If you get stuck with a flat tire, don’t just assume there's a spare in your trunk. Tisha Owens recently learned the hard way that her brand-new Toyota Prius didn’t come with a spare.
"It was an ordinary day going to work. It was dark still, though, and I hit a pothole," Owens said.
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After making it to her work parking garage, she and her husband opened the trunk to get the spare tire — or so they thought.
"There was nothing. There was Styrofoam and a little kit, a tire inflation kit, and our jaws dropped," Owens said. "I still thought it was just new vehicle Styrofoam that we had not pulled out yet."
WATCH: A woman opens her car's trunk to find nothing but Styrofoam where the spare should be
Not even a ‘donut’
College student Courtney McKeown ran into the same issue about a year ago. When she had a flat, she said she called AAA, assuming the driver would simply swap out the spare tire.
"We thought it would be in there," she said. "So we opened that up and realized there wasn't a spare tire."
Her Jeep didn’t even include a temporary 'donut' tire, just a little air pump.
"In our case, it wouldn't have worked because the hole was in the sidewall," said her father, Chris McKeown.
Owens said the tire kit included in her vehicle didn't work either.
"That's one thing I really want to emphasize. It is not a fix for all tire punctures or flat tires," Owens said.
More automakers ditch the spare
Many new cars are missing the spare as a way to shed costs and pounds, said Michael Crossen, an automotive technician with Consumer Reports.
"It costs less not to have to include a spare tire in the vehicle, but we also save weight. And that helps with fuel economy and less tailpipe emissions," Crossen said.
Testing by Consumer Reports found:
- Only 9% of cars have come with a full-sized spare since 2020
- 46% still come with a space-saver or donut tire
- 34% include a compressor and sealant kit
- A small percentage of vehicles (4%) come with nothing at all
After taking her flat tire to the shop for a fix, Owens is warning other car buyers to ask their dealer if a spare is included.
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"Without that, you're really vulnerable and you are going to be reliant on a tow truck that may not be able to get you out of the place that you're stuck," Owens said.
If your vehicle does not have a spare tire, consider buying a spare or a donut.
Consumer Reports also recommends having a basic safety kit in your trunk equipped with a flashlight and reflective hazard triangles or road flares.
"As a vehicle owner, you definitely should know what you have in your vehicle. You want to be familiar with it now rather than when you need it on the side of the road in the dark," Crossen said.
Check your trunk now so you're not caught without a spare when you need it, so you don’t waste your money.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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