Mechanic stunned after pulling unusual object from customer's tire: 'We're only going to see more of this'

While the internet had jokes after a vape cartridge punctured a tire, it probably wasn't a laughing matter for the vehicle owner.

A mechanic shared the substantial damage to the r/Justrolledintotheshop subreddit, and they revealed it was the first time they had seen such a product buried in a vehicle's tire.

The image shows the cartridge badly jammed into the tires. The mechanic had "seen house keys and wrenches, once a piece of rebar in a sidewall," but never this.

"Oh damn, now the tire is 510 treaded!" a user quipped, with a pun that referred to a vape pen's 510-thread batteries.

That joke drew raves from the community, but the owner of the 2017 Corolla might not have joined the chorus.

The original poster said the tire wasn't salvageable, writing the hole was "too big," also noting that there was "broken glass from the cartridge." It was also unclear if the chemicals from the vape pen would react with the rubber. They were planning to use the owner's warranty for it.

Community members were in consensus that no matter what chemicals were in the vape, it wasn't worth taking the chance of finding out how it would react with the tire.

That's just one example of the problems that vape disposal presents. Studies have shown there is no great way to dispose of them, and the Environmental Protection Agency discourages throwing them in the trash or recycling. 

If they're out in nature, they can pose a hazard not just to drivers or people operating machinery, but to wildlife that can ingest the product's chemicals. Those same chemicals, as well as the plastic, can leach into nature. They also present an eyesore to hikers encountering them in the wild and to pedestrians surrounded by them in urban areas.

While the experience was new for the Redditor, more and more vapes are going to flummox mechanics until it becomes just another item on their laundry list. 

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The popularity of vapes also has downsides for public health and the planet, as they require lithium mining for their batteries.

Redditors were resigned that this problem isn't going away.

"We're only going to see more of this as vapes replace cigarettes even more," one wrote. "Most people don't give a second thought to what's inside of them and what can happen when the battery is punctured."

"Welcome to 2025 I guess," another user chimed in.

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