Got my first flat tire...now Tesla charging me for fixing it. Is this normal ?

[CanadianMetal]

Well I got my first flat tire, (screw), phoned Tesla and they said I can have car towed to SC , or they can send me a truck with loaner wheel. I opted for the loaner wheel, and they were to contact me after wheel was fixed so I could come in to swap out the wheels.

When buying the car I asked the Sales rep about if the car had spare tire, He said that my Tesla comes with service, where they would come and fix or tow my car and get tire fixed etc. He never mentioned about any fee for patching the tire or that Tesla tires did not come with road hazard.

My local tire shop where I have taken my past cars, will fix my tire for free (unless they need to be replaced ) . So I was expecting the same from Tesla.

Does Tesla charge everyone for patching a tire ?
$72.50 CDN (about $55 USD)

Or did my wife get a new / uninformed person contacting her today ?



I will be going into the SC later this week, so want to know before I go see them .

 

[VT_EE]

I was charged US$47 at my local Goodyear shop. That was without a loaner or tow. I brought them the wheel.

 

[reheat]

See this thread Got my first flat tire

 

[Lasairfion]

Hmm. Usually I've damaged the sidewall or something and have to have a new tyre, but if I recall correctly, I think that my local tyre place charge about £15 to fix a simple puncture, then balance and fit the wheel.

I imagine that the cost of lending you a wheel and the pick-up & delivery, plus the fix itself which could be pricier depending on the type of damage... it's probably not that bad of a price.

If the cost is just for the patching up, and the rest of the stuff is supposed to be part of the service, then I'd think it's overpriced - but no more than you'd expect if you went to a main agent. I think you're just all used to discount work at superstores.

 

[StellarRat]

Seems reasonable to me, but there are many tire places that will fix a flat for little or no cost to get you to buy your tires there in the future. You don't have to have Tesla fix a tire. I took my Tesla to the same place I've taken all my cars and they pulled a nail out and patched it at no charge. Being a repeat customer has advantages.

 

[remlemasi]

I had a flat on Friday night on the way up to Mammoth Lakes. Was still in SoCal (Fontana) when it happened. Truck with a loaner wheel/tire arrived within 45 minutes and took my flat wheel/tire to Pomona Service Center so I could continue my journey. I have three business days to return the loaner.

Monday, two days and 700 miles later, I head to the Service Center to pick up my wheel (took about 20 minutes for them to find a free person to go and fetch it for me), took it to America's Tire, who fixed it for free in 30 minutes. Got home last night and swapped the repaired wheel/tire back onto the car myself (took 5 minutes) and plan to return the loaner (currently in the trunk) to Pomona Service Center today after work.

No cost to me whatsoever, although it would have been around $50 (and probably 5 months!!!) to have the Service Center repair the tire for me.

Great first experience with Tesla Roadside Assistance.

 

[CanadianMetal]

I had a flat on Friday night on the way up to Mammoth Lakes. Was still in SoCal (Fontana) when it happened. Truck with a loaner wheel/tire arrived within 45 minutes and took my flat wheel/tire to Pomona Service Center so I could continue my journey. I have three business days to return the loaner.

Monday, two days and 700 miles later, I head to the Service Center to pick up my wheel (took about 20 minutes for them to find a free person to go and fetch it for me), took it to America's Tire, who fixed it for free in 30 minutes. Got home last night and swapped the repaired wheel/tire back onto the car myself (took 5 minutes) and plan to return the loaner (currently in the trunk) to Pomona Service Center today after work.

No cost to me whatsoever, although it would have been around $50 (and probably 5 months!!!) to have the Service Center repair the tire for me.

Great first experience with Tesla Roadside Assistance.

I never knew it was an option to get a loaner wheel from Tesla AND NOT have Tesla fix my wheel.

Now that I know Tesla will charge me a big fee to patch the tire, I will just get the tire fixed on my own at the tire shop I have gone to for years, they will usually just fix it for free.

First time owning a car without a spare, so it is a learning curve....

 

[Lloyd]

I think that's cheap considering the service you got!

