Can I get a new tire replaced at the 4S shop if my new car's tire is punctured?
2 Answers
Getting a punctured tire repaired at a 4S shop for a new car is not free. It is recommended to find a nearby regular repair shop for tire repair to avoid affecting normal driving. Here are the methods for repairing a punctured tire: 1. Plugging the Tire with a Rubber Strip: If the tire is punctured by a nail but is not losing air, it is generally because the nail has not penetrated the tire completely or the nail is blocking the air outlet, so the tire temporarily does not lose air. In this case, the most effective method is to insert a special rubber strip into the punctured area of the tire, commonly known as the "plugging method." This only takes a few minutes and does not require removing the tire from the rim. However, the drawback of plugging is that it is not very durable, so the car owner should drive to a repair shop for a proper tire repair as soon as possible. 2. Patching the Tire: If the tire loses air quickly after being punctured and there is no spare tire, you can remove the tire, locate the puncture, and apply a special tire repair agent to the inner layer of the tire. The tire repair agent is a non-toxic, odorless, non-flammable, and non-sticky liquid that can both repair the tire and inflate it. When the tire is punctured and loses air, simply connect the repair agent to the tire and press the valve of the repair agent. It will automatically add compressed air to the tire while injecting a white, hairspray-like repair glue. However, if the diameter of the puncture is larger than 6mm, this small tool will not be effective.
I was quite conflicted when I got a nail in the tire of my brand-new car. I asked the 4S店, but they directly said this wasn't a quality issue and free replacement wasn't possible—it would require payment. New car tires usually come with a 6-12 month warranty, but it only covers manufacturing defects like bulges or cracks. Punctures from accidents aren't included. The 4S店 suggested I get it checked first. If it can be patched, it’d save money—costing just over 100 yuan. If not, a new tire would be more expensive, with original factory tires ranging from several hundred to over a thousand yuan. Personally, I think the hassle-free option is to replace it at the 4S店 to avoid future risks, but going to an outside professional repair shop could save about half the cost. The quality of new car tires is decent, and after patching, just remember to regularly check tire pressure and wheel alignment to prevent further issues. Don’t panic when this happens—safety comes first.
