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1/3 Of New Vehicles Missing A Spare Tire

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On my Cadillac the rear tires are wider than the fronts. So a full size spare is really not an option. It would need to the font tire size, which might not work properly on the rear. And when cars had the high pressure donut spare, they also were not intended for long use or high speed.
 
My 2005 Neon had a full size spare and my 2016 Accord has a donut spare. It's there when you need it and you'll be glad to have it. Even with AAA Plus you never know.

It's funny hearing people say they've never had a tire blow so no reason to need one. Why do I need a seat belt when I've never been in an accident?
 
zerocool84 said:
It's funny hearing people say they've never had a tire blow so no reason to need one. Why do I need a seat belt when I've never been in an accident?
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Really? A spare won't mitigate the risk of having a flat tire nor will it decrease the risk of an accident due to a flat whereas a seatbelt will mitigate the risk of injury. Is the spare supposed to magically prevent a tire from going flat?
 
Road debris is always a risk and I've encountered it enough to consider a spare tire adequate insurance. . Heck, my mom had her tire damaged because of leftover tire remains on the highway. Then we had a tire go flat after a 30 mile trip, but the tire install guy impacted on the lug nuts so tight that the lug wrench couldn't get it off and we had to drive on that tire to a gas station.
Two screws inserted themselves into two different ties installed in the left rear.

The spare tire is like any other kind of insurance, except you are not paying the spare tire a monthly payment every month for the situations it can cover. There is only the initial payment of buying it and maintaining its air pressure. It's just that because it is a physical item, it is somehow "different" from the insurance from the insurance company or tow club.
 
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Do cars without a spare have that extra room in the trunk for them if you want to stow one there?

It all depends on where you drive, I have had to use the spare 6 times in 5 years, and the problem usually is roofing nails (or some other kind of nails) in roads. 4 tires were toast after the puncture, but 2 were patched up. I did have extra insurance on them from Discount Tire, so, I wasn't out of pocket that much.
If I had to wait for a tow truck, then a tow back to the shop, that takes an extra couple of hours just for the tow truck to show up.
I would be pretty mad if my trunk didn't have a spare in it.
 
1st world problem....And who has a flat? The wife. And who did she call? Me. Told her to have the 16 yo change it. Nope, he's recovering from a broken wrist. Told her to call any one of the 4 stations with in 2 miles because I don't get off for 45 min. Nope. And who was already scheduled to get a brand new set in the AM? The wife.
 
highland145 speaks the truth! That is a real-world example. Despite your best intentions to minimize problems in your life, you end up with the worse... therefore, have a spare tire.
 
gorcorps said:
I would love to see the statistics you reference that show paying for a tow truck costs less than removing the spare from your car. They aren't that heavy, but I'm willing to be proven wrong if you're not just making shit up and throwing around words like "statistically" without any backing .
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Don't get your panties in a bunch. I specifically said "statistically more cost effective for me" based on my experience which was all there in the previous sentence.
 
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I always consider a tow truck to be the last option. The moment other people are involved, things can go sideways.

  • Might not have cell phone signal
  • Vehicle left on side of road might get hit - odds increase the longer it sits. Me too.
  • Random fake police officer serial killer might bury me in desert - again risk goes up the longer I sit
  • Tow truck driver may be incompetent and damage something
  • Tow truck driver may be in cahoots with a local garage that overcharges and I even pay more to be towed further to this garage
  • They may not have the tire I need, especially if it's certain AWD/4WD and needs shaved down to the right diameter to match the rest and they can't do that, else I need FOUR new tires. Granted 95% of the time I'd be close enough to home to have it towed that far instead.
 
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bruceb said:
On my Cadillac the rear tires are wider than the fronts. So a full size spare is really not an option. It would need to the font tire size, which might not work properly on the rear. And when cars had the high pressure donut spare, they also were not intended for long use or high speed.
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That's why you only use them to get to a repair shop so you can replace the tire.

My Mercedes has staggered wheels front to rear and it came with a high pressure donut spare. It has a maximum speed rating that is WELL below the maximum speed of the car.

That reminds me, I need to check the pressure in the spare tire one of these days...
 
I've had to put the spare on my car three times in the last ten years, and probably done it for strangers on the side of the road five more times. I found out on Monday that one of my tires has a nail in it that I need to patch tonight (it's a pretty slow leak). I don't welcome this new trend with open arms but it's pretty inevitable. Fortunately my current car is a full-size spare should I need it.
 
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