I've only had my Prius for 2 1/2 weeks and I picked up a nail in the right rear tire on a trip. The tire pressure warning alerted me to the problem. Question is can I let local tire shop, probably Wal-mart, repair the hole or do I need to go to Toyota. It should be a simple plug repair but with tire pressure gauge I'm not sure. Thanks
No problem, go to any REPUTABLE shop. Just BE SURE to tell them that you have TPMS installed on the valve stem! Otherwise, they may damage (destroy) the sensor when they break the bead to repair the flat. -- VERY EXPENSIVE -- for them!
You don't have to go to the dealer, but make sure they are aware of the TPMS before they try to demount the tire. I had a similar nail puncture (but not repairable) and I went to America's Tire for two replacement tires. No problem with the TPMS, but it did alert me to the fact that they changed my inflation pressures to 32 psi all around.
A tire repair shop shouldn't have to dismount your tire if they are only going to put in a plug. I don't like plugs, the distort the normal tread pattern of the tire, cause the tire to be unbalanced and never seem to seal properly. Get the tire patched if at all possible, yeah, let the nim nuts know about the TPMs, so they don't try to rip out your valve stem.
I agree with the others that say use a reputable tire shop and to get it patched from the inside. A patch is more reliable than a plug. And be aware that if the hole is near the edge of the tread or on the sidewall, it will likely be considered unrepairable.
I don't think that tire shops will do plugs anymore, maybe a service station would but they can fail, so a patch from the inside is the way to go. And yes, if the damage is near the edge of the tread or in the sidewall, it will be considered unrepairable. I had this happen on three tires on different vehicles in the past few years.
