Getting ready to take my 2020 Model 3 on its first road trip, close to 1,000 miles. I have the tire “repair kit” and the Tesla compressor unit for tire inflation. But I’m wondering about the reliability of Tesla Roadside Assistance for dealing with a flat tire situation...? Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
Roadside assistance for a flat tire?
- Thread starter rikinva
- Start date
I had a blowout and it took an agonizing 3 hours from the time I contacted Tesla to the time the tow truck arrived, and I wasn't in the middle of nowhere I was 30 minutes outside of Nashville on the side of the interstate. When I bought my car they talked up the roadside, "they'll come right out and put a loaner wheel on your car no hassle" but apparently there aren't enough loaner wheels in circulation because when I needed one they didn't have any available. After that experience I purchased an 18" spare for a Genesis and a couple cheap scissor jacks.
I decided to go with ModernSpare. https://modernspare.com/search-page/?make=9&model=22&syear=462&cfm=Tesla&cfmo=Model%203&cfy=2020 takes up a lot of space in trunk on my model 3 (about a large suitcase size), but traveling in the west (desert) I wanted peace of mind I won't get stranded for long.
destructure00
Active Member
I got a flat on Father's Day a few weeks ago. Took about 20 minutes from when I first requested roadside til they dispatched a tow truck, then another 90 mins before it arrived. I requested a loaner spare.....think it would have been quite a bit quicker to just have the car towed to my house so I wouldn't have had to wait for the driver to go pick up the loaner tire on the way.
If this happens again in the future in town I will just have the car towed home and deal with tire repair or replacement myself. I can see the loaner being useful on a road trip though. I did buy a plug kit after that, and already had a 12v compressor in the car.
If this happens again in the future in town I will just have the car towed home and deal with tire repair or replacement myself. I can see the loaner being useful on a road trip though. I did buy a plug kit after that, and already had a 12v compressor in the car.
And you were searching the forum for a similar thread in the downtime?
In my many decades of driving this isn’t uncommon.
The tow truck arrived in 90 minutes.
After the spare wheel was installed, I started driving away. And something was making a squeaking noise and the car had a lot of drag although I was driving about 20 miles per hour.
I pulled over and got out of the car and looked at the spare tire and it was flat.
I ran back to the tow truck about 150 yards away before he headed in the opposite direction.
He could not believe it. I came back to the car and turned the car around and drove back to the truck.
I drove it up on the flat bed and we drove to the nearest gas station and pumped it up and I came home finally. It took 3 hours from the time of requesting roadside assistance.
If I had a spare in the trunk, I would have been on my way after 30 minutes.
Oh well. it is what it is. Hopefully, I will not get another flat tire for the next decade.
After the spare wheel was installed, I started driving away. And something was making a squeaking noise and the car had a lot of drag although I was driving about 20 miles per hour.
I pulled over and got out of the car and looked at the spare tire and it was flat.
I ran back to the tow truck about 150 yards away before he headed in the opposite direction.
He could not believe it. I came back to the car and turned the car around and drove back to the truck.
I drove it up on the flat bed and we drove to the nearest gas station and pumped it up and I came home finally. It took 3 hours from the time of requesting roadside assistance.
If I had a spare in the trunk, I would have been on my way after 30 minutes.
Oh well. it is what it is. Hopefully, I will not get another flat tire for the next decade.
At a minimum put a tire plug kit and air pump in your car. What if that tow truck had driven away before you realized the spare was flat?
most RV's (motorhomes) don't come with a spare
I negotiated a tire and rim when I bought ours. I did not like the idea of depending on the availability and pricing through the guy that knows I'm in a lurch...standing on the side of the highway on a Sunday morning far from home and in the middle of nowhere.
I don't carry a jack or tools because it's far more reasonable to think that roadside service can change a tire, as opposed to actually having the correct replacement.
I had a blowout in it once. I feel confident that because I had a spare they were able to get someone to me much faster than if they had to find someone that could get a tire to fit.
In hind site I might consider getting only a tire and not the rim for the RV if doing it over again...just a gamble for weight savings thing...since most truck roadside service folks can mount a tire. Probably not a consideration for tesla though, since that would mean full sized tire instead of a mini....
I negotiated a tire and rim when I bought ours. I did not like the idea of depending on the availability and pricing through the guy that knows I'm in a lurch...standing on the side of the highway on a Sunday morning far from home and in the middle of nowhere.
I don't carry a jack or tools because it's far more reasonable to think that roadside service can change a tire, as opposed to actually having the correct replacement.
I had a blowout in it once. I feel confident that because I had a spare they were able to get someone to me much faster than if they had to find someone that could get a tire to fit.
In hind site I might consider getting only a tire and not the rim for the RV if doing it over again...just a gamble for weight savings thing...since most truck roadside service folks can mount a tire. Probably not a consideration for tesla though, since that would mean full sized tire instead of a mini....
I found the spare completely flat this morning in the garage.
i drove my wife’s car to work.
Requested another roadside assistance.
If it's a concern or you live in an area, or drive through areas, with poor or limited service buying a full size or compact spare, and jack, and lug wrench and keeping it in your trunk.
My last car I have for 8 years and got quite a lot of flats, sometimes two at a time. But there were really sidewall tears due to size of wheel and low profile nature. Never again. Either way I personally never changed the tire and either called for service to swap or put me on a tow bed if more than one.
I found a screw in the tire of my silverado last Friday. Took my son out Saturday AM and gave him a lesson on plugging tires. He's in driver's ed currently, a couple weeks away from his permit....so nice timing actually.
It has been many years since I've done that.....and my plug kit is so old I had very low confidence that the glue wouldn't be dried up and the plugs old and brittle.... but they were fine.
I was planning to take it by this week for a proper patch, but it's holding and with the pandemic I'm avoiding stuff like that when I can
It has been many years since I've done that.....and my plug kit is so old I had very low confidence that the glue wouldn't be dried up and the plugs old and brittle.... but they were fine.
I was planning to take it by this week for a proper patch, but it's holding and with the pandemic I'm avoiding stuff like that when I can
For things like 1,000 mile trips I think it's worth owning a compact spare designed and sold for Tesla that you can throw in the car. Otherwise leave at home if you want. Some (non-Tesla specific) kits come with a full kit that nests inside the wheel and can be had for under $200. And they weigh very little.
If you have one of those tire kits you could have done it yourself in 10 min, provided got wanted.
Keep in mind some of the the more popular ones sold specifically for Tesla are closer to $400, usually full sized, thus bigger, and heavier.
The generic ones are compact, limited speed, and you’ve need to do a bit of work for proper kit.
Can a tire shop repair the OEM tire. Yes. For under $62. Yes. Will they. Hard to say they make money selling new tires not repairs. Now is it recommend. Depends on size, location, etc which I can’t really say but small enough in the middle should be patchable.
