Model 3 has no spare tire

[Redbrick]

I also have another rant to add. I’m FINALLY at the Tesla Service Center to pickup the car and there are several people waiting in line to do whatever they need to do. This is definitely the worst experience I’ve had dealing w a ridiculously simple flat tire. I can’t believe how so many of you are defending this sort of service and treatment. I’ve never experienced something like this w Mercedes and Tesla is trying to compete in the same category. Obviously, w so many of you defending this sort of treatment, they will never change their ways and this will become the norm.

I agree with you...just because it's a modern car does not excuse not having a spare... This is the same argument for weight or whatever. I don't cut myself everyday.. doesn't mean I'm not going have some band aids around the house....or a fire extinguisher. I rarely have someone sitting in my rear seats...maybe tesla should get rid of them.

 

[TexasTezla]

If you read the thread, there are other compact spares you can buy, not just the modern spare.

Yes there are but Modern Spare is the best 'whole kit' as far as I could tell when I was looking to buy

 

[KenC]

Yes there are but Modern Spare is the best 'whole kit' as far as I could tell when I was looking to buy

I suppose so, but making yourself a kit, is not all that hard, particularly if the Modern Spare tire is out of stock, or backordered. Not that hard to find a jack and lug wrench breaker bar. In fact, the Porsche jacks a lot of us use, comes inside a foam donut that fits inside the compact spare. That's pretty convenient.

 

[TexasTezla]

I suppose so, but making yourself a kit, is not all that hard, particularly if the Modern Spare tire is out of stock, or backordered. Not that hard to find a jack and lug wrench breaker bar. In fact, the Porsche jacks a lot of us use, comes inside a foam donut that fits inside the compact spare. That's pretty convenient.

Absolutely not hard...I think it was just the tidiness of the wheel bag and all the bits inside it that swung me from DIYing it.

 

[Xambler]

I suppose so, but making yourself a kit, is not all that hard, particularly if the Modern Spare tire is out of stock, or backordered. Not that hard to find a jack and lug wrench breaker bar. In fact, the Porsche jacks a lot of us use, comes inside a foam donut that fits inside the compact spare. That's pretty convenient.

I actually had everything necessary and just needed a spare tire...unfortunately the cost of the various alternatives has gone up (probably due to Tesla owner demand) but what turned me to modern spare was the higher rated top speed and driving distance of their spares. That was significant enough for me.

 

[ODWms]

Any word on which spares from other manufacturers would fit the 3; in particular, Performance?

 

[Redbrick]

i disagree with that and unlike many here I have do drive my 3 in the middle of nowhere on a semiregular basis.
a blowout just doesnt happen with tires in good condition. at least not with proper sidewalls.

Wow, you must drive on really nice roads. My last car flat ~ 1.5 yr ago was due to ....believe it or not....a freaking broken tree branch somehow pierced through the side wall.... I'd never seen anything like that....that twig was about the size of a small straw!

 

[KenC]

There should be alot of talk about it in the thread, but look for Hyundai

Any word on which spares from other manufacturers would fit the 3; in particular, Performance?

Genesis 2016 or newer, 18". Make sure it's not the 17". The lug spacing is the same. eBay has had them for a little over $100, but also up to $200. Patience, and look for free shipping or ones local to you. If you use eBay, saving a search, it'll notify you when new ones come up for sale.

 

[ODWms]

Thanks for the heads up, KenC. Will definitely check it out!

 

[Candleflame]

Wow, you must drive on really nice roads. My last car flat ~ 1.5 yr ago was due to ....believe it or not....a freaking broken tree branch somehow pierced through the side wall.... I'd never seen anything like that....that twig was about the size of a small straw!

ok freak accidents can always happen though i would find it odd how a tree can pierce into a michelin tire pumped up to 45 psi.
yeah, fair enough, you live in Texas, its sunny, you havnt changed your tires in 5 years, have only 2mm thread left etc. Fair enough, but electric cars need frequent tire replacements on summer tires anyway.

 

[The_Observer]

There should be alot of talk about it in the thread, but look for Hyundai

Genesis 2016 or newer, 18". Make sure it's not the 17". The lug spacing is the same. eBay has had them for a little over $100, but also up to $200. Patience, and look for free shipping or ones local to you. If you use eBay, saving a search, it'll notify you when new ones come up for sale.

I believe the 17" would still work fine for the front, but of course, that's going to be a 50/50 scenario for flat tires.

For spare tire owners, how do you keep your spare tires secure or mounted? I have the 18" hyundai spare and it just moves around in my trunk.

