"Spare" your thoughts...

Great new post! Thank you! I've been driving for 20+ years and never had an emergency flat that required a spare. That said, I was told (by the dealership) that the Prius's wheels are particularly delicate. Would love to hear if that's really true.

 

My most recent flat tire was in 2005 on my 1949 Ford running on 20 year-old tires. That was sure dumb (they had almost new tread). Before that, around 1995, on a driveway to a house in the woods a sharp stick made a large hole in a tire on my Toyota pickup. No gooey stuff and a pump would have fixed that. I have a 2010 Prius "doughnut" spare on a shelf. It goes in the back of my Prius Plug-in when we go out of the local metro area.

 

without the spare, the roadside assistance program is a must for me.

 

I hope your cell phone has really good coverage

 

Been driving for 15 years and have had 5 or so flat tires. I drive a whole lot though. I used to be a courier. A spare is a must for me. That goo will just be more complications and cost for me the next day.

Granted I've only had one flat the last 5 years when I started driving late model cars rather than clunkers.

 

A long thread, but buried in it are some stories of people having flats and how the roadside assistance, tire goop, etc. worked for them without a spare.
Prius Plug-in>
Dreaded flat tire and I dont like it a bit


Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/dreaded-flat-tire-and-i-dont-like-it-a-bit.118564/#ixzz2PQDHvTSZ

 

I recently had a flat with my 2004 Prius due to a pothole at speed (the tire was not repairable - goop would not have worked. It was later replaced for free as a road hazard failure). The doughnut spare went on, but lasted only a 1/4 mile when it and the rim were destroyed by another pot hole (NJ is a dangerous place to drive). You need a full-size spare as AAA may not be able to get you going again otherwise. I had to find and buy a replacement tire (now a spare) late on a Sunday afternoon!

JeffD

 

Why won't the doughnut spare work, at least for reasonable roads?

 

How often have I had a flat in 20+ years, I recall 3 that left me stranded. Gains for consumers, weight reduction, possibly better MPG, and space? For car makers cost reduction? With TPMS these days, at least you know when you have a flat?

A lot of automakers are going that way. I don't own a Plug In but considered removing my spare to reduce weight.

 

There are other issues as well. My wife used the doughnut on her Subaru, This resulted in a $1000 repair to the AWD transfer case. A limited slip differential would also be damaged by a continuous difference in rotational rate caused by dissimilar tire circumference.

The issue I had with the Prius is that the doughnut rim is very soft metal and was bent by a small bump in the road. The doughnut's narrow side walls do not provide much protection from road irregularities. You are much better off with a full size spare.

JeffD

 

When they include a spare I'll consider buying one.

 

I wonder how those thousands of non-plug-in Prius have managed to deal with the problems of the doughnut spare? That type of spare tire has been included since the first Prius was sold years ago.

 

AWD system is quite different than Prius.

Also, this is a spare to get to service station and that's it. I've seen idiots driving over 75 mph with these on!

 

Having almost that much driving experience myself, I think that is an indication of age-related fading memory, not lack of flat tires.

I know plenty of places where no cell phone yet has coverage. I've been driving in them since before cell phones were invented, and am not ready to quit going there.

 

Luckily tire failures are relatively rare. I have only had one in over 60 years of driving. Had I had a full size spare, it would have been a non-event. Flats happen more often. These days usually slow leaks due to a nail or screw which can be temporarily handled by an air compressor (which I carry in my car as part of a jumper battery).

JeffD

 

very

good point, most of my tire issues have been slow puncture leaks. With the TPMS that should alert me in advance to avoid tire failure caused by the small puncture.

 

Like others I haven't had a flat for at least 15 years.
I got the PIP March 2012 and didn't have a problem not having a Spare since I had Toyota Care.

Then in June I had a flat. DAMN.
Toyota sent a flatbed and the dealer fixed it for $25.
I was without the car for 10 hours.

Then 4 weeks later the same tire was flat again.
This time I was able to drive it to the Dealer and they fixed it for another $25 since they found another screw in the tire. Either I had some BAD LUCK or it's an enemy of Green Technology !!!

No problems since then.

I would NEVER use the Sealant.

 

Been driving 20 years. 5 years ago, I had a flat tire one hour east of Bismarck, ND, in my Oldsmobile. The sidewall was cracked, defective, ergo, no fix-a-flat could have saved me. So, I put on my spare and slowly drove 3 hours to the next town with a Walmart and got an in-warranty replacement (free of charge). Had there been no spare, I would have been stranded for hours, perhaps overnight. Yesterday, I bought a spare tire for my PIP on eBay, $75 ($40 of that is shipping). -- Updated: The spare that was sent is the wrong size. Got my money back and they said 'keep the spare.' It costs more to ship than its worth.