flat tire experience

[bktiger86]

I want to provide a PSA for people who haven't gotten a flat tire yet with Tesla but would want to know what is the best option since all Tesla doesn't have a spare tire.

This just happened to me over the weekend. Was on the freeway and got a bolt stuck right between the cracks on my passenger front tire. I do have AAA called them and they said the next rep would come around 1hour and they will tow me to the nearest tire store.

While waiting, I called Tesla roadside assistance. They said they will send their technician over in 1hr 30 mins (in reality: 1 hour wait) but they will bring a loaner tire. They gave me two options...
1) They put the loaner tire on and they take my wheel to the nearest service center and I will have to go and pick it up at later date. I'm assuming this option they will replace or fix the tire for me. OR

2) They put the loaner tire on and they put my tire in my trunk and I have to return it back to the nearest service center within 3 business days. Although the service tech said that if I needed more time, I just needed call my nearest service station.

I chose option 2 because I want to go shop my own place for a tire patching. If any of you guys live near American Tires, they do patching for free

Hope this helps!

 

[boonedocks]

Have only had 1 flat with all 3 Tesla’s but Tesla roadside assistance was there within 30 minutes. Better than any of our precious BMW experiences for sure.

 

[VT_EE]

View attachment 319584 I want to provide a PSA for people who haven't gotten a flat tire yet with Tesla but would want to know what is the best option since all Tesla doesn't have a spare tire.

This just happened to me over the weekend. Was on the freeway and got a bolt stuck right between the cracks on my passenger front tire. I do have AAA called them and they said the next rep would come around 1hour and they will tow me to the nearest tire store.

While waiting, I called Tesla roadside assistance. They said they will send their technician over in 1hr 30 mins (in reality: 1 hour wait) but they will bring a loaner tire. They gave me two options...
1) They put the loaner tire on and they take my wheel to the nearest service center and I will have to go and pick it up at later date. I'm assuming this option they will replace or fix the tire for me. OR

2) They put the loaner tire on and they put my tire in my trunk and I have to return it back to the nearest service center within 3 business days. Although the service tech said that if I needed more time, I just needed call my nearest service station.

I chose option 2 because I want to go shop my own place for a tire patching. If any of you guys live near American Tires, they do patching for free

Hope this helps!

Wow! You even got a washer with your tire screw

 

[bktiger86]

Wow! You even got a washer with your tire screw

HAHAH. I KNOW RIGHT!? I was laughing about that too when I saw it.

 

[jorobsand]

Nothing wrong with shopping around and using your own place for patching. I had to do it once myself when the Tesla SvC was closed when I needed a tire patched.

But one thing I have learned is to make sure that the place you bring it to is familiar with Tesla's and their jack points.

 

[steve841]

Exactly why I keep a complete spare at the ready .... when I got a flat that could not be plugged on the spot, had my wife bring my spare over and was up and running in under an hour.

Anyone needing a complete spare 21", I have an extra up on Ebay ...

 

[Barklikeadog]

Tesla pickup had better have option 5.
Drop the full size spare and change it yourself.

 

[bktiger86]

Nothing wrong with shopping around and using your own place for patching. I had to do it once myself when the Tesla SvC was closed when I needed a tire patched.

But one thing I have learned is to make sure that the place you bring it to is familiar with Tesla's and their jack points.

Seriously. I'm afraid some of the smaller tire shops don't know anything about Teslas and they will put the jack stand at the wrong areas.

 

[EVSteve]

Seriously. I'm afraid some of the smaller tire shops don't know anything about Teslas and they will put the jack stand at the wrong areas.

This or they’ll fail to put the suspension in jack mode. Damage to the battery case from improper jack point placement is easy to do.

 

[NewTMSMan]

Had almost the exact same experience in NJ with a blow tire on rt 78. I chose to have them take it to the SC as I didn't want to take a chance. I needed a replacement tire and the price was only a little higher than Tire Rack and my local repair shop balancing and installing, so I ended up getting the new tire from Tesla.

Other than the 1 hour wait, it was a pretty decent experience.

 

[Brian-MS90D]

I had a flat tire in Fort Wayne, Indiana where Tesla does not provide roadside assistance (Tesla roadside assistance covers far less area than I had previously assumed). Thus, Tesla was no help. The nearest tire shop that I was able to slowly drive to did not have the factory Goodyears. I wasn't going to stay overnight (until the Goodyears could be delivered next day) or have my car towed 2 hours to Indianapolis service center. They did have two Pirelli Cinturato in stock and I bought those just to get back on the road (they suck and lose traction on hard acceleration). So now I have mismatched tires. But I've almost worn them all down and am looking forward to getting all four new Goodyears again.

Thus, the purpose of my story is to add to the OP's story with the distinction that Tesla roadside assistance is only limited to significantly urban areas and doesn't even cover all cities, such as the size of Fort Wayne.