 

[Coyle]

About 1/3rd of new cars today: Some Newer Cars Are Missing a Spare Tire

Sorry about your incident though, that definitely sucks. Tesla does sell a tire repair kit that comes with a handy 12V inflator so you never need to visit a gas station again though.

Model S/X/3 Tire Repair Kit

Isn’t this an unintended consequence of CAFE standards impact to EVs?

 

[KenC]

I believe the 17" would still work fine for the front, but of course, that's going to be a 50/50 scenario for flat tires.

For spare tire owners, how do you keep your spare tires secure or mounted? I have the 18" hyundai spare and it just moves around in my trunk.

I think the original question was interested in a M3P compact spare. I don't think the 17" will work. There are threads where people show how they've strapped the spare in place, using ratchet straps and hooks.

 

[Willy’sEV]

I looked at many of the options since there is no spare, and no repair kit in the car.
the Modern Spare is over $300 and out of stock.
The Tesla Tire Repair Kit is $60, not a perfect solution, you have to hope that if you have a hole in the tire, it is going to be small and the sealant is going to work. Tesla says if it does hold, you can drive 186 miles. I also bought this kit for an additional reason so that I can top off my tires when I want. I used to use a hand bicycle pump, but I found out today that the newly designed aero hubs or a combination of a short valve stem, does not let me attach and lock the unit onto the valve stem. So this am I had to yank off the aero hub to attach the pump. Not going to want to do this each time.

 

[The_Observer]

I looked at many of the options since there is no spare, and no repair kit in the car.
the Modern Spare is over $300 and out of stock.
The Tesla Tire Repair Kit is $60, not a perfect solution, you have to hope that if you have a hole in the tire, it is going to be small and the sealant is going to work. Tesla says if it does hold, you can drive 186 miles. I also bought this kit for an additional reason so that I can top off my tires when I want. I used to use a hand bicycle pump, but I found out today that the newly designed aero hubs or a combination of a short valve stem, does not let me attach and lock the unit onto the valve stem. So this am I had to yank off the aero hub to attach the pump. Not going to want to do this each time.

Do keep in mind that often times tire repair shops won't fix your tires if you use the sealants, so you essentially have to get a new tire + new tpms sensor as well.

 

[daniel]

I looked at many of the options since there is no spare, and no repair kit in the car.
the Modern Spare is over $300 and out of stock.
The Tesla Tire Repair Kit is $60, not a perfect solution, you have to hope that if you have a hole in the tire, it is going to be small and the sealant is going to work. Tesla says if it does hold, you can drive 186 miles. I also bought this kit for an additional reason so that I can top off my tires when I want. I used to use a hand bicycle pump, but I found out today that the newly designed aero hubs or a combination of a short valve stem, does not let me attach and lock the unit onto the valve stem. So this am I had to yank off the aero hub to attach the pump. Not going to want to do this each time.

For topping off the tires I used to have a portable air tank. The local (rural North Dakota) gas station let me fill the air tank for free. If I needed to top off a tire I had the air on hand. Of course, back in those days my car had a real spare tire.

A few years ago I bought a small 12-volt air compressor. That worked (slowly, but it worked) to pump up the tires, until I let all the tires get down to just above the critical point, whereupon I pumped them all up, and the compressor overheated and failed with a huge BANG! It didn't actually explode, but it died.

So I got a proper shop compressor from Sears.

For a flat on the road I'll call for roadside assistance. My car insurance covers that. I'm too old to fork around with changing a tire or fixing a flat. It's been years since I had a flat.

 

[Willy’sEV]

For a flat on the road I'll call for roadside assistance. My car insurance covers that. I'm too old to fork around with changing a tire or fixing a flat. It's been years since I had a flat.

Me too, but it might take time for roadside assistance to arrive. I am not changing a flat, but if you have a small hole you might get lucky with the Tesla tire repair kit and be able to plug the hole, at least so you can get off the road fast and go to a tire center. That is why I bought. You can have your beautiful compressor at home, but it will do you no good for flat tire on the road. But I hope you never need it.

 

[Timbo2]

I believe the 17" would still work fine for the front, but of course, that's going to be a 50/50 scenario for flat tires.

For spare tire owners, how do you keep your spare tires secure or mounted? I have the 18" hyundai spare and it just moves around in my trunk.

 

[The_Observer]

View attachment 660914

Interesting placement. Where in the trunk do you hook the two ends of the strap?

 

[Timbo2]

Interesting placement. Where in the trunk do you hook the two ends of the strap?

The strap has two S-hooks that just fit into two holes in the brace that runs under the parcel shelf. You lose about 8-10 inches of interior volume at the very top as the tire leans into the trunk. But it gives you almost all the trunk floor.

Also unless you look from bumper height you really can see the tire in the trunk.