Those of you that have (really) good memories probably know I'm the gal that seems to magnetically attract nails into my Ford Escape Hybrid's tires (I'm kidding, of course, about the magnetism.) I had my first (nail) tire puncture about 3 months post-purchase, and since then I've had two or three additional punctures--all just from driving around town (lots of construction here, I guess?)

Anyway, all my previous tire punctures have been patched at a local Ford dealership in their service department. It's just been less stressful knowing the manufacturer's own service techs, including access to a hybrid certified tech, are working on my vehicle... even for something as simple as a tire change (I have the TPMS, though I'm aware that became standard is many makes/models in 2006, I think.)

Do any of you take your Ford Escape Hybrid to a tire place like NTB, Discount Tire, Pep Boys, SEARS, etc. for tire rotations and/or patches? Have you had good experience (TPMS properly reset, and not damaged, no massive delays due to them realizing it's a hybrid or whatnot.)? Would you recommend any particular place? Like I said, this is JUST for a tire patch. One shop I called basically made me feel like I was being paranoid, "Of COURSE we can fix it. What else is wrong with the vehicle? It's JUST A TIRE." It may be just a tire, but it's also JUST MY VEHICLE and I want to trust that in the course of a very minor service visit I don't get a very major headache (been there before, with a Ford dealership I no longer patronize.)

Feedback? Am I paranoid, or is this really best handled at the dealership as I've done three times prior already (but before I had an active 7+ month old in tow.)

 

YES

 

That's helpful....

Yes to which part, pray tell?

 

Probably, yes. At the Ford dealer, a hybrid tech won't even look at your car for a tire repair, or anything else a normal mechanic could do.

I was surprized how easy it is to do a "on car" repair for a small nail hole.
You can even do it yourself.
Plugs kits are like $2 or $3 bucks. Can get them at Wal-Mart or any auto parts store. I carry one with me now in my glove box. This, plus a 12v compresssor will fix 90% of all flat tires on the road, and in less time than it takes to remove a tire and put on the spare.

If you have more damage than a simple nail hole, then you need to dismount the tire, and have someone look at it from the inside.
They only need to patch from the inside in the worst of cases.

 

Any competent garage can fix a tire. It is nothing hybrid or Ford specific. One place to find competent mechanics is through Car Talks's Web Site - Mechanic's Files

http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/

 

I guaranty you that no mechanic ever did the tire work at the Ford dealer.

I was a flat-rate mechanic at a Chevy dealer for 12 years when I was younger & there is NO WAY they would have ever had me waste my time doing a tire repair.

~John

 

Thanks for the feedback, GPSMan. While I have your ear, would you say the same of oil changes or would you recommend the dealership for that? (And I know the do-it-yourself route would also be an option, though my geekery doesn't extend to getting greasy... though I do wash, clay bar and wax my own vehicle, or used to when I could get 6 consecutive hours of time, and install/change my cabin air filter.)

For the record, I didn't think a hybrid tech would perform the tire patch. My thinking (flawed though it may be) was that a hybrid tech on staff would be preferable/required anytime service was performed on a hybrid, due to differences with the vehicle that might require hybrid-specific procedures, such as when raising the vehicle on the lift, etc.

I know hybrid techs have better things to do than tire repairs, and wouldn't dream of REQUIRING a tech to perform the work; it was more a question of knowing one was within earshot in case a question came up by those who do the work.

 

Sorry got interupted and hit post before I finished. YES you are being paranoid. There are many competent tire people out there. I prefer to patch rater than plug, as plugging enlarges the hole through the steel belts and can cause further problems down the road. Most of the maintenace can also be performed by non Ford people, just have to shop for a shop that fits you.

 

Thank you, Mark. Sorry for my snarky reply--I thought you were being cheeky.

 

Shannon-

In my opinion it is the quality of the oil that goes in, not the quality of the person doing an oil change that really matters.

Yes you need someone to not forget about changing the oil filter, and yes, you need a place that carries the ( not too different anymore ) hybrid filter. But other non-hybrid cars now take this same filter, so it is almost an in-stock shelf item now.

I would avoid the chapest oils. But you get what you pay for.
Pay for cheap oil, and be bothered changing it out every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Or buy expensive, full synthetic oil, and change it out every 15,000 miles. I pour in Mobil 1 which costs about $5.79 a quart, but lasts 15,000 miles, so I pay for fewer filters, and spend less time at it.
-John