Briefly - Bernardi Volvo applied a temporary, - Julie
Briefly - Bernardi Volvo applied a temporary, non-standard fix (a plug) to a tire with a slow leak, which resulted in a costly tire replacement ($300+) less than 3 months later, instead of a standard, permanent patch ($30-50), which would have lasted the life of the tire.
More detail: I was in for service on 5/15 at Bernardi Volvo. They found a nail in the front right tire, and repaired it with a plug. It developed a slow leak about two weeks ago, so the repair lasted about 2-2.5 months. I took it in to Sullivan Tire, which is much closer to my house than Natick, and they found that the leak is coming from around the plug. They also informed me that a plug is only a temporary fix - instead, a patch should have been used to perform the repair. A patch will last the lifespan of the tire, whereas a plug is only ever intended to be temporary. I had to replace the tire (a $300+ fix) when a $30-$50 patch back in May would have fixed the tire permanently. I am disappointed that Bernardi Volvo did not recommend a patch to me initially to preserve my tire, and I am also disappointed that when I called Bernardi, they refused to cover the cost of a replacement tire. I want to trust that the shop I take my car to for repairs will recommend the right fixes, and it is clear that Bernardi Volvo did not do that, nor did they offer to fix the mistake when I spoke with the service manager.
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