Man Test-Drives Toyota. Then He Gets A Nail In Its Continental Tire: ‘No Mention Of The Missing Lug?’

A car dealer let a customer test drive one of his vehicles, but when it came back one of the Continental tires has a nail inside of it. Here’s how he’s going to figure out where it is.

TikTok creator Chadwick (@chadwickstouffair) recently posted a video with his car dealer mishap.

“And we are actually at an unfortunate set of events,” he says at the start of the video. “A customer went on a test drive and there's a nail in the tire.”

The video pans to the vehicle, which clearly has a flat tire. “Now, I can't find it, but they said they hit a nail,” he says. “But the situation right now stands that I have to run this car over to our other shop to get the tire replaced with another one, but it's all-wheel drive so now I'm gonna have to do all four. Life, life, life you guys.”

Viewers React to the Dealer’s Continental Tire Mishap

In the comments section of the video, viewers offered their take on the situation and what they’d do to repair it.

“If it’s a nail, just patch it,” wrote one viewer.

“Nothing you said makes sense,” a second person said. 

“No mention of the missing lug?” a third viewer asked. Chadwick replied that the team had already started taking the wheel off but paused.

What Should You Do About a Nail in Your Tire?

As Toyota Vallejo notes in a blog, a flat tire can happen to any driver regardless of experience. Luckily, there are a few simple steps drivers can take if it happens to them. First of all, pull over immediately if you suspect one of your tires is flat.

Luckily, most Toyota vehicles come with a jack, lug wrench, and either a compact spare or tire repair kit. Of course, that takes a bit of expertise, which is why some opt to call roadside assistance, either through Toyota or another provider.

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Continental also addresses this issue in a tire repair fact page. According to the post, a tire is beyond repair if the puncture is more than or equal to 6 mm in diameter or is located outside the tread area and in the sidewall. Due to safety reasons, Continental recommends exchanging those tires instead of getting them repaired. Small punctures in thread are generally repairable.

A Continental tire owner posted to Reddit’s r/tires two years ago with a photo of a nail in the edge of his tire. “Tires are all of one month old,” he wrote. “Came out to see a nail in the edge. Got it plugged. Never had a tire plugged before. Do you think this will work/hold/last? Is it safe?”

In the comments, one person said, “This is a ‘it has to work until my new tires comes in’ repair.” A second person agreed and suggested getting the Continental Total Confidence Plan with Road Hazard Coverage the next time around. With that coverage, Continental will replace damaged tires for free within the first 12 months of purchase.

Motor1 contacted Chadwick via TIkTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Toyota via media contact form for comment. We'll update this if any respond.

Update May 12: In an email to Motor1, Continental wrote, "Unfortunately, foreign objects in the tire can always occur in everyday life." The spokesperson further touted its ContiSeal technology's ability to seal tire punctures in the short term. "To avoid further damage a professional tire inspection after a puncture is recommended," they added.

 

 

 

 

 

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