"Don't Need No Stinkin Spare"

[a2jack]

Title of this post, " Don't need no stinkin spare" is a paraphrase from an old move, and not the words of Redbluff.

redbluff

Location: Dayton, Ohio


"Smart Car Day From Hell"

"Started off with my wife dropping her new Prius off for regular service. Then drove her to work. Going down the interstate I see the tire pressure light come on as I exit the interstate. Lucky for me I turned into a Tire Discounters store so I drove on the flat about a quarter mile. Right rear was flat. Now the fun begins. They looked at the tire while on the car and said it could not be patched. Huge piece of metal in it. So they call every distributor they had and no tire that size anywhere. So I call Smart Roadside and ask them to get me a tow truck so we can tow it two hours away to Smart dealer. Two hours later the tow shows up. The dealer has no tire either but said they could get one by end of day. Tire came in and they checked the wheel and car out for any damage and I was back on my way."

"Couple of points I learned:"

"Tire store had no idea where to jack the car up even if they had a tire and nothing in the manual to tell them where."

"Tow driver had no idea how to winch the car on the flatbed except with the tow hook but the car has to be strapped down front and rear once on the truck. You need two tow hooks!"

"Dealer advised me there was only one place in the country to get tires right now and that is someone in Cleveland Ohio."

"Poor service front 800 Smart. They keep arguing with me about wanting to be sure I knew they were not paying for the tow or tire. Actually delayed getting me help and it took two calls and on hold for up to 15 minutes one time. They were horrible."


"Tow was $255 and the tire mounted and balanced was $1 it took from 8:15am to 6pm by the time it was all said and done. Needless to say I am not happy with the Smart right now. Tires, oil filters, bulbs are too hard to find for those of us away from dealers. And with a limited amount of cars coming into country there is no rush for third parties to stock parts. The manager at the Tire Discounter told his owner had decided not to stock tires or upgraded wheels for Smart as he thinks its a quick fad and will disappear". Here is the link to Redbluff's thread.

Smart Car Day From Hell (tire repair)

Many thanks to Redbluff. BTW. You need only the front wheel and tire, as it will go on the rear as well." A2Jack



Our Spare from Tire Rack. Bag from the Bag Lady. A2Jack.

[cosmart]

Since the car has been available in Europe for some time, how are the dealing with the issue there? More dealers? Smoother and cleaner roads?

This is another nail in the coffin for my smart order.

That Yaris is looking pretty good.

[Steven79]

Originally Posted by cosmart

Since the car has been available in Europe for some time, how are the dealing with the issue there? More dealers? Smoother and cleaner roads?

This is another nail in the coffin for my smart order.

That Yaris is looking pretty good.

kthnxbye.

[a2jack]

Cosmart. Nothing to deal with. Buy a spare.

This is the first Micro car sold in the US in decades. We now have 3,300 fun miles on ours and we love it.

We are now desperate to hold down the miles, but no one wants to drive the other cars any more.

If you love unusual little cars, this one is the gem of all times... The Yaris is pedestrian alongside this.

Only the Kei cars can compare, and they are not for sale in the US. You will be sorry if you pass this chance to own one.

A2Jack.

[jayhead000]

yeah i do not see the problem with buying a spare, especially if you can get a bag for it :P I usually buy a full size spare for my cars anyways. Once people realize its not a fad/wait 6 months, it will be like every other car. I can't believe that guy said that anyways.. oh well lets prove him wrong! Gas prices have been proven not to be a fad so I fail to see his logic.

P.S. The Yaris is cool, but the Smart is a GREAT value in comparison... by the time you add ABS, Side Airbags, wheels, and such the Yaris comes in at about 15,500-16,000. About 2,000 more than the Passion.... and WITHOUT a sunroof or the little luxury items in the Smart!! Just remember I am a hardcore Toyota fan, and am very picky with cars, so if the Smart can win me from the flock, it is worth it!

[bazman]

I know it wouldn't have been much use in your particular situation ("a large piece of metal inthe tyre") but one of the popular "add-ons" in the UK is a tyre repair aerosol (I think it's called Tyre Weld) and a miniature 12V pump (these often sell on EBay).

On the 450 Smart this is stored under the mat in the passenger footwell, I am not sure if the 451 has this facility but you could store it in the boot (trunk)

hope this helps !

[spikey01]

A lot of hi-performance cars come with run flat tires. Why not a low performance Smart Run flat? Seems like somebody would be interested in making the right size.

[dcrooks]

Originally Posted by bazman

I know it wouldn't have been much use in your particular situation ("a large piece of metal inthe tyre") but one of the popular "add-ons" in the UK is a tyre repair aerosol (I think it's called Tyre Weld) and a miniature 12V pump (these often sell on EBay).

On the 450 Smart this is stored under the mat in the passenger footwell, I am not sure if the 451 has this facility but you could store it in the boot (trunk)

hope this helps !

Yes, the 451 has the tire repair kit under the passenger footwell.

I would love to find a spare and keep it in the garage...

[rgaus]

Originally Posted by spikey01

A lot of hi-performance cars come with run flat tires. Why not a low performance Smart Run flat? Seems like somebody would be interested in making the right size.

That's probably the best answer if the ride wasn't too rough and if somebody felt they could make enough to justify the unique sizes. Still, Ultraseal or some other preventive sealant should be considered despite its potential to gum up the pressure loss devices. If no pressure is being lost, the devices aren't really being disabled as much as being made unnecessary. If all of the US Postal Service vehicles use Ultraseal, there must be some wisdom in its use. At least it's another option to consider. Wouldn't have prevented that "big piece of steel" problem in this thread's example, but it would take care of any 1/4" screw or nail or similar puncture without even stopping the car. Again, endorsed by Evilution as a good option... at least on the 450's, not sure how he feels about the 451's. Just a thought.

Ron Gaus, asmartcar.com

[kinschan]

Sorry to hear about your experience. I picked my passion last Thursday. I bought the tire & wheel insurance/service contract. It covers towing to the "nearest Smartcenter", the cost of the tire and the wheel if it not serviceable. There is no limit of how many time you can use it. Normally, I don't like to buy any extra insurance but this seems to be worthwhile with no spare tire on board. I'm delaying decision on the extended warranty because I was told I have until a day before the 1st anniversary date to purchase. The tire warranty has to be purchased at time of delivery. I hope I made the right choice.