For decades, getting a flat tire usually meant one thing: open the trunk, pull out the spare, grab the jack and lug wrench, and get to work. But that’s become less common lately.
Many modern cars no longer come with a traditional spare tire, leaving drivers with an inflation kit, run-flat tires, roadside assistance—or, in some cases, a surprisingly large empty compartment underneath the cargo floor. So where did the spare tire go?
The answer is not simply that automakers decided to cut corners. The disappearance of the spare is the result of several competing priorities, including weight, fuel economy, cargo space, emissions targets, manufacturing costs, and changing tire technology.
A Spare Tire Adds Weight And Takes Up Space
One of the biggest reasons automakers have moved away from spare tires is weight.
A full-size spare tire can be surprisingly heavy, and even a smaller temporary “donut” spare adds the weight of the tire itself plus a wheel, jack, and other equipment. Removing that equipment allows automakers to reduce the vehicle’s overall weight.
Every pound matters when manufacturers are trying to improve fuel economy and meet increasingly strict efficiency requirements. A lighter vehicle generally requires less energy to accelerate, so eliminating equipment that might spend most of its life unused can provide a small efficiency benefit.
The space savings can matter, too. Removing the spare-tire well gives designers additional room for cargo, batteries, exhaust components, or other equipment. Mind you, many drivers are not buying automakers’ “excuses” for not fitting a spare tire and are taking matters into their own hands, like the Toyota GR Corolla owner in the video below.
Run-Flat Tires And Repair Kits Changed The Equation
The disappearance of the spare doesn’t necessarily mean drivers are left completely helpless after a puncture.
Some vehicles use run-flat tires designed to remain drivable for a limited distance after losing air. Others come with a tire-inflation compressor and sealant designed to temporarily repair a relatively small puncture.
These alternatives allow automakers to eliminate the spare without eliminating roadside puncture protection. But they’re not universal solutions. A run-flat tire won’t necessarily solve every type of tire damage, while sealant kits generally aren’t designed for large punctures, damaged sidewalls, or severely compromised tires.
That means drivers should know what their particular vehicle is equipped with before they find themselves stranded on the side of the road.
Modern Cars Have More Ways To Warn You About Tire Problems
Tire-pressure monitoring systems have also changed how drivers interact with their tires. Instead of discovering a low tire only after the vehicle begins pulling to one side or the tire looks visibly deflated, modern cars can alert the driver when tire pressure falls below a specified threshold.
That doesn’t prevent punctures, but it can give drivers an opportunity to address a slowly leaking tire before it becomes completely flat.
Some vehicles also provide roadside assistance as part of their connected-car services. For manufacturers, that creates another alternative to carrying equipment that might never be used.
The Spare Tire Didn’t Disappear For Just One Reason
There is not a single explanation for why a particular vehicle lacks a spare. Automakers make different decisions based on the vehicle’s design, market, tire specifications, and equipment. Common reasons include:
Lower weight: Removing the spare and jack can reduce vehicle mass.
Better efficiency: Less weight can help manufacturers meet fuel-economy and emissions targets.
More cargo room: Eliminating the spare-tire well can free up space.
Run-flat tires: Some vehicles can travel a limited distance after losing tire pressure.
Inflation kits: Compressors and sealants take up considerably less room than a spare.
Electrification: EVs often use the space that might otherwise house a spare for batteries or other components.
Manufacturing costs: Eliminating the spare, jack, and related hardware can reduce production costs.
The trade-off is straightforward: the vehicle becomes lighter and gains usable space, but the driver loses a familiar emergency backup.
Drivers Aren’t Sold On The Spare-Tire Trade-Off
Recent Reddit discussions show that the move away from spare tires remains a sore subject for some drivers. In a recent r/tires thread, a shopper considering a Honda CR-V Hybrid questioned whether an inflator and sealant kit would be enough in a serious puncture. Other commenters pointed out that those kits can’t address problems such as sidewall damage, wheel damage, blowouts or large punctures.
The concern is not limited to hybrids. In a 2024 r/cars discussion, one driver described using a spare after a highway tire failure while waiting for roadside assistance proved impractical. The thread sparked a broader debate over whether carrying a spare provides an important backup, particularly for drivers traveling away from populated areas.EV owners have raised similar concerns. In a 2026 r/CarsAustralia thread, commenters noted that the lack of a spare is not exclusive to EVs, with some hybrids and gasoline-powered cars also relying on sealant or repair kits. One owner recalled being stranded for hours after a tire suffered damage that a sealant-and-pump setup couldn’t repair.
Still, not everyone considers the missing spare a major problem. A 2026 r/CRV discussion included drivers who said they simply rely on roadside assistance, while others recommended buying a compatible spare and accepting the loss of some cargo space.
The Reddit discussions ultimately highlight the real trade-off: repair kits and roadside assistance can work for many routine punctures, but neither replaces the flexibility and peace of mind of having a physical spare when a tire suffers damage that cannot be repaired.
What To Check Before You Get A Flat
The most important thing is not whether your car has a spare; it’s knowing what it has instead.
Check the owner’s manual and inspect the cargo area for a spare, jack, compressor or tire-sealant kit. If your vehicle uses run-flat tires, understand how far and how fast the manufacturer says you can drive after a loss of pressure.
It’s also worth checking whether the sealant has an expiration date. An emergency kit doesn’t help much if its sealant has been sitting in the trunk for years and is no longer usable. And if your car doesn’t have a spare, consider what you would do after a serious puncture that can’t be repaired with the equipment supplied by the manufacturer.
The spare tire may be disappearing from new cars, but flat tires certainly haven’t. For drivers, the biggest change is simply that the solution may no longer be sitting underneath the trunk floor.
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