Tire Repair Legislation: What’s right, what’s wrong?

On March 23 New York Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz introduced a bill (9865) which would set ground rules for proper tire repair procedures. The bill would also establish a $500 fine for each improper repair. The legislation is based on procedures created by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). The feeling is this legislation will begin to spread state by state.

Proposed is the dismount of a suspected leaking tire, breaking it down, inspecting the tire to determine any interior and exterior damage, removing any debris on the inside and fill the damaged area with a cured rubber stem and tire patch.

Proponents say this is long overdue and that there are too many improper repairs being made which may compromise driver and occupant safety.

Opponents say that in light of recent law suits and the money awarded, the liability is being pushed from the tire company to the repairer and the shop.

What’s your opinion?

I can't stand when the government has to step in and try to solve every little stupid problem. We always like to blame our leaders, government, politicians for the problems in our country but until individuals and families and business owners get in order we will continue down this path we've been on. I mean come on give me a break we need laws to tell us how to fix a tire right?

So who will be responsible when DIY does it wrong? Are they going to sue the auto repair places for selling them the kit?

I hate to have another government mandate but I think we, as an industry, share some of the blame. The tire industry trade groups, TIA and others, have for years endorsed that a proper tire repair requires the removal of the tire from the vehicle, dismounting the tire from the rim, inspecting and repairing from the inside of the tire. This can not be done profitably when we try and compete with the guy down the street that is willing to throw a plug in it for $5.00. When you look at some of the multimillion dollar judgements that have been handed out over the last few years for improper tire repairs, it makes it a lot easier to say "NO" to a customer who wants a $5.00 repair. We have not done plug repairs for 15+ years. Have we "lost" some tire repair business to the guy down the street - yes. Do I sleep better at night knowing we are doing proper repairs - YES. Most customers, and the ones we want to keep, understand that we are trying to keep them safe on the road. We take a little time to educate them as to why we repair the tire the way we do and it goes a long way to build a trusting relationship with them.

I have very mixed feelings about the need for legislation. I've done quite a bit of research when I first heard about this and I was unable to find any statistics on the number of injuries or deaths or even accidents due to improper tire repair. We patch from in inside on most repairs but if there is a puncture right in the center of the tread and the tire has never gone to low I'll still plug it. We've never seen a failure in 36 years.

By the way Joe, the NY Bill number is 09683

I don't mind charging more for tire repairs. What do you guys charge for dismounting and repairing from the inside?

i've never had a comeback with a plug,
though on my car hauler with 80psi tires, the plug gets out slowly while driving (still gets me through the day).

so i go plugs on small car tire punctures, patch-plugs on trucks and high performance cars

I have very mixed feelings about the need for legislation. I've done quite a bit of research when I first heard about this and I was unable to find any statistics on the number of injuries or deaths or even accidents due to improper tire repair. We patch from in inside on most repairs but if there is a puncture right in the center of the tread and the tire has never gone to low I'll still plug it. We've never seen a failure in 36 years.

By the way Joe, the NY Bill number is 09683

I don't mind charging more for tire repairs. What do you guys charge for dismounting and repairing from the inside?

For an inside repair, which includes dismount, inspection, properly repairing the tire, remount and balance: $28.50. AND, that's a giveaway when you factor in the time it takes, but at that dollar amount, people complain. WHY? Because shops up the street will plug any tire, and many times not charge for it.

We scrutinize every tire now before we repair it. If there is any evidence that the tire was driven low, or if the tread depth is too low or if we feel that to repair the tire will compromise safety, we sell the a tire(s).

We also do tire repairs at N/C, because all our tire sales come with free rotation and free tire repairs. I don't mind this, these are my customers that are loyal and come back for all other services and repairs.

Great topic, glad it is continuing....

i've never had a comeback with a plug,
though on my car hauler with 80psi tires, the plug gets out slowly while driving (still gets me through the day).

so i go plugs on small car tire punctures, patch-plugs on trucks and high performance cars

Type S Zero,
Take a minute and google tire repair lawsuits. It is shocking to see some of the settlements involved in tire repair lawsuits. If you do not follow industry standards in repairing tires you are leaving yourself open to some major exposure. A plug is not a proper repair. We charge $25 to do a patch/plug repair.
Russ

Who wants to be the first to charge $50.00 for a flat repair?

Who wants to be the first to charge $50.00 for a flat repair?

I don't dissagree it's not worth that much, but at that point, sell a tire. It becomes a point of what value the customer sees in the repair vs a new tire. If we all got 50 bucks for a major tire repair, we may end up doing less repairs and sell more tires? The consumer may not see the value in the repair if the price is too high, even though we may be able to justify the cost.

I hope I am explaining my self clearly....

I don't dissagree it's not worth that much, but at that point, sell a tire. It becomes a point of what value the customer sees in the repair vs a new tire. If we all got 50 bucks for a major tire repair, we may end up doing less repairs and sell more tires? The consumer may not see the value in the repair if the price is too high, even though we may be able to justify the cost.

I hope I am explaining my self clearly....

I agree, we charge $34, more for low profile tires & light truck tires. We find that most people are ok with it when they see whats involved. We do still plug tires though if we feel the tire is a good candidate for a plug. If the tire is worn we recommend replacement. If this becomes law we will surely sell more tires. After all, that's why the RMA is lobbying for this in the first place isn't it.