A tyre repair kit is one of the most important pieces of emergency equipment you can carry in your car – offering a quick and safe-to-use alternative to a space-saving or full-sized spare tyre.
See also:
Toyota Touch & Go, Touch & Go+ and Toyota Touch Pro FAQs
How to use the Toyota Touch and Touch & Go multimedia systems
Toyota Touch 2: Introduction
It’s reckoned that on average, UK motorists suffer a puncture once every five years. Tyre repair kits reduce road-side risk by a factor of five and more than halve the time a car is immobilised (source: Tyre manufacturer Continental).
Using a Tyre Repair Kit can be quicker, easier and safer than jacking up your car to change wheels, which means you’ll spend less time in a potentially dangerous situation at the roadside.
The kits also reduce a car’s overall weight, and therefore improve fuel economy.
In this short video, we show you the simple steps you should follow to use a tyre repair kit correctly, and describe the situations in which you should use it.
Finally, it’s important to remember that all new Toyotas come with 12 months free AA roadside cover. If you can’t use the Tyre Repair Kit, or don’t feel confident then contact the AA to arrange roadside recovery.
See also:
Toyota Touch & Go, Touch & Go+ and Toyota Touch Pro FAQs
How to use the Toyota Touch and Touch & Go multimedia systems
Toyota Touch 2: Introduction
Hi. It’s 2 am, I’m just home after getting a puncture at 11.30pm three miles from home.
I think a nail entered the tread and then came out again. The near side front tyre deflated fairly quickly. I couldn’t see a hole on initial examination so I was optimistic that the electric pump and canister of sealant would do the job, but in fact it didn’t work at all. The sealant gushed out through a 2mm diameter hole which was near the centre of the tread. I jacked the car up, engaged neutral, rotated the wheel so the hole was at the bottom and more sealant dripped through, waited ten minutes and then tried inflating it again but only succeeded in producing another gush of sealant.
My year’s Toyota rescue expired last week, so I called the RAC who did not send out a repair man but simply dispatched a recovery truck straight away to deliver the car and me home. Tomorrow I shall have to jack it up, remove the wheel and take it to a tyre fitter for a replacement tyre.
When buying the car I had expressed my misgivings about not having a spare wheel, but the salesman reassured me that the sealant is excellent and works for 90% of punctures. The RAC lady says sealant is rubbish and it never works. The RAC is dismayed at the number of times it has to recover vehicles when previously a quick wheel change would have sufficed.
In 38 years of driving this is the first time I’ve needed recovery (three breakdowns all fixed at the road side, and several flat tyres all changed by myself is my previous tally).
Lesson learned. I need a spare wheel.
Question: Is the well at the back of the boot space where the charger lead lives big enough to hold a small space saver? I notice it has a curved bottom and wonder if it is used for that purpose in countries where a spare is mandatory? If not where else would you store a spare? What size wheel is needed? Will my friendly Toyota dealer be able to get one?
Thanks for any advice
Pete
Sorry, forgot to say, the car is a Prius plug in
Dear Pete,
We’re sorry to hear about your troubles last night. We have passed your comments on to the team and will work with them to get some answers for you. In the meantime, may we wish you a good weekend. Over the weekend, you’d be most welcome to liaise with your Toyota Dealer as they’ll also be able to offer some advice on the matter. We’ll be back in touch in due course.
Many thanks and kind regards.
Thanks Oliwer
I phoned Hills Toyota, Letchworth. They were unable to send a recovery truck or a mechanic out today, and don’t have any other “arrangement” for fixing punctures other than you take your own wheel off, leaving the car standing on its jack. Deliver the wheel to them, and they fit a replacement tyre and then you take the wheel home and re fit it yourself.
The tyre could not be repaired so I had to buy a new one for £94. To add three insults to injury, the cost of a replacement bottle of gunk is £54 plus vat. They don’t keep the replacement gunk in stock and will have to order it, so, If I should get a puncture that is amenable to a gunk repair I shall be stranded again. They refuse to sell me a space saver spare as a spare wheel is not a listed part for a plug in Prius. They can’t accept the liability of selling me a part that is not for my car. I pushed them really hard on this but they wouldn’t budge. I got as far as saying “if I came in anonymously and asked you for a new space saver spare for my T-Spirit, how much would it cost?”
