a rack: camber, caster and toe set to specification to stop pulling and uneven tire wear after potholes or suspension work.
Questions
Questions about flat tire repair
General answers for drivers in Canada. The shop you hire confirms the details for your vehicle.
Can a flat tire be repaired, or must it be replaced?
A puncture up to about 6 mm across, in the flat tread area, can be repaired if the inside of the tire is undamaged. Holes in the sidewall or shoulder, cuts, bulges and tires driven flat cannot be repaired safely, because the sidewall flexes too much for a patch to hold. Many makers do not approve repairing a run-flat tire that has been driven with no air.
Is a tire plug safe, or do I need a patch?
A string plug pushed in from outside, without removing the tire, is a temporary fix. It cannot seal the inner liner and it hides any damage inside. Use it to get to a shop, where the tire comes off the rim and a patch-plug is bonded from the inside, which is the repair that tire-industry guidelines call for.
Can I drive on a flat tire to get to a shop?
No. Even a kilometre or two on a tire with no air can shred the inner sidewall, and a ruined tire can only be replaced. Stop somewhere safe, fit the spare or call roadside assistance. Run-flat tires are built to travel a short way at reduced speed, commonly about 80 km at up to 80 km/h, so check your owner’s manual.
Why does my tire keep losing air when I cannot find a puncture?
A corroded rim edge is a common cause in Canada: road salt eats the aluminum where the tire seals, and air seeps out along the bead, the tire’s sealing edge. A leaking valve stem, a pressure sensor seal or a cracked wheel can do the same. The fix is to dismount the tire, clean and seal the rim’s bead seat and fit a new stem, which is a small fraction of the price of a replacement tire.
How long does a flat tire repair take?
At a shop, about 20 to 40 minutes once the wheel is on the machine, although a busy Saturday or a full lot of changeover customers can add a wait. A mobile technician usually finishes in half an hour on site, after an arrival window. If the tire cannot be repaired, add time for ordering or fitting a replacement.
Something else to ask? Once you hire a shop, you talk to it directly in your request’s conversation.
Ready when you areTell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsFor tire and wheel shops
Sign up as a business
Tire and wheel shops across Canada: drivers post their Tires & Wheels requests here. Publish your weekly flyer, open the appointment windows you can take and bid on the jobs near you. Free while we launch, no commission.