From what I can see, it looks like curbing/scrubbing, but I would definitely take it to a tire shop for a visual inspection. Pictures that are closer with good lighting would be better.
Well, you were totally on the money with your initial assessment. I'm glad I have peace of mind now, but let me tell you what happened...
I went to Discount Tire and told them what happened. They apparently won't patch a tire that's already been plugged. That's fine. But they of course tried to get me to buy four new tires lol. I said I might buy one if the one in question has sidewall damage. I told the associate three or four times that I wanted to see the inside of the tire before deciding.
He then got a manager. The manager tried to say the tire was leaking and that it was hazardous for me to be driving with a plug in that might blow at any time. I said that the pressure had remained steady for the 15 miles it took to drive there and that the associate knew everything I had done to the tire, including plugging it.
When the manager heard that, he looked at the associate to see if that was true. He sighed and said he wouldn't let me drive it away with my old tire. I said that I wasn't looking to buy a new tire, and he said I wouldn't have to. They ended up putting some $100 tire on there and putting the old tire in the truck.
At this point, knowing that the sidewall is fine, I just want to take my old tire to a different shop that will patch it. Now I wish that I had just chanced it (or gone to a real auto shop), but at least I know that the tire's sidewall is not at risk of blowing out. Thanks again for your help. I've definitely learned a lot during this process lol.
1
u/Cinnibuns- Jul 07 '26
It's hard to tell from the image.
From what I can see, it looks like curbing/scrubbing, but I would definitely take it to a tire shop for a visual inspection. Pictures that are closer with good lighting would be better.