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It happened. Flat tire. No spare.

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by JMalmsteen, Dec 21, 2017.

  1. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I believe it is; it's the temp spare rim for 2017 Prius, as shown here:

    Wheels for 2017 Toyota Prius | Toyota Parts

    (item 3)

    It'll be just the rim. Download the 2017 Prius Owner's Manual to see the tire size. It might be in your Owner's Manual too? You can download from Toyota TechInfo site (just google this), under the "Manuals" tab.

    Obviously: this just just gets you a spare, you're still needing to cobble some solution to transporting it safely and practically.
     
  2. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    no matter what car I buy I get a full sized spare from craigs list or a junk yard.. my 08 has hers behind the passenger seat ...along with the jack and lug wrench.. I have AAA but don't always have hours to wait for them to show up.
     
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  3. JMalmsteen

    JMalmsteen I love my Prius!

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    They should have bought a Toyota.
     
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  4. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Which do you think has the overall lower likelihood of standing, a Prime with no spare or a Ford pickup?
     
  5. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    I carry the best jumper cables, a spare, tools, an old shower curtain to kneel on and even my last set of wipers.

    Space and weight and cost plus the reliability of modern tires have made the spare something of a rarity. Plus find me someone who has practiced changing a spare among the new drivers today.

    Oddly the only cars that have left me stranded in the last 20 years are an Acura (once) and a Toyota (3 times, same problem). And both initial failures happened hundreds of miles from home on my way to very time sensitive events (50th reunion, funeral). Try being in a small town with no car rentals, no motels, no taxis, 60 miles from a big city and the car won't start and it isn't the battery. The owners manual tells you nothing the display doesn't already and the Toyota service number is no help either.

    Modern cars are so wonderfully reliable we take it for granted until they aren't.
     
  6. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    Mr. Leisk has done everyone here a great service with posting of information regarding spare wheel and tires that are suitable for the Prime. His post here and also post #41 under Prime and Spare Tire category, led me to purchasing a "donut" spare wheel/tire combination from America's Tire (Discount Tire in some states) in anticipation of my THIRD flat tire on my Advanced Prime!
    They were able to secure both items, then mounted, and temporarily installed and briefly drove the "system" to be sure it was viable! This way, I had ONE product source for support.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  7. JMalmsteen

    JMalmsteen I love my Prius!

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    Toyota quoted me over 1k for PARTS to tie down a spare tire, and that's without the tire, rim or labor.
     
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  8. JMalmsteen

    JMalmsteen I love my Prius!

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    I'm done playing this game.
     
    #148 JMalmsteen, Dec 26, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2017
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yee haw! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$:p
     
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  10. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

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    So, this will compromise rear-end crash safety, but there is always taking some ideas from the Honda Z600 from the 1970s:

    [​IMG]

    Basically, it involves creating an access hatch underneath the battery, to slide a spare tire in - the battery sits above the spare tire well in the Prime.

    I'd really rather have seen Toyota copy the Golf GTE/A3 e-tron sportback/Passat GTE and Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid layout, with the fuel tank in the former spare tire well, and the battery under the rear seat - that way, if you wanted to carry a spare, you could carry it in the cargo area and have as much or more cargo area than the current Prime, or don't carry a spare and have as much cargo area as the Liftback does today.
     
  11. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    That space is too small for a spare tire. In the G4 with the spare, the recess for the spare is only about half as thick as the tire so the tire sticks above the recess by about 3 inches. The battery fits right on that space in the Prime.
     
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    They could do a truck-style drop-down spare. Whatever, no spare: I'm not interested.
     
  13. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Then you won't be buying new cars for long since spares are going away progressively.

    I know two people (one friend 28 years old, one friend of a friend) who were killed on the side of the road. Turns out hundreds of people are killed every year changing spare tires. You're better off calling a tow truck and 911 so that an officer can turn on traffic control lights and the tow truck can block for you, even if you have a spare with you.

    I also just realized that only about 30% of my drive to work is on a slope flat enough to support jacking up a car safely. Jacking a car on a 5% grade is really not safe at all.
     
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  14. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    Quotes like that say "F$&k you" to me. This is when the price is so ridiculous that it just makes no sense, but they can't be accused of not offering an option. I called my local Toyota dealer to inquire about traction battery replacement just to get a feel for what I may be in for if my '07 gives up the battery ghost. I got a "F$&k you" quote of $4,500 for the part and $800 labor. This is when the dealer needs to be bypassed and this is why they have the reputation they have.

    I am sure you can find a reasonably priced rim, outfit it with a reasonably priced tire and use some reasonably priced hardware from a box store (tie downs, bungees, etc.) to secure the wheel in your car. I bet that you will done for well under $200 for the whole kit and/or caboodle.
     
  15. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    I purchased a donut spare and wheel from America's Tire (Discount Tire in some states) for $356. They mounted the tire, and temporarily installed on my car to do a parking lot test drive. Wasn't cheap, but now I have a viable spare for long trips!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  16. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    Lather-rinse-repeat. Get a spare, real jack and secure them...or...don't and call a truck...and all they both infer. These are decisions that should be made before you purchase a vehicle.
     
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  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That's a quote for the parts, to as near as possible, restore a level of car that did not come with spare, to one that did. There's an incredible plethora of parts that need to be swapped to do it kosher. Sure you can get just the spare tire and rim, cobble it, and hope/pray it does not break loose in an accident. And that's what most people do. One or two people here have posted the parts list, and that's not off the mark.

    The simplest solution: don't buy a level without spare.
     
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  18. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    That would be my advice too. I just would not feel comfortable without a spare. I have been driving for almost 40 years and have had to use a spare a few times in circumstances that would have been much more unpleasant without it. Granted, it was only a few times, but even once is enough for me to not consider a car without a spare. I really hope that the trend of omitting a spare reverses. I do not plan on buying new cars any time soon, so I still have some reserve of cars before the trend.
     
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    If we can just muzzle Lee Jay we'll have the manufacturers on the run, lol.
     
  20. JMalmsteen

    JMalmsteen I love my Prius!

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    I made a decision and placed an order. I ordered two of the OEM tires and I had one mounted on a new wheel since I'm not a fan of the style of the stock wheels and was going to change them anyway. When I need three other tires, I will get the same ones mounted from Tire Rack.

    We tried having the original flat tire fixed, but they couldn't find a leak. For the $93 for a tire, I am getting a new one and another one for a spare.
     

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