Responding to a spate of shoddy tire repairs that could be putting lives at risk, a Florida lawmaker has filed legislation requiring auto mechanics to adhere to strict new standards.

  • Lawmaker introduces legislation on bad tire repairs
  • Plugging punctured tires was a fairly reliable way of fixing them
  • Mechanics say steel-belted radial tires need more detailed work
  • Follow the bill: SB 380

The measure, SB 380 by Sen. Debbie Mayfield (R-Vero Beach), would mandate that punctured tires be both plugged and patched. While the practice has been standardized by the Tire Industry Association, many auto repair shops report having fixed faulty repair jobs that plugged, but didn't patch - and therefore didn't seal - puncture holes.

"We see tires come in all the time from other shops that have been plugged and those plugs have now failed, and they're here because their tire is still leaking," said Jerry Swezey, a mechanic and certified tire instructor. "And then, when we dismount the tire, we find a separation in the tread, which is an obvious failure waiting to happen."

Simply plugging punctured tires was a fairly reliable way of fixing them, experts say, until the advent of steel-belted radial tires. The prevailing tire on the road today, its steel interior can rub on and cut a plug in half, putting it at risk of a blowout.

The legislation would also bar mechanics from repairing tires that have sustained sidewall damage, as their structural integrity has been compromised. 

"I see too many mom vans going down the road with kids and a tire that can fail on a highway, which can be catastrophic," Swezey said.