TESLA FLAT TIRE...Here's What to Do

Well...it finally happened. My Tesla Model Y got a flat tire! Thankfully my car was parked at home by the time I discovered it, which made things way easier for me. In this video, I document exactly what happened, how I contacted Tesla roadside assistance, what the process was, and my review on the Tesla service experience. While I'm aware that not everyone has the same experience, mine was so simple and I wanted to share. And hopefully this is helpful to those of you who want to know how you can prepare or educate yourselves on how to handle this situation.
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Timestamps:
00:00-00:37 Intro
00:38-01:48 How I Got a Flat Tire
01:49-02:58 How To Contact Tesla Roadside Assistance thru the Tesla App
02:59-03:34 Loaner Wheel/Tire
03:35-05:07 How Much it Costs to Repair vs Replace
05:08-05:34 Other Service Options (DIY, 3rd Party Shop)
05:35-06:09 Where to Find Tire Pressure in Tesla
06:10-06:22 Flat Tire...Found the Culprit!
06:23-07:09 Loaner Wheel Installed
07:10-07:24 My Tire is Repaired!
07:25-08:25 Outro
#tesla #teslamodely #teslacamping #teslacamp #teslaaccessories #teslamodelx #teslacharging #teslaroadtrip #teslasupercharging #teslaexperience #teslatravel #flattire #teslaflattire #teslaservice #teslaroadside
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Tesla Flat Tire

[@taylordencermedia]

Most of you are commenting about how you're able to patch tires yourselves, which is great. But the reason I made this video is so that other people like me who do not have the resources or may simply not want to take the time to do it themselves can find a couple different options for how to get it repaired. I opted for convenience over price, as the convenience was more important to me. Others may opt for fixing it themselves which is fine too.

[@CHiTO316]

Your convenience “solution” comes at a higher cost by needing to completely replace your tire since it has tire sealant inside

[@taylordencermedia]

@@CHiTO316 they didn't replace my tire. Tesla took my tire to their service shop and patched it for me. I didn't use the sealant in their little kit or whatever.

[@dbarn5324]

Not to mention that none of these guys will be able to repair a tire if they have a flat on the road.

[@esanchez5994]

How much did they charge you?

[@taylordencermedia]

@@esanchez5994 I mentioned it in the video. $121 to come out and put the loaner wheel on, while they took mine back to their shop to repair my tire. Then they brought it back and re-installed it. The technician said usually he has a van where he could have done the repair there on the spot but his van wasn't working so he showed up in a Model X instead.

[@taylorhufford6484]

Also haven’t seen anyone post about this so thanks for posting :)

[@taylordencermedia]

I also couldn’t really find an answer when I was looking so I made a video myself lol

[@bengoey]

Thanks for telling us your experience.

[@rdk3996]

Very helpful! Thank you!!

[@taylordencermedia]

I'm glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for commenting!

[@johnsilverman2538]

Very useful video-thanks much.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thank you! 🙏🏼

[@eugh6956]

Thanks for your information.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thanks for commenting! Hopefully it was helpful.

[@jerrywiltz9961]

I have fixed 2 flats myself on my Tesla. First, get a portable electric air pump and keep it in the car. If you need to, practice using it on your car, so you know how to use it. Second, get a repair kit from a local auto parts store. You should include gloves and pliers to go along with the repair kit. I once limped home after getting a flat tire by pumping it back up every 15 minutes so I could repair it at home.

[@taylordencermedia]

That’s good! For me, I’m not confident enough in this and it was just easier to have someone else to do it, so I figured for those who are unable to do it themselves or don’t want to can get help elsewhere. But there will be people out there who can DIY as well.

[@stevewoodyt]

@@taylordencermediaplugging a tire is simple but more difficult than some people would suggest. A patch done with the tire off the wheel is a better option. That’s a whole different thing you don’t do on the side of the road yourself. I’m considering a donut for peace of mind.

[@ColorStation4]

I just started watching you and I’m in love with your channel

[@taylordencermedia]

Thank you!

