Yesterday I drove over a small defect in the roadway at about 35-40 MPH with my 2021 M3P that has 20" rims with Pirelli tires. It was a small rectangular section of roadway about 6" x 8" and maybe 3/4" or less deep that the asphalt was missing from an incomplete road repair. The sidewall on both tires got pinched and cut and the car had to be towed away. Despite this happening in one of the most populous and affluent areas of Southern California, the Tesla roadside service did not have loaner rims so they towed the car to the Tesla service center which was already closed, so I'm waiting until Monday to get new tires.
I was concerned over the very low profile M3P tires and this has just reinforced it more getting stranded within 3 months of ownership. (Have never had a pothole flat in 40 years driving a lot of miles.) The anxiety now comes from the fact that a few times per year I take a road trip where there are significant remote sections with no cell service. Before this happened I purchased a 12V air pump and a tire patch kit that I keep in the trunk. However, if you get a flat from a pinched sidewall you are screwed as you can't patch that. Get two flats at once and you are double screwed.
Short term the next step is that I'm going to look for the smallest space saver spare I can find to take with me on remote trips. But if I get 2 flats from a pothole I will still be screwed. Longer term when the existing tires need replacement I'm likely to get a new set of 19" rims so I don't need to run such aggressive sidewalls.
Curious if I just had very bad luck, or if this is not that uncommon of an occurrence, getting 2 flat tires by hitting a pothole. I've gone over potholes before with low profile performance tires with other cars and never had a single flat, much less 2. But how easily both tires went flat on the M3P, I'm thinking maybe this is not that uncommon? BTW, the rims look fine and do not appear to have bent.
I was concerned over the very low profile M3P tires and this has just reinforced it more getting stranded within 3 months of ownership. (Have never had a pothole flat in 40 years driving a lot of miles.) The anxiety now comes from the fact that a few times per year I take a road trip where there are significant remote sections with no cell service. Before this happened I purchased a 12V air pump and a tire patch kit that I keep in the trunk. However, if you get a flat from a pinched sidewall you are screwed as you can't patch that. Get two flats at once and you are double screwed.
Short term the next step is that I'm going to look for the smallest space saver spare I can find to take with me on remote trips. But if I get 2 flats from a pothole I will still be screwed. Longer term when the existing tires need replacement I'm likely to get a new set of 19" rims so I don't need to run such aggressive sidewalls.
Curious if I just had very bad luck, or if this is not that uncommon of an occurrence, getting 2 flat tires by hitting a pothole. I've gone over potholes before with low profile performance tires with other cars and never had a single flat, much less 2. But how easily both tires went flat on the M3P, I'm thinking maybe this is not that uncommon? BTW, the rims look fine and do not appear to have bent.