New Prius 2016 spare wheel

[BhxTrev]

Help. I've just bought a brand new 2016 Prius Excel to replace my 2010 Prius. However, I purchased the version with 17 inch wheels & found that it doesn't come with a spare wheel. Instead Toyota supply a pathetic tyre inflator system that's pretty useless if you have a large puncture or blow out. I have asked Vantage Toyota if I could purchase a spare wheel off them but they said they don't supply one for my car. I've also sent an email 3 days ago, to Toyota asking them if they could supply a spare wheel but considering they said they answer emails within 24 hours I've heard nothing yet! My previous Prius had 17 inch wheels & also a space saver spare so I can't understand why I just cannot buy an official spare wheel. Has anybody got any suggestions regarding this dilemma? I'm certain that the next car I buy will have a spare wheel otherwise I just won't buy the car & if this problem cannot be sorted I'll be looking to swap my car sooner than I normally would!!

[FROSTYBALLS]

If you've e-mailed Toyota GB, they would have allocated a case number to your enquiry - get back to them quoting the case number.

[BhxTrev]

Thanks for your reply Frosty but I haven't heard zilch let alone a case number. I didn't even know you were allocated a case number! I beginning to think they just don't want to reply, but although I'm well pleased with my new car so far, I'll be looking elswhere next time. Shame really!

[Heidfirst]

You should be able to buy a spare - you just need to find somebody who knows the parts nos. or knows how/is willing to work the system (the robots will just put your reg./VIN into the Toyota system which as you've discovered won't show one for your car as it doesn't come with one).

Hopefully Devon Aygo will pop by with the parts nos. for the wheel/tyre & any necessary extras (e.g. jack?).

I was in exactly the same position for my car but have had all the bits for years now - it can be done!

[BhxTrev]

Hi Heidfirst, thanks for this information. I did note that the wheel & tyre sizes on my new 4th generation Prius are exactly the same as on my old 3rd generation Prius so I would think that if I could get that part number for the spare wheel, I guess this ought to do the trick. I would of course want a space saver because the kit provided in the boot of this car is encased in high density polystyrene foam & you can't seem to  remove it, so the wheel will have to sit in the boot albeit in a suitable cover. Bizarrely, as well as the repair kit in the boot there's also a jack & wheel brace. How strange because these items have no use without a spare wheel! I would really like to know off Toyota whether there is a problem using this spare on the new car, that's when they finally decide to reply to me. I have seen plenty of Prius space saver wheels for sale on eBay & I'm tempted to purchase one from there.

[Devon Aygo]

2 hours ago, BhxTrev said:

Help. I've just bought a brand new 2016 Prius Excel to replace my 2010 Prius. However, I purchased the version with 17 inch wheels & found that it doesn't come with a spare wheel. Instead Toyota supply a pathetic tyre inflator system that's pretty useless if you have a large puncture or blow out. I have asked Vantage Toyota if I could purchase a spare wheel off them but they said they don't supply one for my car. I've also sent an email 3 days ago, to Toyota asking them if they could supply a spare wheel but considering they said they answer emails within 24 hours I've heard nothing yet! My previous Prius had 17 inch wheels & also a space saver spare so I can't understand why I just cannot buy an official spare wheel. Has anybody got any suggestions regarding this dilemma? I'm certain that the next car I buy will have a spare wheel otherwise I just won't buy the car & if this problem cannot be sorted I'll be looking to swap my car sooner than I normally would!!

Prius with 17" alloys cannot officially have a spare wheel as adding the spare means the car would have a higher Co2 output raising the car into a more expensive tax bracket and because of this Toyota cannot offer an accessory that would allow this to happen nor can there appointed dealers, the higher grade BE+ & Excel with standard 17" wheels can be factory ordered with a spare wheel but must have 15" alloys this can only be done as a factory option as the "Tax man" does not allow a retrospective alteration of the Co2 figures 

[Devon Aygo]

2 hours ago, Heidfirst said:

You should be able to buy a spare - you just need to find somebody who knows the parts nos. or knows how/is willing to work the system (the robots will just put your reg./VIN into the Toyota system which as you've discovered won't show one for your car as it doesn't come with one).

Hopefully Devon Aygo will pop by with the parts nos. for the wheel/tyre & any necessary extras (e.g. jack?).

