Hit a pothole and got 2 flats on my Model 3 Performance

[Alan2000]

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.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

I've been driving in this area about as much as you and have never had a pothole flat. I bent the rim on my Mini without damaging the tire, and I blistered the tire on my BMW without a flat or bend, but that's as close as I've gotten. All my flats are from screws.

But although every car I've had in the last 30+ years has had ultra low profile tires, I've never even *seen* a car with tires as thin as the 3P.

P.S. I'll give you 2 of my OEM pirelli take-off's for much less than the dealer will if you have a way to get a couple of counties north.

 

[PDX-Y]

FWIW: I've never heard of "loaner rims". Does anyone do this? Does Tesla elsewhere? I mean, this isn't a $200k Mercedes with a gold-plated roadside service plan. You broke down and got a tow like the rest of us.

 

[jjrandorin]

FWIW: I've never heard of "loaner rims". Does anyone do this? Does Tesla elsewhere? I mean, this isn't a $200k Mercedes with a gold-plated roadside service plan. You broke down and got a tow like the rest of us.

Yes, tesla does loaner wheels, but the tow company has to have one in stock and not have them loaned out. I know for a fact they do, because (unfortunately) I have had to have roadside come put a couple on after getting a flat in a similar manner to the OP.

The car is heavier, and the wheels are thinner. One can always put on different wheels if they want to.

For me, even with the fact I got a flat with the extreme low profile wheels, it was "annoying", but not something major. If I thought it was major, I would swap wheels to something smaller as mentioned.

 

[Alan2000]

I've been driving in this area about as much as you and have never had a pothole flat. I bent the rim on my Mini without damaging the tire, and I blistered the tire on my BMW without a flat or bend, but that's as close as I've gotten. All my flats are from screws.

But although every car I've had in the last 30+ years has had ultra low profile tires, I've never even *seen* a car with tires as thin as the 3P.

P.S. I'll give you 2 of my OEM pirelli take-off's for much less than the dealer will if you have a way to get a couple of counties north.

PM sent...

I wish the M3P still came with the PS4S. I also don't care for the stretched look on the stock Pirelli tires. To me it looks like the tire is too narrow or the rim too wide. On my AMG I was running 295/30/19 rear and 255/35/19 front. Decent balance between performance and ride comfort.

Photo shows the defect I ran over. I really would not have expected that this could pinch and cut the sidewalls had it not happened to me. While I like to drive spirited at times, I'm not looking to squeak out the very last bit of handling to go as low as the M3P sidewalls. If I did it over again I would have bought a set of 19" rims with PS4S tires and sold the OEM 20" set before using them.

 

[Alan2000]

Yes, tesla does loaner wheels, but the tow company has to have one in stock and not have them loaned out. I know for a fact they do, because (unfortunately) I have had to have roadside come put a couple on after getting a flat in a similar manner to the OP.

The car is heavier, and the wheels are thinner. One can always put on different wheels if they want to.

For me, even with the fact I got a flat with the extreme low profile wheels, it was "annoying", but not something major. If I thought it was major, I would swap wheels to something smaller as mentioned.

I can't really complain too much as I knew I'd have to be careful, but was not expecting them to be so delicate that at a relatively low speed and small hole it would cut both tires. Thus the increased concern for road trips where cell service is not available and road conditions not great in some areas. The more I think about it the more I'm thinking about just swapping out the rims now for 19". I have about 3,000 miles on them so still pretty new. How bad was what you hit that gave you 2 flats?

 

[Futaba]

PM sent...

I wish the M3P still came with the PS4S. I also don't care for the stretched look on the stock Pirelli tires.

The stretched look is from the 2021 Model 3 Performance Urberturbine 20x9 wheels, not the Pirelli tires. The 2021 20" wheel is half an inch wider than 8.5 inches wheel from 2020 and older. They all have 235/35R20 tires.

The Tesla Model 3 Wheel Guide

 

[Alan2000]

The stretched look is from the 2021 Model 3 Performance Urberturbine 20x9 wheels, not the Pirelli tires. The 2021 20" wheel is half an inch wider than 8.5 inches wheel from 2020 and older. They all have 235/35R20 tires.

