'I Didn't Even Know': Woman Gets Tires Rotated. Then The Mechanic Gives Her A Lug Nut And Says She Has To Be Responsible For It

"If you put it anywhere else you forget it."

Woman gets her tires rotated. Then the mechanic gives her a lugnut and says she has to be responsible for it

Photo by: bryn_014 & Nilsson Masth

Nina Hernandez

By: Nina Hernandez

Feb 12, at 2:00pm ET

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A woman took her car to the shop for a routine tire rotation and was surprised when the mechanic handed her a lug nut. She wasn’t sure she’s ready for the responsibility.

TikTok creator Bryn (@bryn_014) posted a video in which she explains what went down. "I just got my tires rotated," she says to start the video. "And when I went to pay the guy goes, ‘And I just want to let you know that here’s the locking lug nut for your tires. We found it in your car so I just wanted to give it back to you so that you know where you put it in case you ever get a flat tire.’"

Chuckling, she continues, "And I was like, ‘What the [expletive] am I supposed to do with this thing?’ Now I’m responsible for this thing that I didn’t even know existed. I didn’t know my car had locking lug nuts on the tires. I don’t know what to do now."

In the comments section, viewers took the time to advise Bryn on how to use the locking lug nut key.

"Put it in your glovebox and leave it there," said one viewer. "Next time you need to have tires rotated or repaired you know where it is."

"Duct tape it to your spare, because that’s the time you need it," suggested a second person. "If you put it anywhere else you forget it or move it."

Someone else said, "Make sure you keep it and get it back every time you get work done on your tires. I went to a shop one time and they ‘forgot’ to put it back and I didn’t think about it until it was too late."

What Is A Locking Lug Nut Key And Where Should You Store It?

As the name implies, the locking lug nut, also known as a wheel key, unlocks the lug nuts on your vehicle’s wheels. Some cars come with locking lug nuts to help deter theft.

So where should you keep the locking lug nut? Experts generally recommend keeping it with your spare tire or in the glove box.

If the worst happens and you lose the key, you can order another. So it’s not the end of the world if you misplace it, but it is generally a good idea to keep it in a place you’ll remember and, as one commenter pointed out, make sure you get it back at the repair shop.

Not everyone is a fan of the locking lug nut, however. In a Reddit post on r/offroad, several commenters said they’re more trouble than they’re worth.

"I think they’re more likely to prevent you from getting your wheel off, probably at a time when you really want to get it off, than to prevent theft," wrote one person.

What do you think?

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"This is the trust," a second person replied. "As someone who just bought a used car with locking lug nuts. Now I’m paying to get them removed because I don’t have the keys to them."

Motor1 contacted Bryn via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We’ll update this if she responds.

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