I was in exactly the same position for my car but have had all the bits for years now - it can be done!

I have had a look and to fit a space saver wheel in the correct position needs a lot of different/additional parts, I have yet to try the swap either so cannot guarantee the exact requirements yet and looking at all the trims required I'd hate to think how much they'd all cost.

Attached is a list of the parts I have identified as well as a parts catalogue picture of the boot floor, circled in red are all the trims that are needed or need changing to allow a spare to fit correctly

[BhxTrev]

Devon Aygo thanks for this information. I do find it incredible that that's the reason for not including a spare wheel but why on Earth put a jack & wheel brace in the boot especially as the weight of these items must also have their effects on CO2 output? I personally don't think it's a very good excuse. From an article published in the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2837237/The-REAL-reason-car-firms-won-t-spare-tyre-Manufacturers-scrimp-installing-extra-wheels-cut-costs.html), that I came across while searching for a spare wheel on the net, they seem to suggest that the real reason car companies are not including a spare wheel is to save something like £100 per vehicle that uses the inflators kit instead. Anyway could you please verify that if I do purchase a Prius space saver spare wheel as I had in the boot of my old Prius with exactly the same sized 17inch wheels as on my new car this would be a compatable spare that I could use if I have a flat? 

[Devon Aygo]

2 minutes ago, BhxTrev said:

Devon Aygo thanks for this information. I do find it incredible that that's the reason for not including a spare wheel but why on Earth put a jack & wheel brace in the boot especially as the weight of these items must also have their effects on CO2 output? I personally don't think it's a very good excuse. From an article published in the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2837237/The-REAL-reason-car-firms-won-t-spare-tyre-Manufacturers-scrimp-installing-extra-wheels-cut-costs.html), that I came across while searching for a spare wheel on the net, they seem to suggest that the real reason car companies are not including a spare wheel is to save something like £100 per vehicle that uses the inflators kit instead. Anyway could you please verify that if I do purchase a Prius space saver spare wheel as I had in the boot of my old Prius with exactly the same sized 17inch wheels as on my new car this would be a compatable spare that I could use if I have a flat? 

Not the case for the Prius Mk4 as the lower trims have the spare wheel as standard as they have 15" wheels that keep the C02 low enough, adding the 17" wheels pushes the Co2 upto the cusp of another tax limit and over if the spare wheel fitted hence a factory option to fit 15" wheel and have a spare and better MPG/lower emissions.

As for the compatibility between MK3 and MK4 the part numbers do not correspond so I can't confirm.

[BhxTrev]

Thanks for your very detailed reply Devon Aygo, but I had intended to simply put the spare in a suitable cover in the boot. All I need to know is are there are any reasons why I can't use the old space saver spare wheel? Would it be okay on the MK4 since the diameter of the wheel is the same & as far as I can see the five fixing bolt holes are in the correct position. I'm not particularly bothered that I might produce a small amount of extra CO2, the mind boggles on that one especially as I carry plenty of extra weight, far greater than the weight of a spare wheel, when using the car. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Think Devon has gone as far as he can as regards advising on the spare.

The problem with just having a spare loose in the boot is that, in an impact, the rear seat backs and locking mechanism probably won't be strong enough to contain the spare, and having something as heavy as a spare flying about the cabin won't be pretty.

Really it boils down to being your choice/your risk as to which direction you go.

[kithmo]

25 minutes ago, Devon Aygo said:

Not the case for the Prius Mk4 as the lower trims have the spare wheel as standard as they have 15" wheels that keep the C02 low enough, adding the 17" wheels pushes the Co2 upto the cusp of another tax limit and over if the spare wheel fitted hence a factory option to fit 15" wheel and have a spare and better MPG/lower emissions.

As for the compatibility between MK3 and MK4 the part numbers do not correspond so I can't confirm.

I very much doubt that the spare wheel kit would push the CO2 limit up by 25 G/km to the next VED threshold of over 100 G/Km, that's a 33% increase.

I have replaced my Gunge kit by fitting the LH, RH and centre polystyrene boot floor trims along with a space saver spare and the hold down screw. The original boot floor board is a very slightly different shape but still fits ok. No noticeable difference in mpg.