The Tesla Model 3 Wheel Guide

Did Tesla opt not to increase the width of the tire to match the extra 1/2" width of the Uberturbine rims to avoid further decrease in range and extra tire cost?

I like these 19x8.5 in the wheel guide you linked. About 7 lbs lighter than the Uber rims and practical sidewall too.

 

[jjrandorin]

I can't really complain too much as I knew I'd have to be careful, but was not expecting them to be so delicate that at a relatively low speed and small hole it would cut both tires. Thus the increased concern for road trips where cell service is not available and road conditions not great in some areas. The more I think about it the more I'm thinking about just swapping out the rims now for 19". I have about 3,000 miles on them so still pretty new. How bad was what you hit that gave you 2 flats?

I have had it happen a couple different times, actually (in my model 3P, not in any other car I have owned). Once I hit a pothole, a decent one, couldnt see it because it was raining pretty hard and the auto wipers are much (much) better now than they were back then. That time was two bent rims and two damaged tires. had to get towed to a service center cause the tow company only had one loaner tire.

Second time was just one tire, they had a loaner that time. That one was not nearly as bad a pothole as the first. I was surprised that one caused damage to the tire, frankly. With that being said. I pulled over to the side of the road, made a couple of business calls, attended a meeting via phone, then watched an episode of something I am into on netflix while waiting for the tow truck (about an hour and 20 minutes wait).

I like the look of the 20s. I actually have the Zero G referral rims that I got myself through the referral program. These are still somewhat "rare" and I like that about them. I just deal with it and have gotten better at picking out potholes.

 

[Alan2000]

I didn't see the defect in the road at all before I hit it since it was so small and there was traffic ahead of me. The rural road I take a few times per year on my trips has potholes here and there about the same size as what I hit, and on that road I would be driving a much faster speed. So I think I'll have to figure something out before I go again.

Just saw this video where they go over the Pirelli tires on the M3P. Compared to PS4S 235 tire they have a smaller contact patch of 210 mm vs 225mm for the PS4S. They also have a harsher ride. They don't know why Tesla used a 235 size tire for a street car as that is not the optimal size tire for a 9" rim. For the 1/2 of 1% of people who will track their M3P, the extra road feel may be a good thing. My guess is that a wider correctly sized tire would reduce range below what Tesla wanted to list for the M3P. At 3:50 mark they go over the tire and the stretching...

 

[tm1v2]

But how easily both tires went flat on the M3P, I'm thinking maybe this is not that uncommon?

Not uncommon with such thin sidewall tires.

BTW, the rims look fine and do not appear to have bent.

Oh don't worry, the rims will crack too when the pavement is bad enough. 235/35 just isn't enough cushion for the real world, for Tesla OE cast wheels holding up a heavy Tesla electric car.

I'll admit the 20" M3P "uberturbines" look great. So did the 21" wheels my S P85 came with, wearing similar 245/35 rubberband tires. The good looks didn't stop them from cracking when the pavement got rough. We downsized the S to 19s wearing 245/45 and - magic - no more cracked wheels! Plus tires are much cheaper and last longer, and the ride is smoother.

I ordered smaller wheels for my M3P before I even picked up the car. I'm going down to forged 18s with 245/45 tires, but I think even 19s wearing 245/40 or 255/40 (depending on wheel width) would be a lot more dependable than the stock setup.

Stuff happens and anything can fail or break, but there's a clear pattern and cause for big Tesla OE cast wheels with rubberband tires being an unnecessarily fragile setup.

 

[Alan2000]

Ugh, I thought the heavier Uber... rims would eliminate the cracking problems in the past?

