i got a flat (more like a slash) on my rear tire yesterday and found to my dismay that it will take 5 days for the dealer to get a replacement tire. apparently, here (bethesda, md) the tires are not in stock. i thought the tire was defective, but the dealer said no. i had to beg for a loaner car, but was told told flats are not covered by warranties, hence no loaner. after talking with the dealership manager, he agreed to a loaner on the basis that i wasn't told about the 'special nature' of the prius tires, which makes for a long wait for a replacement. btw, i have been leasing since sept. and have 3,000 miles. has anyone else experienced tire replacement delay on the prius?

Yes.<br><br>I had a flat before Christmas here in Michigan and basically ran into the same problem.<br><br>Unable to accept a delay and never considering asking for a loaner, I went to Firestone and ordered the new tire, while buying one as similar as possible and having them put it on. [The warranty for the tires is through Firestone, you know, and not Toyota.]<br><br>My dealership suggested dealing with Firestone direct since they said all they would do is order it from Firestone and mark it up.<br><br>So I now have four Prius tires and a full-size almost-matching spare, although I haven't sprung for a wheel to put the spare on.<br><br>And it took me two weeks to get the replacement, but some of that was the effect of the winter holidays.

Robert-<br><br>I haven't experienced tire replacement delay as I don't have my car yet (but I will in about 3 weeks!). But when my parent's Corolla blew a tire it still took the dealership about 2 weeks to replace. So when I gave my dealer my list of must-haves before I will accept the car, one of the items was a full-sized mounted spare (along with Cruise Control, 6-disc changer, and floor mats). If I ever blow a tire I can put the wimpy spare back in the trunk while they fix my blow-out. <br><br>-Shauen

Might be hard to do since there is no steel rim in existence according to a number of sources including Toyota.<br><br>:)

I'm not so sure that the tires are so special... I found them (165/65 14 Bridgstone Potenza RE92) on the Tirerack.com web site. A set of 4 go for $192.00 and are "in stock", at least according to the site. <br><br>George

How about steel rims?

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<br>I'm not so sure that the tires are so special... I found them (165/65 14 Bridgstone Potenza RE92) on the Tirerack.com web site. A set of 4 go for $192.00 and are "in stock", at least according to the site. <br>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;<br><br>Be aware that while the Prius tire is a standard size, it has a high load rating. AFAIK, this tire was developed for the Prius in particular. On Tirerack.com when I looked under 2001 Toyota cars, there was no listing for the Prius.<br><br>Bob F

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<br>Be aware that while the Prius tire is a standard size, it has a high load rating. AFAIK, this tire was developed for the Prius in particular. On Tirerack.com when I looked under 2001 Toyota cars, there was no listing for the Prius.<br>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;<br><br>You could be right about that. Upon more careful inspection, I see that the Potenzas on the Prius are rated for a max load of 1109 lbs and a pressure of 50psi max. The full designation of the tire is 175/65 R14 84S. This tire size IS listed on the Tirerack.com site (look for the Honda Insight tires), but it conspicuously leaves out most of the tire data shown for the other Potenza RE92s.<br><br>Oh well... guess it just means that we should order a few in advance.<br><br>Now has anyone found a source for rims?<br><br>George

I got a flat in mid-December and when I took it to the dealer (Acton MA Toyota) they told me it took 2 weeks the last time they had to order a tire. Thankfully it only took a day for me and I was up and running again.<br><br>Look in your warrantee, flats are covered (up to a certain limit) whether it's just patching the tire or replacing it. The service guy tried to charge me when I picked up the tire but I told him it was covered. He said no, I said yes, he gave in. I never heard back from them so I assume they figured it out. Find the warrantee information and take it with you when you pick up the tire just to make sure.<br><br>They wanted to charge me $104 for mounting an balancing the tire. I had taken it off the car myself and was putting it back on myself. Now I know why I never go to the dealer for tires.<br><br>Jim

This may be a little simplistic, but what about using a temporary spare while the "special" Prius tire is ordered. Mount a standard 165/65 14 tire. I know, mismatched radials, danger, danger Will Robinson, but with careful driving (and we all drive the Prius carefully) a standard tire will get us from point A to point B until the right tire gets mounted. Seems a much better solution than begging for a loaner car, fighting about warranties and such. Understood that dealers won't do this as the lawyers would have a field day if there was any mishap that could possibly involve the non-spec tire.

That's what I did. I got the closest thing Firestone had in stock. My flat was on the front, but I had them switch the tires so the off-tire was in back. Didn't want to make things any more difficult for myself than necessary.<br><br>It worked just fine for the three weeks before I got the correct tire. <br><br>And of _course_ we all drive the Prius carefully! It's too much fun not to be paying attention!

I too replaced a tire, with some difficulty.<br><br>The left front tire on my Prius blew out on the freeway over the Thanksgiving weekend.<br><br>My Toyota dealer doesn't do tires, and they directed me to a nearby Wheelworks. They didn't have the tire in stock, but said they'd order it and I'd get it by Thursday (this was on a Monday), so I elected to drive around on the spare until then.<br><br>The tire didn't come in Thursday, nor on Saturday (their next delivery date). On Saturday, they gave me a free loaner tire, of the same size, and told me to call back Tuesday. Since the loaner was working fine -- in fact while driving the car I couldn't tell any difference -- I gave them an extra week. Then they had it.<br><br>So, after a week of driving on the spare, and a week of driving on the loaner, I got a replacement stock tire.<br><br>jao

Is the dealer installing the cruise control?<br><br>When I got my Prius - cruise control was not an<br>option, but something I would like to have.

sorry- dont know what I hit but I posted prematurely- TOYOTA doesnt operate in a state of denial when issues arise. A real issue would have a real solution right behind it.

That is a wonderful idea, but there are problems: I discussed the issue with someone at Bridgestone and was told that they have received several calls from Prius owners whose cars are "eating" tires at a rapid rate. There is testing going on to try to determine the reason(s) for this and some consideration is being given to vehicle weight and driving conditions as causes, but naturally no results are yet available. And here's the rub: I was also told that there are no Prius tires (extra load variety) in the entire US or Canada but that a shipment from Japan is expected "sometime". That is small comfort to those of us with an immediate need for tires, and there appear to be no substitutes in North America which meet load specifications. It will be difficult for dealers to find any to stock, though the idea is a good one and should be copied everywhere.

Yesterday I contacted a local Bridgestone dealer here in Richmond VA. He's a good friend of the dealership and he says that he can get all I need. I did question him extensively about the unique nature of this tire and he says that he does indeeed have them readily available. (he got annoyed with me making him repeat himself :) ) Now <br> what I said to him was exactly :<br><br>Bridgestone Potenzas RE 92 size P175/65R14 XL. I then went into a spiel about how critical it was to be sure we're both thinking that same thing, extra load capacity, low roll resistance and all that. He says- "how many do you need". <br> WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS IF THERE IS ANYTHING stamped on the tire or any detail that would further differentiate this type of tire. In other words- do I have any reason to think that I left anything out when I talked to him?

I called www.tirerack.com yesterday for equivalent tire info and they said they have the prius tires in stock now for $49 each. Also wouldn't discuss equivalents said they only sell OEM on the car. I had already bought one as a spare/replacement for the future based on previous posts months before about trouble getting them within 1-2 weeks or so. Hopes that helps.