BTW. on the Toyota UK website, build your Prius page there is a no-cost option to have a temporary spare (space saver) instead of the gunge kit.

FYI. all the Gen 3 and Gen 4 Prius hatchbacks are in the lowest VED class, the Gen 2 and the Prius+ T-Spirit or Excel models fall into the next one up.

The only thing that may be affected by a slightly higher CO2 is the London congestion charge now they've lowered it.

 

[BhxTrev]

Frosty yes I think you are right that Devon Aygo has gone as far as he can with his advice & I thank him for all the info he has given me. Kithmo I certainly agree wth your comments relating to increases in CO2 levels because of the spare wheel. I guess if I put a spare in the boot I'll have to secure it in some way. All in all I do find the situation disgraceful especially after spending the best part of £30 grand on a new car to find I just can't have a spare. Please don't get me wrong the car is well made & like my previous Prius I enjoy driving it especially with the refinements that come with the Excel. However, when the time comes I'll probably take the blinkers off & buy some other make of hybrid car next time round. Thank you all once again for your comments & advice. 

[PeteB]

1 hour ago, kithmo said:

.... all the Gen 3 and Gen 4 Prius hatchbacks are in the lowest VED class, the Gen 2 and the Prius+ T-Spirit or Excel models fall into the next one up.

The only thing that may be affected by a slightly higher CO2 is the London congestion charge now they've lowered it.

For the Gen 4, 15" wheels falls within the London Congestion Charge exemption limit by just 1 gram! (I got mine).  Those with 17" wheels do not qualify.

As you say, VED is bottom band for both, but company car drivers will pay 4% more tax for 17" wheels, as well as more on petrol (and tyres).

BTW - I've still had no reply to my email to Toyota about the Conformity document since June, despite an automated reply saying I'd get a response within 5 days!!!  Fortunately, Transport for London accepted the CO2 figure on my registration document.

The jack is still needed, as a Plugin owner found when he had a puncture the gunge wouldn't fix, and the AA dumped him and his car at his home.  I believe he needed a taxi ride with the flat tyre to get it to the nearest tyre shop for replacement.

I certainly wouldn't want a spare wheel loose in the boot - I was once told by a Police accident investigator of a case where a driver died in a collision that should not have injured him after being struck on the head by a first aid kit that had been loose in the car!  Maybe before long one or two Gen 4s with 15" wheels will get written off and the necessary boot trim and wheel can be bought from a scrap yard.

Equally, I absolutely won't buy a car without a spare wheel (the only reason I din't buy a plugin when I got my last Gen 3), and I only begrudgingly accept a space saver rather than full size (which, according to the manual, is available in some markets).  I was at least pleased I could specify 15" wheel on my Gen 4 (and get a £400 rebate too) and opt for the spare wheel (no charge).

[BhxTrev]

Hi Pete, thanks for your comments. Needless to say I wish I'd bought the 15inch wheels now. The cost of changing the car so soon for the same with 15inch wheels is obviously out of the question but I'm certainly not a happy bunny. Shame really because as you know, the Gen 4 is a dream car to drive. I still think it's possible to secure a space saver spare into the boot without taking out the gunge tray. Regarding something loose in the boot, I frequently carry heavy tool boxes that you can't really fix down & I've never thought over the many years that that could be dangerous! Also I certainly appreciate your point regarding why a jack & brace are supplied though in my case I have a trolley jack etc in my well equipped garage & wouldn't trust using the flimsy jack supplied to hold up the car for any length of time! Once bitten twice shy, believe me like you, I have absolutely no intention of buying any car in the future unless it does have a spare. I've had too many blow outs, in the past & the gunge kit just isn't the answer. I would have thought a company like Toyota would offer a complete spare wheel conversion kit but alas they don't. They must know how strongly folks buying their cars feel about this issue but they obviously couldn't care less!

[FROSTYBALLS]

32 minutes ago, BhxTrev said:

Needless to say I wish I'd bought the 15inch wheels now. The cost of changing the car so soon for the same with 15inch wheels is obviously out of the question but I'm certainly not a happy bunny. I would have thought a company like Toyota would offer a complete spare wheel conversion kit but alas they don't. They must know how strongly folks buying their cars feel about this issue but they obviously couldn't care less!

Playing devil's advocate, as you've said, if one wants to have a spare wheel, opting for 15 inch wheels is the way to go.

