Poll: How Often Have You Had A Flat Tire?

[Midpack]

I voted 20 simply because I cannot remember. I assume the OP meant one that left you stranded or required a tire change by the roadside. I did have one (Slow) that I noticed in my garage after the car's tire pressure system complained I left the nail in and drove it to a local garage. $24 later came out with the repair.

Yes, I should’ve stipulated that.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

We've actually had several. All screws, etc. I had one where the side wall developed a bubble that caused it to fail inspection.

I've had two flats on run-flat tires. They work quite well to get you to a repair place. Unfortunately, they aren't repairable and quite pricey to replace. I also think they are noisy. A+ for convenience, D otherwise.

The mini-donut worked well too.

DD just had a screw-caused flat (in a nearly new tire!). We have roadside assistance. The guy who showed up didn't put on a spare. He just did a plug on the tire and told her to take it to a repair place. Every place she called would not repair a tire that has been plugged. And everything I read said plugs were not long term solutions. So ... we bought another new tire.

Of our current family fleet, one has goo you spray in and a compressor. The others have spares. They just need to get used!

 

[CincyDave]

Never had a flat that left me stranded at the side of the road. Do pick up a nail or screw in one of the cars every couple of years and alerted by TPMS warning system. I plug them if I can. Also the company owned Goodyear stations around me will fix it free if you have Goodyear tires. They use a plug/patch which is better than just a plug. Both vehicles have full size spares.

 

[freedomatlast]

We disagree.

Gamblin' man eh?

 

[Car-Guy]

When I was much younger, I could change a flat with my bumper jack in <15 minutes. Of course my spare tire and jack were just thrown in my trunk and not really locked down or properly put away.

True Story:

Fast forward to "these days". Last year (In May or June I think) I had a fast leaking tire and had to change it on the road. It was on a hot and humid night around midnight. I was to far to make it home and had no cell service, so I was stuck. I was in one of my trucks so I had a full sized spare but it still took me about an hour to change the tire. Why, well I tried using a large can of fix-a-flat. That was worthless. Then I tried to locate the leak while the tire was still on the truck so I could plug it. Couldn't find it. Now I'm out of easy options and had to use the spare.

So now I had to get the jack and tools out from under the drivers seat. It must have been packed in that tight/cramped spot at the factory by a midget and tied down by the strongest man in the world. Anyway, I finally got all that stuff out and was able to jack up the truck and change the tire pretty quick at that point. (But taking a break every 5 minutes) Truck tires are really heavy and it was a really hot night. Then I threw the flat tire and tools in the truck bed and took off.

So what was a 15 minute quick/simple fix 50 years ago, is now a epic travel event.

 

[sengsational]

If you can keep driving on it (run flat or pump it up), it's not about having a spare, is it? So many of the posts aren't quite on the bull's-eye of the "gimme a dang spare" rant.

I've changed a few tires on the side of the road. I like not being at the mercy of a tow truck company. I guess the ever tightening fuel efficiency demands outweigh the customer preference of those of us that would actually use the spare. I'm pretty sure 75% of my extended family would not change a tire on the side of the road, even if they had a spare and training. So why lug around the extra weight if it's going to go unused most of the time? Then the car designers drewl at what they can do with the extra space or how they can slice off some MPG.

 

[Car-Guy]

So why lug around the extra weight if it's going to go unused most of the time? Then the car designers drewl at what they can do with the extra space or how they can slice off some MPG.

That made me laugh a bit.. I have two full sized trucks today, both with V8 engines. One gets "almost" 14 mpg, the other is less than 12. I doubt the designers gave much thought to dropping the spare to improve mileage. I doubt it would help if I did remove the spare and associated tools. Maybe, but I doubt it.

 

[Zathras]

Gamblin' man eh?