 

[Oldschool496]

I carry my own floor jack (aluminum race model-not heavy and compact), torque wrench and my version of jack pad(inverted road reflector) on trips in the frunk. Also, tire plugs and extra compressor besides the one Tesla sells you with stopleak. Have yet to use the plugs on a trip or the stopleak compressor. If there is a tire issue I want options and quick ones.

Just happen to put inflators up on the screen as I was feeling the need driving along, and there it was 4-5lbs light on one tire and getting worse(perhaps I was feeling a slight shimmy that made me look?). Leaving the screw in was not helping thats for sure as it was slowly leaking away.

Pulled one 1/4 small screw out with a real sharp tip like a needle. 200 miles from home and just inflated tire to 50lbs and it held all the way home and slow leaked for days adding air here and there. Tesla said tire un-patchable(to close to sidewall), so I plugged it. Not the best, but still holding from Aug 2017.

 

[Amp Dup]

Leaving for the weekend to a destination wedding a hundred miles away 2:00 on Friday afternoon. About 10 miles out, on the toll road I had a complete blowout of the left rear. A gash 2-3" long from the tread down the sidewall. No idea how it happened.
Called Roadside Assistance. Was on hold a few minutes then hung up and waited while the person checked resources. After about a half hour, "Sorry, NO LOANER TIRE available. We're going to tow you." Rather than going to the service center (which I'm told is the busiest in the world) at 4:30 on Friday afternoon, we elected to take it home and switch cars for the weekend.
On Monday: Tesla gives only one tow per incident so had AAA take it to the SC. They had one tire left, fortunately, and changed it right away. After about 2 hours on Monday, I was back rolling again. $437: tire, mounting, tax, etc.

The message here is that you can't count on a loaner tire.

 

[Fcurvetweaker]

On my way to Santa Barbara. Hit a thick chain that was across two lanes on 101. I was one of many cars that did. The two tires on the left side gone. AAA got a flatbed out (took 45 minutes) and he took me to my local America's Tire. I had called to reserve the 4 MXM4's they had in stock. 4 hours after incident, with four new tires on the car, I was good once again. Luckily I was within 1-2 months from needing new tires anyway.

I am interested in figuring out a more dependable solution for long trips. I keep the Tesla tire kit in the frunk always. Will start investigating alternatives to add to the frunk.

 

[drklain]

I'm not a fan of "goop" stopleak products like the Tesla tire kit. They play havoc with the TPMS sensors. I purchased a cheap inflator and tire plug/repair kit at Pep Boys and keep them in the car all the time. That gives a lot of options. If the tire is so badly damaged I can't fix it, it needs to be replaced and I need a roadside assistance loaner tire or tow to a place to replace the tire anyway. Just my 2 cents'

 

[Snowstorm]

I keep a quad of winter tire/wheel as an emergency full size spare. My wife is my roadside assistant and tire delivery service =)

 

[Amp Dup]

Is there a fundamental reason a 'space-saver' or 'donut' spare can't work on a Tesla? I could sure fit one in a Model X with just my wife and I on a weekend trip.

 

[GKwey]

View attachment 319584 I want to provide a PSA for people who haven't gotten a flat tire yet with Tesla but would want to know what is the best option since all Tesla doesn't have a spare tire.

This just happened to me over the weekend. Was on the freeway and got a bolt stuck right between the cracks on my passenger front tire. I do have AAA called them and they said the next rep would come around 1hour and they will tow me to the nearest tire store.

While waiting, I called Tesla roadside assistance. They said they will send their technician over in 1hr 30 mins (in reality: 1 hour wait) but they will bring a loaner tire. They gave me two options...
1) They put the loaner tire on and they take my wheel to the nearest service center and I will have to go and pick it up at later date. I'm assuming this option they will replace or fix the tire for me. OR

2) They put the loaner tire on and they put my tire in my trunk and I have to return it back to the nearest service center within 3 business days. Although the service tech said that if I needed more time, I just needed call my nearest service station.

I chose option 2 because I want to go shop my own place for a tire patching. If any of you guys live near American Tires, they do patching for free

Hope this helps!

My puncture was of the worst kind that Costco won’t consider it road hazard and won’t give me a free replacement tire per warranty. After this incident, I have a full size spare for long distance travel.

 

[365gtb4]

View attachment 347634 View attachment 347635

My puncture was of the worst kind that Costco won’t consider it road hazard and won’t give me a free replacement tire per warranty. After this incident, I have a full size spare for long distance travel.

That's the work of a nail gun. Note the clipped corners on the heads. This is vandalism.

 

[drklain]

Agreed. Totally understand why Costco wouldn't honor that...it's not "accidental roadside damage." Good question to ask is where those nails were put in and who was gunning for you/your car.