Overview
It only takes one instance of changing your tire in lousy weather conditions to make it so you never want to do that again. That is the painful memory that drives many to find a way to fix a flat quickly and get back to driving as soon as possible. The leading brand of emergency tire repair is Fix-a-Flat, but just because something sells well doesn’t always mean it’s reliable, so we analyzed what people are saying to see if it’s something you can depend on when you’re having a bad day.
The Claim
They claim that with the Fix-a-Flat product you don’t have to worry about using a jack, lugging the spare tire, or removing the damaged tire. It inflates the tire and seals up the damage long enough so you can make it to a car repair facility. Even though they never say that this is anything close to a permanent fix many users still complain that it doesn’t fix the tire for long. They’re pretty straight up about it being a temporary fix, and the main focus should be on the feature that it gets you out of changing the tire.
The Appeal
Nobody likes the thought of being stranded on the road with a flat tire, trying to fix things while traffic whizzes by you. It’s actually pretty dangerous, since most people don’t carry flares in their car, and others might not notice that you’ve pulled over and could pass by very closely. If you’re physically unable to change a tire you’d pretty much have to call a towing company even for the most minor leak to your tire. This is a way to potentially help those that can’t change a tire, and those that don’t want to.
The Cost
There are several different types of Fix-a-Flat available. They have their advanced formula which is phasing out the original formula. You can still buy the original and it goes for around $13 shipping to your door. Most would agree that this is a nominal fee and something that you could put into your car as part of an emergency repair kit.
The Commitment
This should reduce the work you need to do in the event that you blow out your tire.
Evaluation
The reviews are in on Fix-a-Flat, and they suggest that it’s definitely something to have in your car, and it can get you out of a jam in many instances. It’s important that you follow the directions exactly, which might be hard to do if you’re frazzled or caught in a downpour or a bitterly cold night. It’s also good to realize that this is by no means a permanent fix. It’s only designed to get you off the road and into a service station. You don’t want to drive around on the tire for too long after fixing it.
Some have complained that the product ruins the tire in the process, and others have suggested that it can start to ruin parts of the wheel as well. But it’s not meant to stay on your car for long. Most people are happy to have avoided having to change their tire on the road, and don’t mind replacing the tire when they get it serviced. However, if you are worried about this you might want to try a competing product called Slime that doesn’t damage the tire and allows the repair shop to simply patch up the tire and send you on your way if it’s just a minor leak.
The Fix-a-Flat kit is getting our Thumbs Up rating, and we
recommend getting one and putting it in the trunk of your car. You’ll still want to keep the spare tire in there too, even just a donut because there is some damage to the tire that this won’t work for and you might still need to change a tire in some instances. But your first step would be to see whether or not you can fix it quickly with Fix-a-Flat.Our Recommendation
When it comes to emergency situations you can’t be too covered. Having AAA or some other roadside assistance in place is recommended. In case you can’t get the leak fixed you’ll want a service to be able to come out and help you, either by fixing the tire or towing your car to the nearest service center. But to save time it’s good to have an array of tools available so you can try to fix it yourself before calling in backup.
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View Comments
The nozzle and hose connection to the valve stem leaked, spewing the sticky product every where BUT in the tire. The product packaging is a complete failure. AFAIC, they stole my money. Will be demanding a full refund from Walmart. Your product sucks.
Believe these stars if you want! This product sux sux sux sux!! I am stupid for trying year after year! That’s on me !! I will buy 3 cans hoping 1!!!! Will work! NOT ANYMORE...! Y’all should be brought to the better business bureau ! CROOKS
Your product is a total price of shit!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have given it the benefit for years and always got my money back!!! Y’all should be prosecuted! It is awful it sucks !!!! TERRIBLE YALL DO THIS!!!! Y’all are fuckin terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used Fix a Flat to seal a leak around the rim. Followed the instructions and the leak stopped.
My question is...can I continue driving without going to a shop for the proper repair. There was no puncture, just the bead/rim leak. How long can the Fix a Flat solution remain in the tire?
I came out in pouring rain to a flat- I used fix o flat and it worked- got home to my air compressor brought it up to 32 lbs- Morning fine no leak- drove 18 miles , home no leak- Bought 2 more cans today! I rec commend it highly-
The can I just bought didn't work. Followed directions on can shook vigorously for 30 seconds, can spurted a little bit of sealant in tire but that's it. Didn't fix slow leak on tire. Very disappointed. Will get another brand.
I used fix a flat and to be honest it worked great
My daughter had a flat tire and used fix a flat . When she was at tire Rama she told them she used that they did not want to patch it and told her she need to get a new tire. I am shocked.The hole was not big pretty small.
I think this would probably work on bicycle tires, and I know it used to work 20 years ago because I used it several times. BUT, the last 4 times I tried it, two times the hose broke off making it useless, and two times the can ran out of pressure with the tire essentially still flat, with only 10 to 12 pounds of air in the tire. I couldn't drive like that, so I had to change to the spare anyway. Whatever changed from the good old days should be changed back. It's pretty near worthless, as is.
USED 2 CANS ON THE SPARE TIRE THAT WAS TOTALLY FLAT. did not own the car so left the spare with fix a flat on the car. Was still holding air 3 years later when got rid of the car. BUT, had 2 cans left in another car trunk for couple of years and neither can worked after being left in the trunk for those years. I think that in the northeast where temps range from 100 in summer to below zero in winter the contents expire. Maybe a new can must be purchased annually?