Driving around Glenview, Northbrook and the entire North Shore can be hard on our tires. Potholes, road construction, age and mileage can lead to tire damage or slow air leaks. And unfortunately, those leaks can sometimes turn into costly repairs.
Here's a first-hand account of how delaying a $20-30 tire repair led to a repair bill of nearly $500.
The tire in these photos was slowly leaking because there was a nail embedded in the tread. The owner of the car continued to drive on it this way, not realizing the potential damage it could cause.
Unfortunately, the tire pressure continued to drop, which caused the tire to rip open along the sidewall. The car had to be towed to the shop, and because you can't repair a sidewall, the owner had to buy a brand new tire. (In fact, she bought two new tires because of the age and tread depth of a second tire.)
To fix this problem initially would have cost about $30. By waiting, the owner racked up a $470 headache for towing and new tires.
The moral of this story: Don't delay when it comes to tire repairs! Save yourself time and money by being proactive. (Not to mention, there's a safety factor to consider: Your tires are the only compound between your car and the highway.)
And just fyi: When clients purchase a set of new tires at CARS, they get free lifetime tire rotations and free tire repairs. We also offer free annual wheel alignment inspections to all of our clients.
Brian Blohm is the Service Manager and Managing Partner - Operations for CARS of America in Glenview. He is an ASE-Certified Automotive Service Technician and ASE-Certified Service Advisor with more than 25 years of automotive experience. A graduate of Triton College with an associate's degree in Automotive Technology, he has continued his training and education with the Automotive Training Institute and RL O'Connor. You can reach Brian via email at brianb@carsofamericainc.com.
