Dreaded flat tire and I dont like it a bit :(

What labor?

 

you my secret santa?

 

to mount the tire on the wheel. wheel: $150. tire: $250. labor: $35.

 

not at that price.

 

Why doesn't Toyota just toss a temporary spare in the hatch area? Several reasons I can think of, foremost being it's not secured, in an accident it could fly forward.

But also, it would say:

"We screwed up. We haven't bothered to design the battery, and/or sheet metal in the hatch area, in such a way that plug-in Prius and temporary spare can coexist. The current itteration is a cobbled together regular-Prius-plus-plug-in-battery."

 

Besides, it is not uncommon these days for cars to not come with spares. It isn't just plug-ins with the space for the spare taken up by the battery.

 

sure toyota could have put a spare but then cargo space or battery would have to decrease (assuming Prius plug in variant) which are two huge considerations when compared against leaf/volt. instead they threw in the 3yr RSA to soften the blow

 

I don't know if that's why they offer roadside assistance. In California it's illegal to collect information about the location of a vehicle, its speed, and other location-based data except for as a part of a roadside assistance, theft recovery, or map service. By offering a roadside assistance program Toyota is free to amass information about how fast you drive your car, as well as when, and where you drive it.

 

That's only the advanced model. They could have even made this an advanced feature, that you get an extra year. But they didn't, the base gets it too, so that theory is a little too nefarious lol. People need to realize that not everything in this world has ulterior motives.
Btw, Prius c has no spare either.

 

There is no underfloor storage in the pip. The battery is there.

 

It is what it is. We owners just have to weigh the inconvenience that using the roadside assistance involves against the cost and loss of space that comes with carrying a spare, whether full-size or donut. I went for the donut strapped in the cargo area, but my needs to haul more than weekly groceries are infrequent. Another factor is what happens after three years? You not only get stranded, but then you have to pay one way or the other for towing, whether with your insurance, club membership, or laying out the cash.

 

Btw, I was discussing this issue with my dad re:my mom's car, and the thing is, even WITH roadside assistance, a spare is better, especially later at night. Consider this scenario: you get a flat at 5.30 pm on Sunday. Roadside assistance comes. Then what? If you don't have a spare:
-they tow you to nearest dealer
-you have to have someone pick you up or take a cab
-and then you have to somehow get to the dealer to pick your car up
-AND you HAVE to get the tire repaired at the dealer, probably for insane markup.
If you do have a spare, then they can just put it on for you and you're on your way. Even if they insist on towing you to the dealer, once they leave and you're in the relative safety of the parking lot (as opposed to a freeway shoulder), you can change the tire yourself. And you can repair/replace the original tire wherever you want.

 

My situation is challenging as well. I live in a town pop. 25,000. Has 2 good tire stores. The closes Toyota dealer is 60 miles away. If I get a flat 2 miles from home what happens? Take my PIP 60 miles from where I live? Only one driver household. How do I even get it back? No Cabs or public transportation here. Roadside Assistance seems useless here.

 

Why can't Toyota just have their contractors stock a Prius tire or two to be delivered to PiPs with flat tires? I can't see how this would cost them more than a tow of any significant distance. Even if it did cost more, they could win points by charging only a reasonable fee to cover the actual expense of the tire and take your old wheel as a "core" to be fitted with a new tire for the next PiP.

 

I dread the day when I get a flat tire on my PiP (knock.....knock on wood).

Has anyone gotten the opportunity to use the tire repair kit that comes with our PiPs?

 

Because these aren't really "Toyota" contractors. Where would they store these extra tires? It would be a logistical nightmare for minimal benefit to them.

 

Any sensible business will do whatever its customers want if they're willing to pay more than it costs to do it. If storing a tire at the shop really costs them so much money that they're unwilling to do it, Toyota can contract with another tow company that is more accommodating or pay more. I can't imagine a successful business that would refuse to perform a service regardless of cost or profit unless they were morally opposed to storing tires or something.

 

i can't imagine toyota caring enough or paying enough to do this. the issue isn't so much the contractor.