Got a flat tire on your Tesla?
If you have a Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model S or Model X you might have been disappointed to learn that it does not come with a spare tire!
Table of Contents
Why Is There No Spare Tire in A Tesla?
A lot of modern cars do not have a spare mainly due to weight and space savings.
This is especially important when you have an electric car and every ounce counts towards the range.
Tesla did an analysis and found out that spare tires are used rarely enough (15% of the time) that we can afford to not have one with us.
What Should You Do If You Have A Flat Tire On Your Tesla?
Tesla’s solution to a punctured tire is 2 fold.
First, they have added a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) that will warn you as soon as your tire pressure starts to drop. The idea is that this will give you enough time in most cases to get somewhere for help. Or at least closer to a tire repair shop or garage.
Unfortunately, the TPMS on Tesla’s is not always accurate or the threshold is too low for it to show a warning in time to help you.
In any case, the options for a spare tire are as follows:
Call Roadside Assistance
If your vehicle is under warranty you can always call Tesla Roadside Assistance (Note: All the numbers are here) and the Tesla mobile service will come to you and either repair your tire or give you a spare they have with them. In some cases, they just get you to pay for it later.
Of course, that means waiting for them to arrive, which can take as little as 15 minutes or a number of hours. Depending on where you are and how busy they are.
The other option is to just call a tow truck, but that can also take a long time.
Carrying A Tire Repair Kit
A tire repair kit is a modern solution to carrying an extra tire. It is designed to stop a leak for a while so that you can get to a tire shop and get your tire repaired.
The challenge with repairing Tesla tires is that they have a noise-dampening foam inside them that makes them a little tougher to fix. This is why buying their kit makes the most sense.
Tesla’s Tire Repair Kit
Tesla actually sells their own repair kit, but unfortunately at the time of writing (November 2021) it was no longer available. A site in Canada has reported that it is not available for the moment due to supply issues (a common problem during COVID) and they will release an updated version in the coming months.
This also makes a great Christmas or birthday gift for any Tesla owner.
Other Repair Kits
It is hard to know if a non-Tesla kit is going to work, however, this repair kit has a review in the comments from a Model S owner who was very happy.
Related: Read our Tesla Tire Rotation Guide
Carrying A Spare Wheel
My personal preference is always to have a spare wheel with me. However, the trunk of the Tesla Model 3 (or any other model) is not designed with a specific wheel well in it.
So, you have the option of carrying a spare wheel in your trunk! This obviously takes a lot of space, but if you are not traveling and don’t need the trunk space for anything, it is an option to just buy a spare wheel from Tesla.
If you want something a little slimmer, there are specific spare tires available from third-party suppliers like Modern Spare. They have made specific Tesla wheels for each model that fit all wheel sizes. So, if you have a 19″ on your Model 3 or Model Y, or an 18″, it does not matter. Their spare fits them all.
They have various packages available so you can choose what you want with the wheel, but since Tesla has not planned for you to change your wheel – keep in mind you need everything (jack, lug wrench, tire bag).