In fact Toyota have listened to their customers and over the past 12-18 months have made spare wheel kits available for most of their models for those customers that prefer spares to tyre repair kits.

It isn't only Toyota that have gone down the line of using tyre repair kits instead of spares. For example, last year when we bought our Hyundai, one of the reasons we went for the spec we did, was that it came with a spacesaver as standard.

When we bought our Aygo last month, we knew the standard fitment was a tyre repair kit, so we ordered the spare wheel kit when we ordered the car.

This is also about being sure the spec one is ordering, meets one's needs and wants .....

[ian rooke]

Hi I have just looked on the Toyota site and the £400 rebate on 15" tyres has gone,I got it on my Mk4 3 months ago but I suppose it was a way for Toyota to increase the price without looking like they have increased the price.

[barrycoll]

I too had your problem when buying a new 2013 Gen 3 with Sun roof........spec was 15" with solar roof (weight problems), but when the car was delivered, it came with 17"! The dealer couildn't understand it either.

 

So my wild goose chase trying to buy a space saver to put in the boot was exactly like yours, with tufts of hair being pulled out on a daily basis, as the Reg No. always caused the Computer to say NO!

Finally, a very small Toyota dealer staffed by delightful people, heard that my drive to Spain would be too fraught sans spare, ordered and supplied me one at £169 (gulp), but it did fit in the wheel well once the gunk was junked.

 

Personally, as long as the lug spacing works OK and the nuts will clamp down without fouling the discs or wheel arches, then I would buy a wheel for short distance low speed usage, just to get the car to somewhere safe and serviceable.

 

[kithmo]

21 hours ago, BhxTrev said:

Hi Pete, thanks for your comments. Needless to say I wish I'd bought the 15inch wheels now. The cost of changing the car so soon for the same with 15inch wheels is obviously out of the question but I'm certainly not a happy bunny. Shame really because as you know, the Gen 4 is a dream car to drive. I still think it's possible to secure a space saver spare into the boot without taking out the gunge tray. Regarding something loose in the boot, I frequently carry heavy tool boxes that you can't really fix down & I've never thought over the many years that that could be dangerous! Also I certainly appreciate your point regarding why a jack & brace are supplied though in my case I have a trolley jack etc in my well equipped garage & wouldn't trust using the flimsy jack supplied to hold up the car for any length of time! Once bitten twice shy, believe me like you, I have absolutely no intention of buying any car in the future unless it does have a spare. I've had too many blow outs, in the past & the gunge kit just isn't the answer. I would have thought a company like Toyota would offer a complete spare wheel conversion kit but alas they don't. They must know how strongly folks buying their cars feel about this issue but they obviously couldn't care less!

Some US Prius owners on the PriusChat.com forum have actually just purchased the space saver wheel & tyre and the hold down bolt then cut out a hole in the existing gunge kit polystyrene to fit the wheel in, a far cheaper way.

[BhxTrev]

Hi Barrycoll, I was quite interested in what you had to say in your comment but I note that you were referring to the Gen 3 version & I know because I had a Gen 3 Prius with 17inch wheels & with a supplied space saver spare, that if you bought that spare it would fit the car okay. However, even though the Gen 4 has exactly the same wheels, because there are so many changes to this new model, my concern is that the old space saver might not fit for some reason. It probably would, but quite frankly why the hell Toyota don't offer to sell the likes of me a complete kit to put a spare in my boot defeats me. Quite frankly I couldn't care less about a slight increase in CO2 as has been suggested especially when I think there are plenty of drivers that weigh at least a spare wheel heavier than me, yet nothing is said about their weigh in this regard. If I should get a puncture in the future & I haven't got a spare I'll just have to call out the breakdown service to ship me home. The gunge kit is going in the bin! For as nice as my new Prius is this lot has really taken the shine off buying the car especially as when I did order it I was assured there was a spare wheel but of course I have no proof that the dealer said that! I guess I'll hold on to the car for now but will certainly get rid of it when I can so that I get a car that has a spare wheel. I did note that Frosty had ordered an Aygo with a gunge kit & was able to order a spare wheel. If you can do that for an Aygo why not a Prius after all the weight of a spare wheel in the Aygo would also push up the CO2 wouldn't it?  At I believe 99g/km for the Aygo the spare must surely push it over 100g/km which puts it into a different tax band! I wonder what Devon Aygo has to say about that?

