Please forgive me if this has been answered in a previous post. Has anyone successfully purchased either a stock aluminum wheel or a steel wheel to use as a spare? If so, did the new wheel and tire actually fit in the storage bay for the spare?

A full sized spare will fit in the storage bay. The has been some discussion about whether an Echo or Corolla steel wheel will work. The bolt pattern is the same, but are they strong enough?

The word is that it almost-but-not-quite fits. If you didn't have the foam spacers on the bottom of the lid it would sort of fit.

Thanks for the info Priustek re:full size spare.<br><br>Last time they checked at your dealership in December there wasn't anything available and my local tire shop said it had some weird dimension making the others not suitable.

This is a most appropriate question and particularly impacts those of us who live in places where the snow flies, sometimes unpredictably. I would _love_ to have a set of snow tires mounted on steel or aluminium rims! It would make changing over so much easier and faster! The spare tire question is part and parcel of the same problem. Has anyone yet ferreted out a source of rims, at an affordable price(!) and does anyone have any recommendations on low rolling-resistance snow tires (it's still snowing enough here in Springtime Alberta that it makes the questions relevant) ? All input and suggestions greatly apprecited!<br>Alan

After having a tire failure and waiting for the dealer to assist me with obtaining a tire, I obtained a tire replacement at the Firestone dealership in Upland, California after 10 days of waiting. Cost for the spare: $67.00 dollars. Tire replacement policy cost $24.00 for all four tires. Well worth the money if you have a blow plus Firestone will rotate and balance your wheels for the life of the tires too. <br><br>In the meantime, I purchased a new "full-size" tire for $51.00 and a steel rim for $34.00 from America's Tire Store in Pasadena, California. It only took them (2) days to get the tire and rim. The full-size tire takes more room because the width of the tire is larger than the manufacturer's mini-spare. I attempted to get another aluminum wheel for the spare but the cost is $374.00 and it can only be obtained from the dealer at this time. <br><br>Now, if I have another blow-up, I do not have to wait for two weeks to get another tire. The dealerships do not carry this tire in their parts department as standard stock. <br><br>P.S. This is not an advertisement but a testimony of the excellent service these two companies were able to provide me when the dealer was unable to assist.