Spare tyres may not be the first thing you think about when renting a car, but it seems most car manufacturers are no longer including them. Recently there have been more and more unfortunate people finding out they don't have a spare tyre when they most need it. In fact, the RAC were contacted by 80,000 motorists who found themselves stranded in this situation.
So, who offers spares?....
| Number of Models | Full Size Spare | Space Saver | Repair Kit | |
| Audi | 12 | 0% | 75% | 25% |
| BMW* | 30 | N/A | N/A | 23% |
| Citroen | 15 | 53% | 0% | 47% |
| Chrysler | 4 | 0% | 50% | 50% |
| Fiat | 7 | 0% | 71% | 29% |
| Ford | 9 | 33% | 0% | 67% |
| Honda | 7 | 0% | 14% | 86% |
| Hyundai | 11 | 28% | 72% | 0% |
| Jeep | 3 | 67% | 33% | 0% |
| Mazda | 6 | 0% | 33% | 67% |
| Mercedes | 19 | 16% | 42% | 42% |
| MINI | 6 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| Nissan | 10 | 20% | 30% | 20% |
| Peugeot | 17 | 76% | 6% | 24% |
| SEAT | 6 | 0% | 17% | 66% |
| Skoda | 17 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| Suzuki | 9 | 6% | 67% | 22% |
| Toyota | 17 | 6% | 65% | 29% |
| Volvo | 10 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| VW | 18 | 33% | 44% | 17% |
*All BMW's get run-flat tyres, except M-badged models.
Tabel courtesy of AutoExpress.co.uk
There is a reason behind the lack of a spare tyre, representatives of top car manufacturers said they have begun to phase out the spare tyre in order to bring themselves in line with customer demand for better fuel efficiency, more boot space and lower vehicle prices.
However lighter alternatives are provided, such as tyre repair kits which involve a sealant to fix the tyre yourself. The kits have their benefits, some people don't know how to change a tyre, and even if you do it can be difficult on a busy roadside. The repair kit offers the quicker, less challenging option. Although if the puncture is bigger than 4mm the sealant will not cover it, even if the puncture is small and the sealant allows you to drive to the nearest garage they will often refuse to repair the tyre as its too expensive and time consuming to clean it out. This leaves the car hire company with only one option of buying a new tyre costing around £100, which of course you will be liable for!
We understand you won't be able to bring spare tyres back into fashion or avoid punctures, but one thing you can do is save yourself some money by making sure you're covered by iCarhireinsurance.com from £2.99 per day or £39.99 per year! Don't let your holiday go flat!
