3rd flat in 7,500 miles 2º F 2020 Prime XLE

I live in Indiana where we have inclement weather and some rough roads in the winter (like most of the USA). Last autumn, I had two flats around 5K. One tire REPLACED at dealership! The other tire held enough air for Costco to patch. Today, I was driving to my office at 6 AM. It's 2ºF outside, light snow last night and hit a rock or something around 30-40 MPH. It was small enough that I really didn't see it in the well-lit city street.

Pulled into my office parking lot and noticed that I had a very low tire. Toyo Nanoenergy a41

On my first flat, I was able to inflate the tire in my home garage enough to get to Costco for the repair.
Second flat, I called AAA. When the gentleman came to help me, he was only equipped to put air in the tire. He didn't even have a tire pressure gauge! He certainly did not know how to add sealant to the tire.

Because of my previous poor experience with AAA roadside assistance, for my 3rd flat today, I used Toyota Safety Connect. I never used it before. I thought that perhaps these individuals may have some familiarity with Toyota vehicles. Essentially, it was the same as calling AAA, except you just hit the button near the overhead interior lights. The tow truck arrived within 45". This driver also had no experience with tire sealants, but would tow me to a closed tire store (it's 6:00 AM on Sunday).

Having had the presence of mind to anticipate this debacle after the first two flats, I had already purchased a kit of Slime tire sealant for "a just in case scenario". I had never used this before, and at 64 years old, I really didn't relish the idea of learning something new in an emergency situation. I was hoping that the lad who came for roadside assistance would have taken to the task. He helped as an assistant, and put air in the tire (he also did not have a pressure gauge), but it was under my counsel that we were able to accomplish the task.

I would like to offer other members my experience as a cautionary tale, as a flat tire can be life-threatening.

Fortunately, I was in my well-lit parking lot adjacent to windows and doors where I was able to bring a hair dryer out to warm the "flexible" vinyl tube that allows the Slime to go into the tire.
Secondly, I was able to bring the Slime inside to place it over a heat register to reduce gelling and increase the flow rate.

After putting in an almost entire bottle of Slime, air still leaked. I then drove the car back and forth for multiple tire revolutions to get the Slime to coat over the leak in the tire tread. We then over-inflated to 60 psi, and I waited 30". It held, so I reduced to 45 psi and drove 30 miles home calling Costco on my way. Michelin Defenders are going on my 2020 Prius Prime this afternoon. In addition to the 4 tires that came with the car, by this evening, I will have purchased 5 additional tires for an auto that has 7,500 miles!

Had I not been immediately adjacent to my warm office and well-lit parking lot, my vehicle would be sitting in some far away tire store, and God only knows how I would have gotten home. I then would have had to arrange multiple rides to get to work and to pick up the vehicle after repair. Most importantly, what if I would have been on some highway or dark side street? At 2º F and dark outside, it's highly unlikely that I would have been able to work with the cold plastic tubes, Slime, and battery powered tire inflator. I could see in certain situations, this scenario could be life threatening.

I have a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser as well as a 2013 Lexus LX 570. First and foremost, I purchase Toyotas because they are safe and reliable. The technology and fuel economy of the Prius is remarkable, but without thoughtfully designed essential safety equipment (tires), my fond feelings for this relationship with the Prius Prime have dissipated. I should think that Toyota should give us a a more reliable tire choice suitable for different parts of the country, albeit with diminished fuel economy.

If you have a Prius Prime, as the Boy Scout motto goes, "BE PREPARED".

Where might I find a mounted spare tire with cover that I could store in the back? Maybe behind the passenger seat.

Lastly, have other members had a favorable experience with the Costco exclusive Michelin Defender equivalent,
MICHELIN ® X TOUR A/S TIRE?

 

Yes, I am aware, but to move all the items I had in the back to access the kit seemed more daunting than just having a self-contained kit at the ready. Also, I wanted an extra kit should I have one of the tire repair kits fail or more than one tire go on the trip. Thank you for commenting.

 

I loved your bio "Killed by Kamikaze deer at 4 years...."
Very funny!