Not speaking for the OP, the thread is a poll on exactly the question you dismissed in your reply.
The topic is “How often have you had a flat tire”, so saying the question isn’t how often…

 

[Andre1969]

That made me laugh a bit.. I have two full sized trucks today, both with V8 engines. One gets "almost" 14 mpg, the other is less than 12. I doubt the designers gave much thought to dropping the spare to improve mileage. I doubt it would help if I did remove the spare and associated tools. Maybe, but I doubt it.

It would help, from the auto maker's perspective, but not yours. Any mileage gain you'd see would be inconsequential. However, when dealing with Corporate Average Fuel Econony (CAFE) standards, they're looking to eke out any mpg improvement they can get, to boost the fleet averages up.

Nowadays I think there's some formula that takes the "footprint" of a vehicle into account, but in the old days, there were two standards: passenger cars and trucks. And what comprised a "truck" isn't what you might think. The Dodge Magnum (the wagon of the 2000's, not the "Adult Toy from Dodge" of '78-79 vintage) was actually classified as a truck! It has something to do with ascent/departure angles or something like that...basically if you have less front/rear overhang, you can approach steeper angles without scraping. And it has to have a flat load floor behind the front seat. Either with any back seats taken out, or folded flat.

Actually, I think there may have been four standards for awhile: Domestic cars, domestic trucks, and foreign cars and foreign trucks. I remember reading that Ford put just enough non-US/Canada content into their Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car in some later years, that they actually qualified as foreign cars!

But anyway, trucks have traditionally been held to a lower standard than passenger cars, so there was less incentive to jetison the extra weight.

Also, for those CAFE standards, they take the raw, unadjusted economy ratings of the vehicles, not what's on the window sticker. And those raw numbers are pretty generous. I remember my old Intrepid, which was rated 21/29, was something like 24/28 by the raw laboratory numbers. And, since then, they've adjusted the window sticker numbers down somewhat. Under the new metrics, which came into play around 2008 I think, my old Intrepid is rated around 18/27.

 

[pacergal]

My only one was over 30 years ago, driving home from work. Luckily I was close enough to a tire place, even though it was after 5pm and they were closing, when I got out of the car, very much 8-9 months pregnant, they did a tire change for me!

Driving with DH, we have had a few flat tires, maybe 3-4. Last one over 20 years ago where he had to change to the spare, most happen when we are close enough to home and drive (slow leak from a nail or screw) to a nearby garage or tire place.

 

[Car-Guy]

Nowadays I think there's some formula that takes the "footprint" of a vehicle into account, but in the old days, there were two standards: passenger cars and trucks. And what comprised a "truck" isn't what you might think. The Dodge Magnum (the wagon of the 2000's, not the "Adult Toy from Dodge" of '78-79 vintage) was actually classified as a truck! It has something to do with ascent/departure angles or something like that...basically if you have less front/rear overhang, you can approach steeper angles without scraping. And it has to have a flat load floor behind the front seat. Either with any back seats taken out, or folded flat.

No doubt with the way they define/twist the meanings of things today. Anyway, I know a truck when I see one, just like I know a cloud or a tree when I see one or a (well maybe I better not use that one.)

 

[Sunset]

My experience:
A flat needing changing is on average every 15 years.
I did also have some slow leaks due to a nail in the tire, my low pressure warning light told me. I pumped up the tire and drove to get it patched for $25 each. Both in the same week

 

[Willers]

I look at this a little differently than others. I view a spare as an insurance policy against the possibility of being stranded for hours at the side of the road. It is like homeowners insurance. I've never had a flood or fire in home, but I'm glad to have insurance if I do.

It is the same with a spare. I can change it quickly and at least get to my destination (or at least somewhere it can conveniently be fixed). Without it you are at the mercy of "roadside assistance."

 

[Teacher Terry]

I hadn’t had a flat tire in 30 years and then had 3 in 18 months. I realized that I was driving by apartments being built and probably getting nails there so changed my route and solved the problem.

Then the roadside service guy said my donut spare was in bad shape so I bought a full size spare. That came in handy for my next flat as I used the spare for 2 weeks until my tire arrived.

 

[rk911]

First rule of Fight Club...and flat inflatable automobile support devices is it's bad juju to talk about either.

