Is it Safe to Drive with a Nail in My Tire?

Getting something stuck in your tire happens more often than you think. The rubber material around your wheels will often pick up pebbles, debris, or gravel, which is perfectly normal and usually won’t cause any damage. But sometimes, foreign objects such as nails and screws⁠ can also end up on the road and get stuck in your tires.

If this has ever happened to you, you may have wondered what you can do and whether it’s safe to keep driving your car. To answer this question, we’ve put together a quick guide on what drivers should do in case they find themselves on the road with a nail stuck in their tire.

Can You Drive with a Nail in Your Tire?

The short answer is that it depends on how big the nail (or other object is), and how fast the tire is losing air.

But yes, it’s possible to drive with a nail in your tire if the tire is still holding air. You should never attempt to drive a vehicle with a flat or blown-out tire as it can create extremely unsafe driving conditions. Of course, everybody knows you can’t drive on a flat tire and shouldn’t even try unless somebody is threatening you and you just need to leave the area to get away from them. In that case, you’ll need a new wheel as well as a new tire when you’re done.

What to Do When You Find a Nail in Your Tire

If your tire pressure light illuminates and you can tell by the sound or the feel of the vehicle that one of your tires is losing pressure or has gone flat, activate your hazard lights and carefully pull over at the earliest safe place. Make sure to get far enough off the road so your car doesn’t get hit by oncoming traffic! Then, check your tires for signs of damage or air loss. After confirming that you have a punctured or flat tire, the next step is determining whether you should continue driving or call for a towing service.

If you have a flat tire, go ahead and replace it with a spare⁠—if you have one. If you don’t have a spare or you do not know how to change a tire, get your vehicle towed to the nearest repair facility.

Granted, some vehicles today come without spare tires and some will have the spare tire mounted in such a ridiculous place that it’s a LOT of trouble to get it out of there.

On the other hand, if you find a foreign object stuck in the tire, such as a nail, you may be able to skip the towing service and just drive to the nearest tire repair shop. Again, check if the tire is losing air—in most cases, a stuck nail means the air won’t leak out right away, and will simply result in a gradual loss of air pressure.

If this is the case, you should be able to safely drive your vehicle to a tire professional to get it patched or repaired. Tire professionals are equipped with the right skills, tools, and expertise needed to fix a tire with a stuck nail. They are the best people to conduct tire repair as a long-term solution for your vehicle.

Your Options if Your Tire is Not Completely Flat and the Car is Still Reasonably Drivable

To sum it up, if the tire is not totally flat and you can technically still drive your car, you should do one of the following:

• Make sure you have an electric tire inflator in the trunk (they don’t cost much), park in a safe, well lighted place and use the electric tire inflator to air the tire up so you can drive to the nearest tire repair shop.
• Park in a safe, well-lit place, remove the flat tire, and install your spare. Practice doing this at home or on level concrete, and make sure if you have to do it when you’re out and about, make sure you get as far off the road as you can and park on hard level ground or pavement, preferably in a parking lot. DO NOT park your car so close to the road with traffic whizzing past as you do the work, or you could get involved in a serious accident. It’s also good to have a thick piece of plywood about 16 inches square to put under the jack just in case you have to change the tire where the ground is soft.
• Park in a safe well-lit place and call for a tow truck if you’re not capable of removing the low tire and installing the spare.
• Park in a safe well-lit place and use a tire plug kit if you’re strong enough – if you’re not – don’t go there – it’s a workout that usually takes the strength of a linebacker or a bricklayer because you have to enlarge the nail hole so you can install the plug. And you still need that electric tire inflator after you plug the hole.

Pro Tips are nuggets of information direct from ASE-certified automobile technicians working with CarParts.com, which may include unique, personal insights based on their years of experience working in the automotive industry. These can help you make more informed decisions about your car.

Pro Tip: If you can’t find a safe, well-lit place, then just find a safe place and have a bright light or two with you. Preparation is the key. Do what you can to prepare. It’s better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it.

Driving with a nail in your tire, even if it’s only for short distances, can damage the tire if it loses too much air. The tire pressure monitor system should alert you if one of your tires is low, so pay attention to those warning lights.

Reminder: DIY tire sealants, inflators, plugs, and patches are designed to be used as a short-term solution during emergency situations only. These quick fixes can make your tires more susceptible to blow-out compared to professional repair work.

Should You Repair or Replace a Punctured Tire?

While it’s possible for punctured tires to be repaired, there are cases wherein the damage is irreparable, and replacing your tires is the only safe option. It’s best to let the tire shop decide, and if you buy two new tires, manufacturers specify that the new tires be installed on the rear rather than the front. Insist on this, because some tire stores will argue with you about it.

It’s best to let the tire shop decide whether you need your tires to be repaired or replaced, and if you buy two new tires, manufacturers specify that the new tires be installed on the rear rather than the front. Insist on this, because some tire stores will argue with you about it.

–Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician

Here are the factors that professionals consider when deciding whether to repair or replace a punctured tire:

Location of hole/s

Repair: The puncture is in the tread area.

Replace: The puncture is in the sidewall or shoulder of the tire.

Size of the hole/s

Repair: The hole is less than a quarter of an inch.

Replace: The hole is larger than a quarter of an inch.

Severity of the damage

Repair: The tire has one or more punctures that are at least 16 inches apart.

Replace: The tire has multiple holes that are located close together.

Signs of a Compromised Tire (That’s About to Go Flat)

The longer you drive with a nail in your tire, the higher the risk of you losing control of your vehicle and causing a serious accident. To ensure your safety and that of other vehicles on the road, watch out for the following signs that your tire is punctured and about to go flat:

Loss of Air Pressure

Late-model vehicles are equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System or TPMS that warns the driver whenever one or more tires are underinflated. This may be used to monitor whether one of the tires is punctured or about to go flat.

A low tire pressure reading will trigger a dashboard warning light on the instrument panel that usually resembles a horseshoe with an exclamation point in the middle.

Steering Feels Off

A flat tire will make your vehicle difficult to drive straight. You may notice that your steering wheel feels like it’s being pulled to one side and that your car veers either to the left or right.

Reduced Acceleration

A tire that’s completely flat will cause your vehicle to slow down. At this point, your car is essentially riding on the rim. You’ll notice that you need more throttle than normal just to keep it moving at your desired speed.

Unusual Noises

A punctured or underinflated tire will flex more and overheat, often resulting in a sudden loss of pressure called a blowout. The sudden release of air pressure from the tire will produce a whooshing sound. Meanwhile the deflated rubber will produce slapping noises as it continues to make contact with the road.

Tire Appears Flat

In most cases, a visual inspection of the tire is enough to detect the presence of a foreign object puncturing the rubber. However, a deeply embedded nail can cause a slow leak that may not come with any obvious signs of damage. This will require the removal of the tire from the vehicle in order to test for leaks.