Since running vehicles with run flats I've suffered just one puncture and that's in 50000 miles or 5 years. On that occasion the puncture must have happened locally as I parked up as normal with no signs of a puncture, in the morning the tyre was showing as deflated before I even got in, when I put the ignition on the sensors picked up the loss of pressure and "alarmed".

I drove the vehicle just over 500m to the local BMW dealer and it was sorted "free of charge". The tyre was totally deflated and the seal to the rim was broken, hence complete loss of air, they say you can drive "carefully" at 50mph for 50 miles, that is effluent from the bull! In my case to drive damage to the rim was avoided by driving very slowly, hazard lights on, etc.

They can and do repair "run flats" depending where on the tyre the "deflating object" is found. I like run flats, but I've driven most things including vehicles without tyres, however the problem is annoying and like Brian I can see it's done for cost saving, fuel efficeincy (more effluent from the bull) and to rip off the customer.

Just my thoughts

Well my last insignia had a spare but when I bought the new one ............ no spare just a repair kit,
I swapped them over before the part exchange

today a flat tyre, the garage said not repairable it had a neat hole in it about an eighth of an inch or so at an angle through the tread. Home now with the spare fitted, new tyre being delivered tomorrow.

Without the spare no car and no way to get home

P1040063.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

After much deliberation we have just changed our 2010 Freelander for a new Discovery Sport. The three things we wanted were a full size spare wheel, a manual gearbox and 5 seats. Most of these come with 7 seats, which means that there is no space for a full size wheel in the boot as the third row of seats fold down into what could be the spare wheel well. Consequently either a get you home wheel, slung underneath in a cradle, or no spare at all - just a compressor and a jar of jollop. Fortunately the dealer had a 5 seater version in stock which could accommodate a full size spare in the boot. The wheel was supplied at an additional cost of £590.00. I hung on to the compressor which was originally supplied but declined the offer of a jack for £70.00 (I kept the Freelander jack). However, considering this is a very capable 4x4 vehicle built to be used off road I am surprised that all models are not supplied with a proper spare. It is not practical to just have an emergency get you home wheel, especially for those of us who will use the vehicle off road, albeit occasionally.

When I ordered my new Skoda Octavia, I specified a spare wheel. It was £50 extra and for that I got a full size steel wheel and tyre plus all the jacking kit. Good price for once :)

Quote: Ray Lawrence wrote in post #19

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When I ordered my new Skoda Octavia, I specified a spare wheel. It was £50 extra and for that I got a full size steel wheel and tyre plus all the jacking kit. Good price for once :)

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