 

[yakers]

Have run flat tires on DWs 2023 Bolt so no spare (does have a 'slime' kit. Satisfie with this for around town and that is where we drive it. If I 'upgrade' the tires I will have o think about a spare.

 

[Midpack]

I look at this a little differently than others. I view a spare as an insurance policy against the possibility of being stranded for hours at the side of the road. It is like homeowners insurance. I've never had a flood or fire in home, but I'm glad to have insurance if I do.

There’s a difference between being stranded once every 2-3 years versus once every 50 years.

And homeowners insurance isn’t analogous at all. You could have a very expensive loss to cover without home insurance. A flat tire is a nuisance, nothing like the cost…

 

[Happyras]

OK our current vehicle is a BMW 2020 that came with run flats. I had 3 tires requiring repair, which BMW will not do, but America's Tire does for free. I used slime in 2 and plugged one. It now has 22K miles, and the run flats needed to be replaced.

The last flat was scary as we were heading to the airport (of course) and a plug blew out. I drove and parked and came back to it a few weeks later. I tried to plug it and inflate it at a service station that charged for air, of course no air available.

So I drove home flat and ruined the tire sidewalls. I went to Americas Tire and bought some great real tires, Michelin Cross Climate 2, not run flats.

With my luck and no spare I fitted the car with a small 12v compressor, some canned slime and a plug kit and I hope to never need them. But I would not drive without some back up having no spare and no run flat tires.....

 

[Qs Laptop]

So now I had to get the jack and tools out from under the drivers seat. It must have been packed in that tight/cramped spot at the factory by a midget and tied down by the strongest man in the world. Anyway, I finally got all that stuff out and was able to jack up the truck and change the tire pretty quick at that point.

I'm surprised the bolt holding the jack to the floor wasn't rusted in place on the underside of the chassis. That's a common problem with certain trucks, like my Ram pickup. Every spring I zap that bolt with some rust penetrant, which is my voodoo attempt to ward off flat tires.

 

[nobody]

2005 Tacoma, paid cash when brand new, my spare is probably rusted in, never used it. Last flat, probably 40 years ago. I run bigger heavy duty tires to offroad so its just a SHTF backup. I have had a few small leaks that are just annoying. I carry a small compressor, mostly used to air up after off roading.

 

[badatmath]

There’s a difference between being stranded once every 2-3 years versus once every 50 years.

And homeowners insurance isn’t analogous at all. You could have a very expensive loss to cover without home insurance. A flat tire is a nuisance, nothing like the cost…

A flat tire is more than a nuisance if you are stranded in the wrong spot. Say the AZ desert in summer without sufficient water. . . I am including "in town" here too where most do not carry a lot of water. Or buy a busy free way where your car will be hit if left for hours. Not uncommon.

 

[GenXguy]

I've probably had 8 to 12 over my driving lifetime in a car I was driving. They always had a spare. I would not find it acceptable to not have one. I'll have to be sure to check on that the next time I get a new car.

 

[Dash man]

PA has the worst roads. But my only flat was due to the township cutting out the asphalt around a manhole cover and not marking it as a hazard. It’s a main road though our town and it was night time when I hit it and destroyed my tire. Fortunately I had a spare, but I was very shaken up. Car needed a wheel alignment besides the new tire.
My current car has run flat tires and no spare.

 

[Montecfo]

My recent purchase has run flats. I'm planning to replace them with regular tires for far better driving experience.

In the small compartment in the trunk put a can of flat fix and a Bible.

 

[skyking1]

We've had a few notable encounters. One time some steel fell off a truck ahead of us on the proverbial dark and rainy night, and damaged both right side tires. It was a Christmas eve run to see my family. I put the spare on for the totally destroyed tire, and we had a can of fix-a-flat for the leaking one.
We limped on in and the first business day after Christmas we replaced the damaged ones.
When we go on a road trip out of state with the trailer, I have two spares for the truck and two for the trailer because of that encounter.