Prius Prime and spare tire

Oh, 17 year old tire, I wouldn't, too old. I know, probably looks pristine. They say to replace temp spares every ten years, but I wonder if anyone does, lol.

Plus, age aside, and even if tire OD is the same, more'n likely something fundamental will be different about the rim: different bolt circle diameter, hub opening, or (sneaky) the lug nut seat style varies. Then the real basic one: lug quantity, lol.

 

Thanks Mendel. After searching I did find the specs of a Prime Tire is: P195/65R15.

 

Yeah the temp spare is different though. Same OD (or very close). Again, the 3rd or 4th gen temp spare should be fine. You can check their size if needed, in pdf Owner's Manual, downloadable from Toyota Tech Info, in the Manuals section (free).

 

Hey! I just read this whole thread, and I guess I am the first guy to report that there is now some kind of retrofit to add a spare tire to the Prius Prime! I own a PP, and a friend whose wife also owns a PP (from a different dealer) is getting the retrofit installed on Thursday. I will see her car and take pictures.

From what I hear, the upgrade costs about $1,400 plus labor at about $150/hour. Nobody could estimate the amount of labor needed. I called my dealer's parts department, and the guy confirmed that this retrofit just became available to the dealer network, but my dealer hasn't done it yet to anybody's car. Obviously, this retrofit will cut into the available storage space, but I hear it's not as bad as throwing a spare tire on top of everything.

If this looks well designed and implemented, I am probably interested. I will keep you posted!

 

I think it should already be included and part of the car. No car in the US should be allowed to be sold without one.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Do you think the same about all the other things that can cause the car to fail to operate? Like a spare radiator in case yours cracks?

 

In regards to the 3 year's worth of towing that came with the advanced; I called them to ask anout the tow details and was advised that the tow gets you to the nearest Toyota or Lexus dealer. Now if you want to go beyond that then you'll have to pay extra or cover the excess with your AAA or other insurance roadside.

What's funny is I asked if say there was a tire place like costco between where I would have had the flat and the nearest dealership, if I can be towed there instead and not pay extra? Answer was NO. I laughed and said who the heck would pay an anual membership for that kind of service!

Now I'm not sure if the rep was not that informed so I sugest you all call up that number and ask about the exact towing details.

 

No matter where you're being towed, it's not in the same league as putting on a spare and driving yourself wherever you damn well please. Just saying, lol.

 

I had mine activated by my local Toyota dealer about a week after I got the car. I am wondering if they had to flatbed the car to the dealer would the dealer be obligated to provide me a loaner car to get home (or to go to Costco and buy a new tire)?

 

That arguement makes no sense.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Agree. A simple flat doesn't need a tow. I've been annoyed by a lack of spare since day 1. I know it's becoming common for some cars to skip the spare but I consider it to be essential to have one.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

If I end up driving through outback places like NW Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana or the like, I'll just steal the compact spare from my wife's CT200, bag it up and place it behind the passenger seat with a tie-down strap. I did this a few weeks ago. No flat, but yet, I was all set in case one happened.

All you need to do this is a spare late model Prius (that comes with a spare) or a Lexus CT200 at home. No $1,400 conversion needed!

 

About a month ago, a road hazard took a bite out of our BMW i3 rear tire. Started a 1PM and didn't get out of the dealer until 5:30PM after waiting until 4:30 in a hot Alabama afternoon for the tow truck.

I've got a full size spare for the Prime that I toss in the back if going out of town. The BMW i3 gets a spare in a month or so.

Bob Wilson

 

In my life, I've been disabled by a flat exactly zero times, but by a cracked radiator twice, and a blown radiator hose three times.

According to AAA, the most common causes of disabled cars are a dead 12V battery and a lack of fuel. So why require a spare tire, but not a spare battery and a spare couple of gallons of fuel?

 

I agree with Lee Jay. Carrying a spare is just a form of insurance against a potential issue. Other potential issues exist and it is your decision which potential issues you wish to be better protected against.

We always make sure we're carrying both key fobs when on trips in case one is lost. Yes, far easier than carrying a spare tire but same idea.

I too have never had an issue on the road and needed a spare tire but the family has had a pair of incidences over the past several decades of driving. If there was a nice spot for the tire, I would probably carry one but more because that's what I've always done than the fact that the odds say I may need it once each 20 years.

Given the volume and weight of a tire, I'm starting to think I would prefer Toyota added battery rather than rubber...I use the battery every day and over the 20 year window, would probably save more with a larger battery than the spare would save me.

 

My wife & son were on a long trip once when he lost a fob. Fortunately, she had the second one.

 

Also, the first thing that will happen when/if my wife has a flat isn't a call to Toyota Roadside, it's a call to me and I'll show-up not just with a spare but also the hydraulic floor jack and the cordless impact driver so I can change it easily in a minute or two. Whether the spare was in the car or in the garage might not make a difference.

This is what happened with one of the previous cases where my family had a flat...Had the spare been in the car, they would have still waited for me to show-up.

 

I've driven 2005 Sienna AWD, which did not come with spare tire, for 12 years, so I do not have "No Spare Tire Anxiety", but I do have “No Spare Wiper Blade Anxiety”. I had several experiences of wiper balde broken off during bad weather. A car without wiper in bad weather is just undrivable as a car with a flat tire, IMHO. When I found out the Anco wiper blade, which I had purchased for Gen 3, would not fit on Prime for it has totally different connector, I ordered OEM wiper blades and wiper rubbers for PRIME online. Now I have two sets of spare wipers, I feel secure!

 

You reminded me of a story.

When I was little, my Dad was driving us somewhere, and it was snowing that really wet, sticky snow that covers your windshield in seconds. After a few minutes of driving, the wiper was so clogged with sticky snow that it wasn't really cleaning anymore. My Dad opened his window, reached around and grabbed the wiper to pull it away from the window and then let the spring snap it back down, thus clearing the wiper. What he actually did was tear the thing right off the arm and then lose it out of his hand. This resulted in three things - the arm making a horrendous scratching noise against the window, my Dad shouting a long series of four-letter words, and me laughing so hysterically that I gave myself a stomachache.

 

Which company spare did you buy. How much it cost you with rim?