For the model year 2017, one-third of vehicles do not have a spare tire as part of standard equipment, according to the AAA.
Automakers are eliminating spare tires to decrease vehicle weight and increase fuel economy and replacing them with tire pressure monitoring systems and tire-inflator kits. This move, however, means drivers will have the unnecessary hassle and extra expense when they experience a flat tire.
The AAA answered more than 450,000 calls from members who had a flat and no spare tire in 2016.
“Having a flat tire can be a nuisance for drivers, but not having a spare could put them in an even more aggravating situation,” John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair, said. “This can turn the relatively routine process of changing a tire at the roadside into an inconvenient and costly situation that requires a tow to a repair facility.”
Having a spare tire does not mean drivers will use them. Approximately 20 percent of drivers, or 39 million people, do not know how to change a tire, and having a flat is one of the top reasons members call AAA.
The AAA also found tire-inflator kits are ineffective for some types of tire issues, have a short shelf life, and cost 10 times more than a tire repair.