Yes, that's kind of the point of the analogy. You can certainly drive on a flat tire and you may even reach your destination. You can also argue that it's not the tire that it's something else or even that cars are supposed to go thud-thud-thud-thud. Perhaps it's beneficial in scaring away deer?
A better analogy would be the sound of the car running and you're the 3 year old in the back seat complaining about it.
Yes, it's supposed to do that little guy.