I took my car (benz) in for service at the dealer and they found a nail in the right rear tire. They said they could not patch it because of the Z rating of the tire, due to their liability issues. The location of the nail is in the middle of the tire tread, so on normal tires, it would be ok to patch. The dealer guy recommended I take it to a different tire shop and he said they would probably patch it for me.

We don't know if the puncture is deep enough that it will cause air to leak if we remove the nail. Should I just take it to another tire store and see what they recommend or am I screwed and I really do need to buy another tire (the tires only have a few thousand miles on them, they are pretty new).

Sounds like BS to me. I have Z rated tires, and have had a patch done before. Discount tire did one with no problem. The only time a repair was refused was if the hole was on the sidewall, out of the "safe" zone for repair.

You can get it patched. But since its a performance tire it would not be advisable to do performance driving with it. See limitation in your tire warranty.

Good to know. I'll take it to a tire shop this weekend. Thanks!

I just do normal in-town and freeway driving. Nothing out of the ordinary.

If the nail is in the middle that should be fine, it's when it is closer to the edge that there is trouble because it might not hold.

Sears used to patch tires. Don't know if they still do, but I've had 2 or 3 tires patched there in the past 6 yrs or so with no problems.

most shops won't take the liability...

go to autozone ad pickup up the self fix kit.. you can do it yourself...

if your shop will fix it.. best to do it from he inside.

have patched my PS2s more than I care to mention... if it was a motorcycle tire.. different story.

of the tread the repair will result in a stronger section than the tire.
You will never reach the z rated speed of the tire.Go get it repaired and enjoy the car.
Why are you going to the dealer for service?

If you have not driven the tire severely underinflated, a professional tire shop could repair it properly. The only approved way is to remove the tire, inspect the interior for damage, and install a plug/patch combination. The plug will seal the tire body and steel belts from water intrusion, and the patch will seal the inner liner to prevent air loss. Try to find a tire shop with a TIA or ASE certified tire tech. First, apply soapy water around the nail, if it is still in the tread. If there are no bubbles, remove the nail and check again. If still no bubbles, just forget about it.
this from an ASE tech and TIA instructor--over 60 years in tire biz.

Wow. At what age did you start if you don't mind?

Anyone out there tried the Nitto NT850 CUV tires on their SUV/CUV? I want to know if the 255/55R18 Nittos are as quiet and good at handling, wet/dry traction, etc as the original equipment Continental and Michelin models.

On a 2005 SRX?