I drove my 4,350 pound AMG hard with 295/30/19 rear and 255/35/19 front tires and the rims and tires held up fine to my abuse and a few potholes. Ride was a little on the harsh side but not too bad. The M3P is 4,250 pounds which is 100 lbs lighter than the AMG. The sidewalls on my AMG were 3.5" tall. On the Tesla M3P the sidewall height for the stock 235/35/20 tires should be 3.2". However, when side by side with my AMG they looked quite narrower. Possibly because they are stretched on the 9" rim they are less than 3.2" or the stretched fit gives an optical illusion of being more narrow. I wonder if being stretched doesn't also contribute to being damaged easier? For now I am leaning toward 235/40/19 for next set of tires with 19x8.5 rims. The sidewall on the 235/40/19 is 3.7". Calculator below will give you sidewall height or you can multiply the width x ratio divided by 25.4 to get your sidewall height in inches. Stock 20" M3P tire 235 x 0.35 = 82.25 82.25 / 25.4 = 3.2"

Tire Size Calculator

The best tire size calculator. Use our tire size calculator to find tire size specs and suggested tire sizes. Then check prices for all available tire sizes.

tiresize.com

 

[jmaddr]

OP, curious what your tire pressure was? Lower pressures will lead to more pinch flats.

 

[Sam1]

Did Tesla opt not to increase the width of the tire to match the extra 1/2" width of the Uberturbine rims to avoid further decrease in range and extra tire cost?

I like these 19x8.5 in the wheel guide you linked. About 7 lbs lighter than the Uber rims and practical sidewall too.

View attachment 738498

That's the most logical assumption. Those pirellis are trash though, I figured that out before hitting 50 miles on them, and had them removed at 75 miles.

 

[golfcart]

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.

Same thing happened to me in august except I had 2 flat tires and one destroyed rim ($750 from Tesla since I didn't have time to find a used one). Based on the forums I don't think this is uncommon the car is heavy and the tires are pretty low profile. Just gotta keep your head on a swivel and I agree that a real spare is not a bad idea if you are on the road a lot. I was happy with the roadside assistance but it did take 2hrs to get to me and I was in a metro area, no telling what the wait could be out in the sticks somewhere.

 

[dmurphy]

Based on the forums I don't think this is uncommon the car is heavy and the tires are pretty low profile.

Just as a point of reference ….

Model 3 Performance Curb weight is 4,070lbs.

BMW 330i xDrive is 3,764 lbs

Audi A6 - 4101lbs.

Acura TLX - 3927 lbs

So — yeah, Model 3 is not really a heavy car. Time to put that misnomer to bed once and for all. It’s right in line with the competition.

It does, however, eat low profile tires for breakfast. But, basically, at the same rate as any other vehicle with low profile tires.

 

[golfcart]

Just as a point of reference ….

Model 3 Performance Curb weight is 4,070lbs.

BMW 330i xDrive is 3,764 lbs

Audi A6 - 4101lbs.

Acura TLX - 3927 lbs

So — yeah, Model 3 is not really a heavy car. Time to put that misnomer to bed once and for all. It’s right in line with the competition.

It does, however, eat low profile tires for breakfast. But, basically, at the same rate as any other vehicle with low profile tires.

I come from a background of tuning sport compact cars where most are under 3,000 pounds. Even my WRX was only around 3200. I consider any of those cars you mentioned to be heavy. Been driving on low profile tires on most my cars since the late 90s... this is the first rim I have had destroyed.

 

[Sam1]

I come from a background of tuning sport compact cars where most are under 3,000 pounds. Even my WRX was only around 3200. I consider any of those cars you mentioned to be heavy. Been driving on low profile tires on most my cars since the late 90s... this is the first rim I have had destroyed.

And if it's not under 3000 pounds, you gut everything in the car to make it that way. Off topic question, but does anyone know how low people have got a model 3 after getting without a cage?

 

[lbowroom]

Michelin tread width 8.8
Pirelli tread width 7.9

 

[tm1v2]

@Alan2000 I bet putting 255/35 on the stock 20x9 wheels would provide usefully more protection. I have no experience to back that up though.

@dmurphy I'm in the same boat as @golfcart, all of those cars are heavy to me! Before my Teslas the heaviest cars I ever owned were about 3400 lbs...and I considered that on the heavy side. To be fair the Model 3 is light as long range EVs go, and I like that about it! But it's still a lot of weight for very thin, stretched 235/35s to cushion (IMO).