They replied that it would cost £154, and they do in fact have one in stock, but they still can’t sell it to me because they know I’m really buying it for a plug in.
I then became very annoyed and spoke to the sales manager about trading the car in on the basis that I’m not willing to continue dealing with a company that thinks it is ok to mess me around in this manner and turn any future punctures from a 20 minute wheel change in to a half a night followed by half a day off work ordeal. His best offer was £19,000. I cannot afford to take such a loss on a twelve month old vehicle. He did however see my point about needing a reliable vehicle and that tyres on toyotas are no more resistant to nails than tyres on any other vehicle. He agreed to ask Toyota if it would be ok to sell me a space saver spare to keep in the boot, and get back to me. I’m waiting to hear from him.
Next questions: Where can I get a new bottle of gunk delivered overnight and preferably a bit cheaper than 60 quid?
Please may i buy a toyota space saver? I promise faithfully that I shall not hold the vendor responsible for the fact that it clutters up my boot space.
All the best
Pete
Hi Pete,
A bad experience for you even so the avg puncture only happens once every 5 yrs.Should it have been a nail then you must have taken it out prior to the attempted repair,even a hole that size providing no damage to the tyre wall is repairable as a temp measure.Toyota will not admit that the temp spare was omitted within Europe to qualify for weight and emission issues when the car was tested.The reason ewhy the Toyota dealer will play no part in supplying a temp spare.You can get the same wheel and tyre from a Honda dealer.
Indeed the gunk from Toyota is a rip off when similar stuff can be got from either Halfords for £9.99 or at ASDA for just £4 but 2 cans may be needed.The gunk is made by the highly trusted Holts and agreed does have a slightly different consistency The Toyota prcice could never be justified.Using the Toyota stuff you will find that the actual fastener only fits the compressor supplied forcing people to buy that product.The Holts sealant does exactly the same job but it is an aerosol which simply attaches to the tyre valve and then inflated by a compressor.The one Toyota supplied would then require a simple rubber tube to connect to the compressor.better stil Halfords sell a compressor for £32.
As to your Toyota membership you are at fault for renewing it on its expiry,always handy to have Pete.I estimate the price of your car subject to cond and mileage for a straight sale to a dealer at £20,,000 for them to attempt a further sale of £22,995.Always remembering the VAT loss suffered.It is not clear as to whether you have the tools to change a wheel which if bought will cost a further £85 or so.
I do agree that a temp repair in theory does work but in practice is suspect as useless.As we move on with new cars at least one third now have the temp repair ad in future that will rise..It is vitally Important that the replacement tyre you intend to fit is the sane spec and make as the one it replaces being on the same axle and as well to now have the front wheels put on the rear subject to the wear factor.
The car you have is not having such good reviews as to its nuisance value with the constant chargin needed.I now own the ultimate Hybryd which is the new Lexus 300H with a 2.5 ltr engine and a new and improved transmission,which with all the useful bits fitted and at £39105 comes very clo9se to the prius with full spec but a much much better experience.Living well with the BMW 3 series it was made for no kidding.Toyota have lost their way this year with upsetting too many people with not coming clean on the temp spare issue which is sad.
Finally I have to be honest with you on the issues you have mentioned,and please at any time you may seek my further advices.But ay don’t allow this incident to put you off one of the greatest car makers……Regards Paul
Thanks Paul. The car does actually come with a jack and wheel brace, which is one consolation. I was at least able to jack the car up to rotate the wheel and move the puncture to the lowest position in the hope of getting some gunk in the hole. I didn’t remove a nail. A few hundred yards before the deflation I noticed a clicking sound and thought I had a pebble stuck in the tread. I was about to stop and investigate when the clicking stopped and the tyre deflated. I think I picked up a nail that punctured the tyre and then came out by itself.
Once every five years or so- I reckon once every couple of years for me. I’m a doctor in General Practice, so in the course of my work I spend a lot of time cruising the meanest streets in the area, parking in filthy gutters and turning round at the ends of debris strewn cul de sacs. Regardless, the spare wheel issue turns any Toyota from a car that almost never leaves you stranded at the road side in to one that will predictably leave you stranded at the road side every two or five years.
I now have a large can of Holts gunk to tide me over the weekend. The empty Toyota gunk container is still on the compressor, so a least I can use it as a compressor (stupid design, different from the above video, the tube that connects to the tyre valve is part of the gunk can, so you can’t use the handy little electric compressor by itself).
I’m waiting with interest to see if Oliwer managed to come back with an “official” answer from Toyota. Incidentally I’m well aware of the dangers of a spare wheel flying around the car’s cabin in an accident. I would plan to install a suitable bracket so that the wheel can be bolted in place to the side of the boot space or wherever it fits best.
Pete
Hi Pete,
I think you will find that The supplied compressor can be used by keeping the empty Toyota can attached to it.As air will pass through just the same.
As an aerosol the Holts can will emit an air pressure of around 10 PSI not enough quite to run the car more than say 1 ml.The Prius was made generally for the North American market with mods to satisfy BS standards.The reason it lacks the finess of its British counterparts,It is an expensive car and I have said the Lexus Is 300H offers a better option.Either way and for your own Security and items as a Doctor you carry in the vehicle it is vital you sort out these problems as soon as you can.From memory the Prius will house a spare with a simple bolt that enters a thread in the floor,Their is little chance with this bolt not been in will it move far.
It is vital that you renew the excellent Toyota cover as soon as you can.
Further as a Doctor Toyota MUST make this a special case and satisfy all the issues you have had.It is hoped that Oliwer and the party take special note of this.
Paul, we have family membership of the RAC, and I felt that paying to renew the Toyota service would be a needless duplication. They did recover the car and take it home. Are you suggesting that the Toyota rescue service, which is actually the AA, would have done anything more?
I have absolutely no wish to be a “special case”. Lots of other people also have very good reasons for not wanting to be stranded at the road side.
P
Hi Pete,
You never said that you had family membership of the RAC.Sorry for the interference and best of luck with your problems.
In reply to Paul’s posting below, which has no reply button on my screen- no need to apologise, Paul, your comments were interesting and helpful. My wish not to be a special case is simply because, if its only me, Toyota can’t really be expected to change their spare wheel policy. I believe that my frustrations are common to the majority of Toyota owners, and that being the case, they might be persuaded to change things.
I’ve been thinking further about this through the day, and trying to be constructive, I do actually agree with the assertion that spare wheels add weight, steal space and reduce fuel economy. An alternative is required, but the alternative so far offered is not adequate as it leaves a driver with a logistical nightmare when they get a puncture.
Bmw’s solution of run flat tyres has some merit, although I’m fully aware they have drawbacks too. The other option might be to use the money saved from not supplying spare wheels to equip the Toyota assist fleet with a supply of spare wheels that can be lent to people. Half a dozen or so space savers in different diameters and bolt patterns should cover the present model range. Provided there were enough wheels and vans for a wheel to be delivered to the roadside quickly, this would be acceptable. The driver would then continue his journey, get his own wheel fixed, and return the loan wheel to his local Toyota dealer within a week.
If it is true that punctures occur once every five years, and that nine out of ten punctures can be fixed with gunk as the salesman told me, this service would only get used once every fifty vehicle years. So the costs would be minimal, wouldn’t they, Toyota???
All the best
Pete
Hi Pete,
I’ve read your comments with interest this morning and fully understand the position you’re in and how you feel about the situation.
As you know, we do not recommend having a space saver in the car and the stance is that anything your Dealer does is at their own risk. That said, we would like to try and help. We’ve been working alongside the Customer Relations team internally here on the matter of space saver wheels and as such, they will be best placed to assist you further. They will be able to take the time to investigate your comments with your Dealer and try to find a solution. Although we simply can’t guarantee a solution now, they are, again, best placed to assist. Please find their contact details here: http://ow.ly/o2VGT. We will, of course, pass your comments on to the team and ensure that they pick up from where we’ve left off, but will leave it to them to further.
Many thanks and kind regards, Oliwer.
Ah! My reply did appear in the right place below Paul’s
Forget the trying to fix a puncture. Far better is to get a Spacer Saver wheel. You can’t buy these new, however Subaru Imprezza ones fit, though it is important to get exactly the right one (No slots).
http://www.gt86ownersclub.co.uk/forum/spacesaver_topic915_page9.html
The circumference of standard tyre fitted to this wheel is slightly under size. If you wish to match the original wheel size. This is possible by buying a different tyre:-
http://www.gt86ownersclub.co.uk/forum/spacesaver_topic915_page16.html
To hold the space saver wheel down in the boot you need an Aygo Space saver clamp. This is the correct length and thread. Details on the forum.
