New Toads without a factory Spare Tire!

Need to beware more new cars do not have a spare tire. Some of the new models of Ford, our C-Max Hybrid being one of them, does not come with a spare tire. Ford supplies a plug kit, small 12v air compressor & Ford road side service as a replacement for not having a spare tire. The caution is reports I have read on other boards, second hand from me, that if you have to call Ford road side service your car MUST be towed to the nearest Ford Dealership, not a tire repair shop. In this case some posters have reported very expensive tire replacements if the tire can not be repaired. Also a couple of the posters reported of their cars being towed to a closed dealership (weekend) and having to wait until Monday to get their cars back. This certainly does not work if you are on the road pulling your car behind your motorhome and reservation somewhere down the road.

What we have done; went to local wrecking yard and picked up a spare tire from a Mercury Sable ($26.75, also sold on Ebay for a lot more, close to $200 if purchased from the dealer), found one of my existing jacks that works (or purchase scissors jack while at wrecking yard), a lug wrench and as most do carry a different road side service, CoachNet (our current), Good Sam or another. We are now prepared.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico