most new cars dont, its wild
this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2025
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Do they come with runflats? I dunno what's common anymore.
My 2013 Volvo doesn't have a spare, but it makes use of runflats instead, and that was considered a luxury back then.
Lots of new cars just give you a bottle of fix-a-flat and a "fuck you"
There a number of arguments as to why this is the case and the article touches on these:
- One could make an argument that most drivers don't use their spare (or don't know how) and would call for roadside service anyway.
- Another argument is that the extra weight of the spare has to be hauled around for months or years before it gets used, if ever, and fuel is used for that extra weight costing the owner and increasing carbon emissions.
- More pragmatically the most likely answer is the auto makers found out they could simply stop giving out spare tires and it doesn't cost them any customers, and increases the auto maker's profits. Some will even sell you a spare tire at an extra fee meaning even more revenue.
My guess is of all these reasons, the third answer, cash grab is the real answer. The author gives us one sentence, but agrees with me.
Another argument is that the extra weight of the spare has to be hauled around for months or years before it gets used, if ever, and fuel is used for that extra weight costing the owner and increasing carbon emissions.
For me this makes sense, driving for 20 years and not used a spare tire once, hyundai also offers 24x7 road assist
touch wood!
I don't believe you've never had a flat in 20 years. I get a flat every three or four years.
My commute has always been at least 20 miles, and I've had 1 flat tire in 10 years. That one was a nail I ran over in a construction site, which tbh is to be expected.
They didn't say they never had a flat. They said they never used the spare. For many, calling roadside assistance is the solution to a flat tire. @ikt@aussie.zone it sounds like that has been a workable solution.
wtf is roadside assistance?
This is probably regional/country term. In the USA it means calling for a technician to drive a vehicle to your location and service the flat tire (or provide a replacement) at the roadside when you find you have a flat. What would the term be for that in your region?
I'm in the US, and it's not something I've heard of. Is it available for everybody, or do you have to pay extra for it?
Maybe this is just another poverty thing because I only drive beaters and have the absolute cheapest insurance.
I'd say it comes in three different forms:
- Manufacturer provided - As poster irk pointed out, they have a Hyundai and as part of the purchase it includes this service. I believe Tesla provides it for free during the warranty period. Ford gives it for free for 12 months from purchase. etc
- Auto club/subscription - This would be like AAA (or CAA in Canada). You pay an annual fee and get the service
- Car insurance provided - Lots of auto insurance companies include this in their policies or offer it for a substantial discount. Some auto companies operate their own fleet of roadside assistance vehicles (I think I've see Progressive trucks do this at one point). Other auto insurance companies will contract with a fleet management company. They'll give you a number to call and a technician will be dispatched to your location and the insurance company takes care of the bill. This is what I had at one point and I think it costs me something like $20/year.
Maybe this is just another poverty thing because I only drive beaters and have the absolute cheapest insurance.
Until a few years ago, I always changed and maintained my own tires. A $10 tire plug kit saved me hundreds of dollars over replacing tires whenever I had a flat.
Okay, so none of those options are available to me. The only option my insurance offers is that they'll come by and change your tire, but only if you already have a spare available.
I'm out in a farming/mining area, and the debris on the roads always chews up the tires badly enough that a plug kit won't work. I just get the tires resurfaced with new treads when they get worn out badly enough.
Ever heard of AAA?
never had a flat :)
tbf i only drive around 10km a day but the last time was when i was a kid back in 1995
maybe have just been lucky
Maybe that's it. I've got a 40km commute each day.
Ours didn't. It had some bullshit to spray into the tyre to do a repair. That failed, and made it unrepairable to boot.
So now we have a spare. Have a spare. It can a slimline one, it just needs to get you to a garage.
I dont think its that unreasonable. A flat tire happens so rarely, and for most people, they can just call a tow truck. For most, I dont think its worth carting a tire and wheel around for potentially zero use over the life of the car.
Some people definitely need spares, but realistically, most dont.
My minivan has a donut spare that is stored under the car (inside a cover). Super easy to get to, and never in the way. The tire and winch mechanism together adds maybe 30lbs of extra weight.
I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I couldn't imagine the embarrassment of having to call a fucking tow truck because of a flat tire.
Enshittification isn't exclusive to software it seems
The number of people who would even know how to change a tyre is unfortunately decreasing. Manufacturers therefore have less reason to include something that requires allocating space, carrying extra weight, and a small extra cost for each car, because they know not enough people are going to care about the loss of a spare to make a difference to sales. I'd wager this is particularly true for EVs as they seem to attract a lot of people who are scared of basic maintenance. It's pretty poor of a company to not include a spare on something that's advertised for use on dirt though, even if the model in question doesn't actually seem like something that its buyers will actually take off the tar.
I personally would want a proper full sized spare in any of my vehicles, though I'm prepared to make an exception for my motorbikes due to the obvious logistical problems. Space savers are better than nothing but then you have to deal with speed restrictions and having to change wheels twice if you get a flat on the front. It's rare for me to get a puncture but it's nice to know that I can just quickly change wheels and carry on even if I somehow managed to put a big gash in a tyre or bend a rim. Even for just a basic puncture in town I can't imagine wanting to faff around on the side of a road for ages waiting for roadside assistance to come and fix something I could have done myself and been back on the road in 15 minutes.
Our EV doesn't have a spare, which I wasn't concerned about as I've had maybe two flats in my driving history and one of those I just pumped up and drove to the tyre shop for a repair.
What did catch me out recently was not having a jack. It makes sense though - car has no spare, so why include a jack?
We got a screw in the tyre a few weeks back and it was leaking too bad to pump up for even a short drive. I figured I'd jack up the car, take off the rim, and take it in the wife's car to the tyre joint.
Things to note:
- No jack, as mentioned. Went to the local auto store and bought a pretty mid range scissor jack that looked like every other car jack I've ever used.
- EVs are really bloody heavy. A standard 1600KG scissor jack could barely move the thing. Went back and bought a much heavier duty trolley jack.
- A 3200KG trolley jack makes lifting the car easy, but the jack itself is huge and leaves no space on the lifting points to put jack stands.
- An EV is really stiff - lifting the rear passenger side resulted in every wheel except the front drivers side coming off the ground.
Didn't want to leave it perched on a jack and a single wheel, so took the tyre off and ended up replacing the screw in the hole that was leaking with a bigger screw... Then pumping it up and driving it to the tyre joint.
Moral of the story - might be easier to just carry a small selection of different sized screws and a screw driver.
The last time I shopped for a car, I eliminated two vehicles from selection because of this. I won't have a car that doesnt offer a spare.
You know you can just buy a spare and stick it in the car...
Sure, and I'm also free to vote with my wallet. I want a spare to come with the vehicle, and I want it integrated.
Don't most EVs have an empty storage area where the engine usually is on normal cars? Just stick a spare in there.
It's too small for a rim and tyre.
My Audi E-tron has a full size spare.