The Space saver is a poor fit in the well, the cover wobbles on top of it,
Where the wheel is catching the cover you could cut out a shallow area which will be in the Middle to prevent the whobble.Or cut small spacer from some type of sponge material and stick it neatly onto the cover.Even though this will be then slightly higher than intended it will eventually find its own level so as not to rattle or annoy you further.
Anorthe way is to deflate the tyre a little then use the compressore to obtain the 50pSI required before using it.
That’s a Bodge, and you still have a problem, as the wheel you remove does not fit in the well, if you have a boot full of luggage you’re stuffed, the whole concept is flawed, no pun intended,
there should be ample room for a full size wheel to be stowed even if it has a space saver wheel, listening to various stories about Toyota dealers not being able to honour flat tyres why not have an agreement with the AA to have a local tyre dealer they do business with to fix tyres free
Pete does not say the type of vehicle,but confirm on the Rav 4 2wd with 17inch wheels ,a circular space has been cut out to house the temp spare hub underneath the cover.
This is easily done with a jig saw providing it is not cut too deep and would enable the cover to fit perfectly flat.
All this year adverse comments have been made about this and other issues concerning Toyota,and feel they all could have been avoided with sheer common sense,by Toyota GB.The temp spare issue is and will in the future be an acceptable part when buying a new vehicle Toyota or not.
Richard, So you have examined the tyre and it is not repairable. So what do you do then? Call the AA who will eventually get a truck out to take the car to a garage which will be closed or doesn’t the correct size in stock. How much time have you wasted when you could have fitted a spare. Forget the extra weight, I have a life to live and all i want to do is buy a spare for my new Rav 4 which I can’t do. The dealer has the rim but no tyre. HELP
Do not buy this as it is enormously expensive from Toyota try Halfords or anybody but Toyota. I have just been told that a new bottle of gunk is £120 plus vat and my new tyre has already cost me £125 plus ….this is beyond a joke.
Hi Ian,
Thank you for getting in touch.
Sorry to hear of your concern with the cost of the tyre replacement kit. We will look into this further and find out more information for you.
Many thanks.
Hi Ian
Further to my previous post could we have a bit more detail? The kit can be ordered with various components so registration number or exact model and age of your car could help us pinpoint this.
Thank you.
In view of all the voices of indignation that you have received in regard to the repair kits, why do you not listen to your customers, forget the kits and the weight issues and give everyone a space-saving wheel. I have just recently taken delivery of my space-saving wheel which does fit into the well of my New Auris. Unfortunately I was not happy at the amount I had spend in order to make me, and especially my wife, more comfortable about driving the car.
Please listen, a flat tyre is not just as simple as filling the tyre with liquid, there are usually a whole lot of other issues that go along with getting a tyre fixed and replaced immediately.
I have submitted many worthwhile comments in relation to the TRK issue in these pages only to find they have been delete,and none have been abusive..
All you get from this lot is a frustrating patronising reply telling what is so obvious any way.It is sheer nonsense that Temp spare is not available.The real reason is that cars without them were tested that way in order to boast of emmisions and a false MPG reading.High time the EU directive was scrapped or a proper test was made to establish the truth.In normal driving conditions vehicles fall short of claimed MPG figures by as much as 22% and not all Toyotas.
Alan Royson, ref space saver new Auris.
Does the space saver you have, fit in the well neatly, the space saver I was issued with causes the cover to wobble its a terrible fit,
TOYOTA if there is a special wheel can I have an exchange please. My Dealer is Fish Bros Swindon
Hi John,
We’d recommend speaking with them directly on the issue as they’ll be able to help first hand. Here’s their contact telephone number: 01793 421909. Do hope this helps, many thanks.
Alan Royson, ref space saver new Auris.
Does the space saver you have, fit in the well neatly, the space saver I was issued with causes the cover to wobble its a terrible fit, is it a Toyota issue or did you buy it elsewhere,
TOYOTA if there is a special wheel can I have an exchange please. My Dealer is Fish Bros Swindon
Mr Fulton, yes my wheel does fit in the well, the only thing is that the threaded nut for securing it could do with a washer underneath. It does fit though, I just hope that if I need to use it goes on correctly. The bits and pieces you have left, such as the wrench etc do require a bit of juggling around to make it tidy inside the well..