Flat tire

[smkettner]

As a AAA member you were charged $150 for the tow??

 

[derkraut]

So I got my Leaf (aka the "Roadster") mid June. I've been traveling so to date I only have put on about 400 miles. However, today driving back from rural north east San Diego to my home in south Orange County (64 miles, lots of freeways with little range anxiety!) I get on the 5 north from the 76 and start looking for a truck to draft for my 30 miles on the freeway and BAM the damn car starts shaking. The rear passenger tire is totally flat. I didn't know I could call Nissan and instead called AAA (long term member). I get the car towed to the dealership who just called me and said I ran over a nail and my rim needs to be replaced. $500 for the rim, $90 for the tire, $150 for the tow (flatbed)...geez...Adding insult to injury, the rim "should arrive in 5 or 6 days"....ug...

I do not think I ever had a flat while driving (31 years behind the wheel)....

Good Grief! I've never heard of a $740.00 flat tire repair before. Did you bend over at the appropriate time? :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:

 

[garygid]

Save the "damaged" rim for us to examine. PM me to meet up.
Use it to hold a future spare tire, unless the rim is ACTUALLY unsafe to use.

 

[davewill]

$500 for one rim? For that it seems like you could almost get a set.

 

[garygid]

We priced the stock rims at Cerritos Nissan, and with our forum 20% off, it was just a bit over $400 for one rim, as I recall.

 

[GerryAZ]

So I got my Leaf (aka the "Roadster") mid June. I've been traveling so to date I only have put on about 400 miles. However, today driving back from rural north east San Diego to my home in south Orange County (64 miles, lots of freeways with little range anxiety!) I get on the 5 north from the 76 and start looking for a truck to draft for my 30 miles on the freeway and BAM the damn car starts shaking. The rear passenger tire is totally flat. I didn't know I could call Nissan and instead called AAA (long term member). I get the car towed to the dealership who just called me and said I ran over a nail and my rim needs to be replaced. $500 for the rim, $90 for the tire, $150 for the tow (flatbed)...geez...Adding insult to injury, the rim "should arrive in 5 or 6 days"....ug...

I do not think I ever had a flat while driving (31 years behind the wheel)....

I suggest you have the dealer check your TPMS system. With a nail hole, you should have received a low tire pressure alarm well before the tire overheated to the point of sudden failure. I have had several flat tires on vehicles with TPMS systems and each time the alarm gave ample time to stop. The worst case was on a city street in Phoenix where a piece of metal cut a large gash through the center of the tread (through 2 steel belts) causing rapid pressure loss, but the alarm still gave enough warning to allow me to get off the road into a parking lot without damaging the rim.

I have been planning to get a spare to at least keep in my garage so I got a quote on Saturday from my dealer for a wheel $500 and tire $130, which match what your dealer is charging you. The wheel was special order and I can get a tire from Costco for less so I did not order anything yet.

Gerry

 

[EVDRIVER]

Order a wheel online, I bet it is far less. Try parts.com with the wheel part number.

 

[palmermd]

$500 for one rim? For that it seems like you could almost get a set.

I've got a complete set of Leaf rims I'll sell for $500. Right now they are just taking up space in the garage. I never knew there were so many people looking for stock wheels.

 

[mwalsh]

I've got a complete set of Leaf rims I'll sell for $500. Right now they are just taking up space in the garage. I never knew there were so many people looking for stock wheels.

Is that just the bare rims Michael? We're interested in getting a set down here in SoCal.

 

[palmermd]

yep, I took the tires off and put them on my new wheels. They will also need valve stems as I took those too as the valve stem and tire pressure monitor are one unit.

 

[BudRaymond]

i have a 12 volt air pump (weighs about 3 lbs) that runs around in the Prius, will probably get one of those for the Leaf.

But you already have an air pump in the LEAF, don't you? They make it sound like it's for pumping that goop into the tire, but it's a real air pump, and you don't have to attach that expensive can of stuff to it when you use it.

Ray

Exactly what I was thinking. We have an OEM pump that does not have to be used with the FixaFlat solution. If you leave the orange screw-in plug firmly in place, it works just fine as a regular tire pump.

 

[Rancher]

I can't recall who said what, but below are some additional thoughts/answers:

1. Yes, $150 for the tow. Been a AAA member for 19 years and they have my insurance as well. I get, I think, 9 tow miles free and the rest was something like $9 per mile. I had it towed about 25 miles total (camp pendleton to san juan capistrano). I wasn't paying attention. I was told that if I pay extra annual dues, I'll get 100 mile free tow.
2. I'll ask the dealer to give me the old rim. It was pretty beat up as by the time I pulled over I could hear the rim on the pavement. The dealer was concerned that the rim would "seal properly".
3. I was looking at the dashboard when the car started shaking for the TPG to light up. It didn't happen until I was stopped. I found that pretty odd and told the dealer (full disclosure, things were happening pretty fast, so it might have lit moments prior to me stopping but definitely not when I thought it should). I also told them to re-check the TPM on that tire and the others.
4. I asked the dealer to give the car a full inspection (damage from the blow out, damage from the tow, etc.).
5. I was thinking of changing out my rims to add a little "bling" to the car. To the person that appears to have done that, do you have any photos you can post or send to me? I am a little reluctant because I have this (naive?) thought that Nissan has fine tuned the car so well that changing the rims will decrease my range...and I really don't need any more range anxiety in my life!

 

[davewill]

5. I was thinking of changing out my rims to add a little "bling" to the car. To the person that appears to have done that, do you have any photos you can post or send to me? I am a little reluctant because I have this (naive?) thought that Nissan has fine tuned the car so well that changing the rims will decrease my range...and I really don't need any more range anxiety in my life!

$500 might put you a long way towards four new rims. As long as they don't stick out or weigh more, I can't see how they'd make range worse...if lighter they should improve it. I'd quickly shop before that OEM rim gets in and see if it made sense to go that way.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

Does anyone know if the LEAF wheels are unique? I've been thinking of going to a used tire place and just buying a used tire and wheel and keeping them in the garage. I see no need to get a new tire and factory wheel just to get me through a tire replacement due to a flat.
G

 

[myleaf]

there was a thread called "Space Saver Spare" where a somewhat compatible spare from an Altima was discussed.

 

[saywatt]

Easter noon at the grocery store and we have a disabled Red Leaf 2. No spare (as most of you know). No jack either. Cute little air pump with the hidden button does a respectable job of producing a hissing sound from a hole in the sidewall. Now what Leaf Lovers?

Didn't you get the FREE road service with your LEAF :?:

 

[TonyWilliams]

Does anyone know if the LEAF wheels are unique? I've been thinking of going to a used tire place and just buying a used tire and wheel and keeping them in the garage. I see no need to get a new tire and factory wheel just to get me through a tire replacement due to a flat.
G

If you're talking about a spare tire/wheel, the specification of the bolt pattern is 4.5 inch times 5 holes. The late model Altima wheel will fit, and the 16" tire is slightly taller than the stock LEAF wheels.

The late model Quest mini-van uses the same basic spare rim, with a slightly smaller diameter tire. All are very cheap at your local junk yard.

With a little bit of work, you can mount the spare behind the rear axle. Also, be sure and get a jack from the Altima. The LEAF comes with a lug wrench.