Undeleting the spare tire from a 4

Don't buy a new car without a spare, and let them know why.

Cold comfort with the 2023 Prius offerings up here: no levels will have a spare. I did email Toyota Canada, let them know they'd have one less sale this year.

2023 Prius Specifications - Toyota Canada

Even in the States with the LE, it's up in the air: some of the initial press releases said it'll have a spare, the Owner's Manual has a section for models with spare, but Toyota.com currently show all levels as not having a spare.

https://www.toyota.com/prius/features/mpg_other_price/1223/1225/1227

 

I'm looking at the car industry as being complacent and criminal anymore:

1.) We all could have even far, FAR more theft-resistant cars out there with simple electronic measures, but theft and loss of property drives future sales
2.) all catalytics should have the VIN numbers on them - easy to track, easy to make laws about for scrapping
3.) the lack of spares, guaranteed, will get some people hurt and/or killed each year by being stranded out away from help

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Short story longer: How did I find out about her 2019 Cadillac not having a spare? She had completely unloaded the back of that cross-over so that we could take it on a trip last weekend. I decided that I wanted a better look at the two aluminum rails I could see through slots in the back rubber cargo mat, so I lifted the mat up, found the compartment lid, and asked her what was under there.

"The spare tire is under there" she answered.

I went to check to see if there was any other storage room in it, and that's when I found that she didn't have a spare. So I loaded up my toolbag, and my tire plug kit.

Guess what I used during that weekend trip? Yeah - the tire plug kit. She rolled over a screw of some sort, came back to camp and said that we needed to add some air to the driver's side rear tire.

Thank goodness I had the forethought to ask myself 'Why do we need to add air all of a sudden? We just arrived yesterday and the pressure was good'

 

Yeah, having a specific spot on the cat, say a rectangular box, that has the VIN, and a cat with that box ground off is comparable to gun with the serial no ground off.

 

Mambo Dave, good job with your tire, if you are going to get a spare for the Cadillac here is the ebay seller I used

https://www.ebay.com/str/fito0761?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=dKgM88MCQNe&sssrc=3418065&ssuid=2IgyabrKTnS&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

Thank you a ton.

 

I also did a quick search after I sent you that link and there's even an aftermarket spare kit on Amazon and there are other sellers on Ebay that have the same thing. Looks like the cost is going to be about $400, it is a Cadillac though

 

This seems the most economical and least wasteful approach to the problem. Now all I have to do is to hunt for a 2010-2015 Prius spare tire (Tyre if you are over the pond) and rim. EBay, here I come!

 

Yeah, yeah, Mendel, we know your position on the subject. But, THIS thread is about those who have already taken the RED pill and what to do about it now. You are pushing a stance that requires a huge response and is very unlikely to actually happen. No offense intended here.