 

[remlemasi]

I never knew it was an option to get a loaner wheel from Tesla AND NOT have Tesla fix my wheel.

Now that I know Tesla will charge me a big fee to patch the tire, I will just get the tire fixed on my own at the tire shop I have gone to for years, they will usually just fix it for free.

First time owning a car without a spare, so it is a learning curve....

Yeah, they gave me several options:

1. Flatbed to service center or tire shop to get repaired
2.a. Loaner + place flat tire in my trunk to fix myself
2.b.i. Loaner + take flat tire to service center + they repair for $50
2.b.ii. Loaner + take flat tire to service center + pick up later to fix myself

I went with 2.b.ii.

My BMW 335d came with run-flats, which I hated and swapped out with Pilot Super Sports. Have a donut spare that I throw in the trunk for road trips. Also have Slime sealant for emergencies (also have one in the Tesla and the RAV4).

Regarding Slime sealant, I would rather ruin a good TPMS sensor than be stranded for hours with no phone service in the middle-of-nowhere at who-knows-what-temperature. Even if the acoustic foam would make it more difficult to seal, I would rather have the option of trying if my other option is dying.

Highly recommend everyone one of these for every car they own, regardless of the fact that they may have roadside assistance, full-size spare tire, whatever: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0166BVK28/

For $20 (or any cost really), better safe than sorry.

I also keep one of those Li-ion battery starters from Costco in my ICE cars. Much safer than asking a stranger for help with jumper cables.

I should probably get a first-aid kit for each of the cars too. Maybe this year...

 

[Dana1]

Well I got my first flat tire, (screw), phoned Tesla and they said I can have car towed to SC , or they can send me a truck with loaner wheel. I opted for the loaner wheel, and they were to contact me after wheel was fixed so I could come in to swap out the wheels.

When buying the car I asked the Sales rep about if the car had spare tire, He said that my Tesla comes with service, where they would come and fix or tow my car and get tire fixed etc. He never mentioned about any fee for patching the tire or that Tesla tires did not come with road hazard.

My local tire shop where I have taken my past cars, will fix my tire for free (unless they need to be replaced ) . So I was expecting the same from Tesla.

Does Tesla charge everyone for patching a tire ?
$72.50 CDN (about $55 USD)

Or did my wife get a new / uninformed person contacting her today ?



I will be going into the SC later this week, so want to know before I go see them .

I’ve never had a new car come with road hazard (I’ve never bought the extra packages). This sounds SOP.

 

[woodguyatl]

Well I got my first flat tire, (screw), phoned Tesla and they said I can have car towed to SC , or they can send me a truck with loaner wheel. I opted for the loaner wheel, and they were to contact me after wheel was fixed so I could come in to swap out the wheels.

When buying the car I asked the Sales rep about if the car had spare tire, He said that my Tesla comes with service, where they would come and fix or tow my car and get tire fixed etc. He never mentioned about any fee for patching the tire or that Tesla tires did not come with road hazard.

My local tire shop where I have taken my past cars, will fix my tire for free (unless they need to be replaced ) . So I was expecting the same from Tesla.

Does Tesla charge everyone for patching a tire ?
$72.50 CDN (about $55 USD)

Or did my wife get a new / uninformed person contacting her today ?



I will be going into the SC later this week, so want to know before I go see them .

My local place fixes flats with a patch (not a plug) and rebalances the tire for free if you bring the wheel to them or drive the care to them if it is just leaking.

 

[SammichLover]

My local place fixes flats with a patch (not a plug) and rebalances the tire for free if you bring the wheel to them or drive the care to them if it is just leaking.

Same here, they charged me $10 for it. Knew what they were doing with Teslas, too. Jacked instead of lift, used a grinder to prep by removing the acoustic foam around the hole. I've also used them for mounting tires I've bought elsewhere. You can't drop-ship to them but I just ship to my home and drive in, they mount, balance and install for $20/tire.

They might just have a customer for life.

 

[Uncle Paul]

While some tire shops will fix a flat for free, it is done for an inducement to perhaps sell you a tire if it is not fixable.

I know of no manufacturer that will repair flats for free. Most of the non free shops around here will charge $40 to deal with the repair.

 

[Mark Z]

Be happy the tire was repairable. When I got a serious flat, Tesla couldn’t repair it and I had to buy a new tire. I was pleased that Tesla had the tire in stock and the turnaround time was less than two hours. Great service.

 

[woodguyatl]

While some tire shops will fix a flat for free, it is done for an inducement to perhaps sell you a tire if it is not fixable.

I know of no manufacturer that will repair flats for free. Most of the non free shops around here will charge $40 to deal with the repair.

Be happy the tire was repairable. When I got a serious flat, Tesla couldn’t repair it and I had to buy a new tire. I was pleased that Tesla had the tire in stock and the turnaround time was less than two hours. Great service.

Manufacturers won’t, I agree. Something that many people don’t know is that some tire chains, Doiscount Tire here in GA will sell you a tire warranty even if they don’t sell you the tires. I went by the store about a week after getting my 3 and paid $30 per tire for the lifetime non-prorated warranty and rotation/balance. We live in an area with lots of home construction and get flats from screws/nails at least once per year so it makes sense for us.

 

[hugebob]

Currently, I'm new to Tesla and still in the research phase. I'm also new to this board, so bear with me. But, why would you have Tesla fix a tire when any reputable tire shop could do the job?

 

[CanadianMetal]

Currently, I'm new to Tesla and still in the research phase. I'm also new to this board, so bear with me. But, why would you have Tesla fix a tire when any reputable tire shop could do the job?

When we got warning of low tire pressure , it said to pull over immediately , and when we did , we had almost no air left within a minute.

And as the car comes with NO SPARE, NO JACK and NO TIRE IRON, I could not take off the tire to get it fixed, even if I wanted to.

IF the Tesla agent on the phone would have told me ALL my options , I would have opted for them to put the flat tire in my trunk, and then given them back the loaner , after I got my tire fixed at my local shop.

 

[hugebob]

Hah! I guess that answers the question I just sent them about a spare and jack. After the test drive, the rep showed me the trunks and all. I don't recall him talking about a spare and jack. Hmmm, I guess that explains that!

 

[ahains]

Have a donut spare that I throw in the trunk for road trips. Also have Slime sealant for emergencies (also have one in the Tesla and the RAV4).

Regarding Slime sealant, I would rather ruin a good TPMS sensor than be stranded for hours with no phone service in the middle-of-nowhere at who-knows-what-temperature. Even if the acoustic foam would make it more difficult to seal, I would rather have the option of trying if my other option is dying.

Highly recommend everyone one of these for every car they own, regardless of the fact that they may have roadside assistance, full-size spare tire, whatever: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0166BVK28/

I carry this plug kit: Tubeless Tire Repair Kit 9 Pc. It might seal better than slime given the foam, but you have to be able to find the leak and remove the nail/whatever. I carry a multitool too. I also have a can of fix-a-flat, first aid kit, portable snow shovel, etc...

 

[Noro]

So I picked up my model3 Monday at 4 and this morning had a flat!!! Called roadside and they had no loaner wheels so had me towed to Tesla Sevuce where it is 390 dollars for a new tire plus 60 for balancing. Toronto is full of potholes what do I do I don’t want this to happen again.

Well I got my first flat tire, (screw), phoned Tesla and they said I can have car towed to SC , or they can send me a truck with loaner wheel. I opted for the loaner wheel, and they were to contact me after wheel was fixed so I could come in to swap out the wheels.

When buying the car I asked the Sales rep about if the car had spare tire, He said that my Tesla comes with service, where they would come and fix or tow my car and get tire fixed etc. He never mentioned about any fee for patching the tire or that Tesla tires did not come with road hazard.

My local tire shop where I have taken my past cars, will fix my tire for free (unless they need to be replaced ) . So I was expecting the same from Tesla.

Does Tesla charge everyone for patching a tire ?
$72.50 CDN (about $55 USD)

Or did my wife get a new / uninformed person contacting her today ?



I will be going into the SC later this week, so want to know before I go see them .

o I