Over 35% Of New Vehicles No Longer Have A Spare Tire - Do You Still Demand The Donut In The Trunk?

Nearly four in 10 new cars are sold without a most basic feature — the spare tire.

A study by the American Automobile Association, or AAA, found that 36 percent of 2015 models come with run-flat tires or tire inflation kits instead of a spare tire. That’s up from just 5 percent in 2006.

“Flat tires are not a disappearing problem, but spare tires are,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “AAA responds to more than 4 million calls for flat tire assistance annually and, despite advances in vehicle technology, we have not seen a decline in tire-related calls over the last five years.”

It’s a trend that cuts across all segments of the auto industry. Cars sold without spares as standard equipment include the Hyundai Elantra and almost all BMW models.

Vette71 - 12/3/2015 2:06:21 PM

+2 Boost

All my tire issues of late have been sidewall events, not tread. So I require at least a donut, but if it is a 4 wheel drive it has to have a full size spare. Absolutely no run flats.

mre30 - 12/3/2015 2:50:49 PM

+3 Boost

Run flats, or no run flats - you need a spare!

I have a BMW with run flats which I've gotten 6 flats with. 4 of the flats left the car still driveable and I went to dealer and bought a new $500 tire (w/labor and install).

2 of the flats required a flatbed to the dealer, a wait, a taxi home and then a taxi back to pick it up.

I won't take the BMW on trips further than 50 miles from my house because of this.

Two of my other cars (Mercedes) have normal spare tires (though the trend on newer Merc's is to do run flats with no spare).

They should at least sell you a spare as optional.

Vette71 - 12/3/2015 5:34:42 PM

+3 Boost

Reason BMW was quickly ruled out in my last purchase.

MDarringer - 12/5/2015 12:46:26 PM

+1 Boost

often a spare is available

monster - 12/3/2015 4:13:45 PM

+3 Boost

This is news to me. What cars don't have spare tires. I would avoid them like plagues.

supermoto - 12/3/2015 5:13:12 PM

+3 Boost

My BMW had runflats and no spare. Terrible! Afger a flat you could drive back home or to a tire repair shop, but no one will repair a runflat - so instead of $20 to plug the tire you pay $500 for a new tire! Never again.

dstampfer - 12/3/2015 10:37:37 PM

+2 Boost

This is true but no idea why. My 2nd to last puncture was on a 335i Michelin run flat with a long screw in the tread. Though no mainstream shop would do this, I found an independent place happy to do a repair and they actually unmounted it and formally repaired the puncture. Since then, I had another with a roofing nail and I was able to plug it myself-- no problems. I'm now back to driving an M3 with regular tires and no spare. I do limit where I drive and am uncomfortable going on longer road trips because of it. I'm not a big fan of the tire goo/inflator having used it once on an E46 M3 in 2004- that was a dismal failure and resulted in a flat bad tow to the dealer in another city on a Saturday.

7msynthetic - 12/3/2015 5:46:58 PM

+2 Boost

I THOUGHT THE NAME OF THIS WEBSITE WAS AUTOSPIES? NOT FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.

MDarringer - 12/3/2015 7:03:57 PM

0 Boost

I want a spare

stiffy - 12/7/2015 2:13:41 AM

+1 Boost

Around town it's not that much of a problem, but heading into the middle of nowhere worries me. Living in South Africa.

I reckon it boils down to your location and where you drive.

iamdabest1 - 12/7/2015 11:50:29 PM

+1 Boost

I'm currently on my 6th bmw and hate the fact that they don't have spare tires. all their cars have run flats which is kind of ok not to have a spare but with their "M" models they don't have run flats or a spare !!! it wasn't acceptable for me to drive like that so i went on a bmw forum and just built a spare tire that would fit in the trunk that i always had to carry and kill a small portion of that trunk.

TomM - 12/8/2015 6:50:18 PM

+1 Boost

In order to reduce the "weight"of a car for gas mileage standards - manufactures are dropping the spare tire. In only SOME instances - they have made it optional - I know that is the case with some FCA vehicles. THey are also downsizing Trunk space. This is primarily happening in smaller sports vehicles so far.

For years - My regular driver was a Ford Panther - with a FULL SIZE spare - that also had enough trunk space for 4 dead bodies and their luggage. I would prefer that to any other solution - but without at least some type of tempa-spare availability - MY money does not become available to purchase the vehicle - PERIOD. And I suspect that there are LOTS of people who still do not know that their car does not have a spare!