You misread the post. He had it repaired after the first flat. The tire shop hadn't properly tightened the valve, which lead to another flat. I don't see how the goo can damage the tire itself. The stuff has been out on the market for decades, and avoiding compounds that would damage the rubber isn't hard. I have heard that it can damage the TPMS; probably clogs it up. It could throw the wheel out of balance if it doesn't get properly distributed. I have also heard that tire techs don't like having to clean the goo out, which is likely where the stories of it damaging the tire originated from. The proper fix for a leak is a plug patch. It's a patch with a stem of material. To install it, the tire comes off the wheel, and the the stem part is inserted through the hole from the inside. Seeing how Costco won't inflate tires to any pressures except what the car manufacturer recommends, this is likely what they did. Unless it took them less than 5 minutes to get the car back to you. That said, I have used goo on one tire, and temporary plugs on others, in which the fix lasted years without issue. You can't use it as a regular compressor, which I once thought was a shame, because just pumping the tire up can be enough to get to a shop with some leaks. But they may be no better than a cheap, 'disposable' compressor when it comes to repeated use.
That's weird. If you don't install the goop the compressor won't turn on? I've seen goop tire repair kits like Toyota's that let you use the compressor by itself: 12V Tire Inflator and Repair System - Griot's Garage (only $60 and getting new goop is only $25--note I haven't used it, I just found it in a search).
That's what people with them have reported. Having a bypass of the goop bottle adds to the cost after all. I'd replace the factory system with that one, if the goop path was the one I chose. I've had a cheap 12v compressor start smoking the first time I used it, and I wouldn't expect much more from the factory repair kit. From a comment above, it sounds like using one once wore something out enough that it couldn't completely fill a flat tire a second time.
After only twice, Hmmmmm. I'm an expert on flat tires i can say, after 4, get a full size spare, do yourself a favor. Life is to short.
We removed the OEM goop kit and keep a tire repair kit and 12V portable compressor in the car at all times. For longer trips we pop a spare behind the passenger seat.
I can completely understand their hate for tire goop. After dealing with Slimed inner tubes on my bicycle I’d be hesitant to put that stuff into a car tire. It’s a pain to clean Slime out of the tire, and it sprays like green blood out of a punctured artery and makes a mess everywhere. Perhaps the sprayed mess isn’t as bad for a car tire since leaks are normally slower since what causes the leak usually remains embedded in the rubber.
The Discount Tire guys repaired what turned out to be one of the two holes just fine. However, a guy at Firestone said that patches don’t stick to gooped tire. I googled whether you can patch a Fix-a-Flatted tire, and several replies said “yes,” and said that sales reps who say no are just trying to sell you more tires!
The one that comes with the Prius Prime only has a valve-stem connection on a hose from the goop can, so no. However a Toyota video from a guy in the U.K. showing how to use it, for a different Toyota model, looked like it could be used separately. Even though I’ve hardly ever had full-blown flat tires, I have had quite a few slow leaks, so I keep a (small) 12V tire pump in the back.
I gather I misinterpreted what you meant by “fixing” it. You said, “I had one flat, fixed it (allegedly), only to have it fail again two weeks later.” I misinterpreted that to mean that you attempted to “fix” it the first time, only using the tire-repair kit. I gather you did get it fixed that first time “for real,” which of course is the correct thing to do. So, all good then.
