Why Does My Car Have No Spare Tyre

[renegadefm]

Recently bought a Dacia Duster on finance, but to my complete ignorance I didn't realise it came with no spare wheel.

I rang the garage where I bought it the next day apon realising it had no spare wheel, and they said oh didn't the sales team explain that to you, so I said no they didn't. I basically didn't expect it not to have one. 

Anyway the plot thickens because my partner is a carer and needs the car 24/7. Yesterday evening we were out in it, luckily only travelling at 30mph, and without warning the rear nearside tyre went bang, so I managed to safely bring it to a stand still, and luckily recovery quickly came out and brought the car home, but couldn't fix the tyre as they don't carry spare tyres.

Now we have a car we can't use until Tuesday at the earliest due to it being the Easter weekend, non of the tyre garages around here are open until Tuesday. 

Its worth pointing out the tyre was too damaged to re-inflate at the roadside.

So basically due to a lack of a spare wheel, which typically I grew up thinking was a vital piece of road side repair kit, was not included on my car, and apparently this trend is wider than I thought on most modern cars. 

So why are cars being manufactured without a spare wheel, when all it does is redures the car unusable, and in our case for many days, which is awful as my partner desperately needs it to be operational at all times. 

I can only assume manufacturer's think carrying an extra wheel and jack and tools is added weight, and without it the car will run more economically, and be better for the planet. But if it means calling out recovery trucks surely this means more vehicles on the road equalling more pollution, when ironically if the car had a spare wheel in the first place we could have just replaced the wheel ourselves saving call outs, and had a car we can use all weekend. 

Is there any particular reason this is happening, surely it can't be down to my logic of extra weight? 

[nicebloke1]

Joking apart this spare wheel business has created problems, as if it wouldn't. There are many women that I've read about that can change over a wheel, i showed my wife how to do it a long time ago, and made her do it twice while I watched her, and no help from me.

Many women are being stranded for hours waiting for help due to not having a spare. It is especially dangerous at night in isolated areas. CRAZY!!

[douglas9401]

"There are many women that I've read about that can change over a wheel, i showed my wife how to do it a long time ago, and made her do it twice while I watched her, and no help from me."

Oh I say! That could have been lifted from Horseless Carriages And The Distaff Side by Maurice Oxford in 1905. 🤣

[barry1010]

Just looked at the brochure for your car and it should have a tyre inflation kit (no good for a blowout though).  It does state that a spare wheel and jack are optional extras.

https://cdn.group.renault.com/dac/gb/transversal-assets/brochures/model-brochures/Duster-eBrochure.pdf.asset.pdf/7bfca8fd88.pdf

[nicebloke1]

Well if you are a good way away from home with a flat at night and can't get anyone out, that could turn into sleeping in the car. I doubt you will have a flat right outside an hotel.

[woodchopper]

Reduces the cost of a new car - you can buy space saver spare wheels and jacks from fleabay from £100 upwards.

 

[renegadefm]

Problem is in our case a tyre inflation kit would not have helped as the tyre went bang, and the gash was too wide. 

I will be honest I have been driving since 1986, and all my cars had a spare wheel, and if memory serves me correctly it was part of the MOT to ensure the spare tyre was up to standard. 

But suddenly overnight it's okay not to have one. 

Maybe we should just ommit things from the car like lights, hand brake, we would never have to replace them, we could just stick a brick in front of the front wheel to stop it rolling away. 

What next take away the staring wheel? Oh wait that is on the horizon with driverless cars. I bet there will be punctureless tyres soon 😏

[barry1010]

It's always been okay to not have a spare wheel/tyre FOR MOT, but if there is one it must be road legal

[THECORBYLOON]

A spare tyre must be road legal for it to be used but it's not included in the MOT.

[bhg481]

And the really silly bit is that a space-saer spare must be road legal but if you take your car in for MoT with it on it will fail because it's a different size from all the other tyres.

[davebro3]

it's only recommended to drive a limited distance at up to 50 mph on a spacesaver - why would you still have it onfor the mot?

[William51]

 My Vauxhall Corsa has a compartment for a spare wheel but there is not one. It has a tyre foam inflater, so you pay twice, once to have a tyre fixed and once to buy a new foam inflater.

[barry1010]

I'd buy a spare wheel, William.  

[William51]

 I could do that Barry, but i am seeing how it goes, as i have never had to use the foam inflater for the seven years and i have got a good air inflator. 

[Hopkirk]

The spare wheel has never been part of the MOT test. If the spare had to be legal, you couldn't drive away after changing the wheel.

[fender62]

may sound cheap, buy a re-tread spare tyre and a jack from halfords..or off ebay...

[davebro3]

Sealant is not usually a permanent repair & some tyre shops may not want to repair a tyre after injected sealant has been used.

[bhg481]

davebro@21:28 - why would you have the spare on for the MoT? You got a puncture on the way there. You need a new tyre and have difficulty getting one (It took me 2 days once).

[davebro3]

bhg - wriggle away!😂

[renegadefm]

Can I just update, that my partners car which had a blow out on Thursday night, and to add she is a carer, the car has been parked up all weekend so far due to it being an Easter weekend and unable to get a replacement tyre. 

And it probably won't be fixed until Tuesday at the earliest. 

Manufacturers decision to not add a spare wheel these days has rendered her car unusable for 4 possibly 5 days. 

Is this progression? 

 

[THECORBYLOON]

Did you check to see if a mobile tyre-fitter could fit a new tyre?