[BhxTrev]

Hi Kithmo, I had thought of doing that & in fact I think that's what I'll probably do, so thanks for your comment. I just wonder where they managed to get the wheel & hold down bolt from because it seems that from what I can make out Toyota dealers in this Country don't supply them. What a rigmarole & I think you'd agree that this is a pretty raw deal I've got after buying the top of the range new Prius + extras! I just hope anyone out there considering buying a new Prius understands the situation & doesn't finish up with the disgraceful situation I'm now in!

[kithmo]

Try a different dealer, I got mine from my dealer as he had promised me one as a condition of the sale.

[BhxTrev]

Kithmo, you managed to get it as a condition of a sale. In my case there's no such condition I can put forward though I have to say this deal I struck a has lurched from one disaster to another. Take the 3 free services which were offered by Toyota as part of the deal. I'm waiting to find out whether I'm tethered to the Toyota dealer from whom I bought the car or whether as I want because of the distance they are from me, I can take my car to a more local Toyota garage. If the dealer tells me tomorrow that I have to take my car to them for the free services, then I shall complain to Toyota after all I've always understood I could take my car to any official Toyota garage. Bottom line is that whatever, I will take the car where I want even if I have to pay for the services! I can honestly say that I've never bought a car in my life that's caused me the after sales grief this one has & I certainly won't forget my bad experience with Toyota especially as when I purchased my last Prius I had such an excellent experience. Even the gap insurance I took out with the dealer doesn't start until 15th September even though I paid for it on 2nd September when I picked the car up. What happens if the car gets written off before the 15th? I have complained only to be told it's the cooling off period. I think that's rubbish but I guess I'm not covered for gap insurance in the meantime. I just hope plenty of folks out there are reading my comments. 

[Devon Aygo]

35 minutes ago, BhxTrev said:

Hi Kithmo, I had thought of doing that & in fact I think that's what I'll probably do, so thanks for your comment. I just wonder where they managed to get the wheel & hold down bolt from because it seems that from what I can make out Toyota dealers in this Country don't supply them. What a rigmarole & I think you'd agree that this is a pretty raw deal I've got after buying the top of the range new Prius + extras! I just hope anyone out there considering buying a new Prius understands the situation & doesn't finish up with the disgraceful situation I'm now in!

The part numbers needed are listed above in the chart I gave.

Toyota's parts system works on a one car one part basis meaning if you supply the information for a car without spare the computer will "say no". We live and work in such a litigious society nowadays that if we knowingly supplied you a part not officially listed for your car and god forbid it/you cause or have an accident because of it you, your passenger and any other parties injured as a result all sue us for knowingly selling you the "wrong" part whereas if we follow the correct policy and only follow instructions given by Toyota and give the "correct" answer of "no it does not apply to your car" or only supply the correct parts as indentified with the vehicle information then we cannot be held at fault.

To get the parts call a Toyota dealer give them the part numbers you want do not supply the vehicle information accept the spiel about not being responsible for supplying parts by direct instruction and being non-returnable etc, then the dealer cannot knowingly have supplied the "wrong" parts and any outcome of fitting/using the part is wholly yours.

I really don't see how you have had a "raw deal" you knowingly purchased a car that did not have a spare wheel unless you where misinformed as to the availability of the spare wheel or made it a condition of the purchase which was not met then you received exactly what was agreed, At no time since the introduction of the MK4 Prius have the two top spec cars been listed as having a spare as standard and the option to include one is clearly listed as a factory only option that must be included at the time of ordering you don't buy a 2 bed house then complain that the 3rd bedroom is missing why should the purchase of a car be any different? 

[BhxTrev]

Hi Devon Aygo, oh yes I was assured when ordering the car the salesman did say to both my wife & me that the one ordered with 17inch wheels did have a spare wheel. Problem is proving he said that since this was only verbal assurance & if you read other postings I've made I think you'd agree that on other accounts the deal has been one disaster after another. All I can say is that this experience doesn't inspire confidence in wanting to buy another Toyota in the future. The way things are panning out, I'll probably try to get rid of this car as soon as practicable & get one with a proper spare wheel!