Accually looks fine I think he left the extra rubber/glue after he plugged it. You are supposed to cut any extra off looks like he left it and thats just residue nothing to worry about. That was a small screw eh..

 

Pretty small.. i think i coulda just took the screw out...and woulda been fine too...

IS THIS SAFE??? or am i gonna roll my car on the freeway?

Also still wondering if i need to get it patched too...

 

Yea its safe the plug should last as long as the tire does. I never had a problem with plugs or doing them.. I have done thosands of them..

 

I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole... Patches or plugs anywhere near the sidewall is a no no. It's a high stress area of the tread and not good for patches to hold and even less for plugs to hold. ( btw : they mean near sidewall as in the last tread block or inch or so from the tread to the sidewall, not safe )

When they patch the tire, they would dismount the tire, rough up the surface of the inside of the tire, apply an adhesive and then shove a mushroom shaped patch through the tire, sealing the hole, then cutting off the excess off the outside of the tire. It's the safest way to fix a hole. Plugging the tire by comparison is basically reaming the hole, shoving a plug of rubber into the hole with some adhesive and cutting off the remaining crap off.

I know you just want to hear others agree and say it's ok, but the truth is it's not safe running like that. I don't mess with safety stuff and places like goodyear, dealers or tire facilities won't take the liability/risk of you killing yourself... Sorry, but it's time for a new tire.

Think of it this way, a tire is generally less than an insurance deductible.