[@johnmaggio7976]

You should have a small compressor they make for car tires. You could have inflated that tire in 10 mins and driven to a tire store. They would have fixed it in a short time for alot less than Tesla service. The small compressor that came with my EV would do it. I have a portable compressor also that plugs into an outlet or cigarette lighter socket. I understand you have never had this issue before and you live in an apt. You should use this experience to teach yourself how to fix it. Being prepared for the next time is important. BTW, that location you had a flat is easily fixable with a $5 kit sold in any auto store or big box. If you had the kit and the compressor your cost would have been zero. The only time you can not fix a flat tire if it is on the wall of a tire. You did fine for this, but you should be prepared for the next time because there will be more.

[@taylordencermedia]

cool thanks

[@TuneupMagic]

So glad I came across your video in which you detailed the steps within the "Roadside" portion of the Tesla app to get help with flat tire, as well as what to expect. It's so easy to get a nail in the tire in some of the Tesla superchargers with nearby construction areas.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thanks for commenting! I'm glad it was helpful!

[@johnreese3762]

Thanks for the vid! If it ever happens to us I will do the same!!

[@taylordencermedia]

I'm glad it was helpful!!

[@user-nx5op9zx9r]

Thank you so much for this informative video. I too have worried about getting a flat tire and recently came back from Washington, DC to Connecticut road trip. So I of course, purchased the Tesla pump for the trip. It was uneventful. But I did search the Internet for how to. Kudos to you.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thanks for commenting! I appreciate the support! Yeah I’ll definitely be looking at getting a small air compressor to take with me on road trips

[@dbarn5324]

Thanks for sharing this experience. I've dreaded having a flat on a road trip so I ordered the Tesla tire repair kit that comes with a air compressor that you plug into the 12 Volt port in your car and a can of sealant that will repair it long enough to get to a repair shop. I may not get a flat but the compressor is handy just to keep the suggested psi in your tires.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thanks for commenting! Yes I’ll absolutely be looking into getting one of these kits as well. I’ve been very lucky on my road trips but I’m also dreading the moment where this happens to me while on a trip! But the reality of it is it could happen to ANY vehicle.

[@MikeMane-ex1vf]

Even a freaking Acura ILX 2018 came with it for free.

[@obsesivegamer]

Just fyi that sealant usually means you have to replace the tire. Not possible to repair a tire full of fix a flat tire

[@CHiTO316]

@@obsesivegamerthis is correct which is why the air compressor with tire sealant is one of the worst solutions to have ever existed

[@dbarn5324]

@@taylordencermedia I have another off brand compressor but tried the new tesla one for the first time today to put a couple psi in all my tires and it worked much better then my old compressor. Both are better then using air at gas stations though. I have no idea how well the sealant works and hope that I never find out. I'm sure it works well enough to get you to a tire repair place as long as the hole isn't really big.

[@BaneSIlvermoon]

I've got a handheld air compressor from Avid Power. It's slightly smaller than an electric hand drill, and very similar in shape. Has a removable recharhable 20v battery and a 12v plug. Very easy to use, and very quick, though a bit loud. But it's quite handy for anything that isn't catastrophic tire damage. Also makes it super easy to quickly adjust tire pressure as the weather changes if you need to.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thanks for commenting! I’ll definitely look into this as I’ve been wanting to get a small compressor to take with me on road trips.

[@mrboogang]

1000th subscriber!

[@taylordencermedia]

@@mrboogang YAY thank you so much!!!!

[@alintech1704]

Hi, I often see Ryan Shaw recommending the Fanttik tire inflator in his videos, and I purchased one myself. It has saved me many times and is of great quality! You might want to give it a try.

[@taylordencermedia]

@@alintech1704 thanks for the suggestion!

[@imartez]

Good video and very informational! I made it a point to purchase a tire repair kit and a compressor and keep it in my Tesla. If I can make it back home, I have the tools needed to repair the tire. If I'm on the road, I would call triple A for assistance since I have a patch kit. I certainly get the convenience, but a patch kit is about $20 as compared to the $3-400 for the tire service.

[@taylordencermedia]

That's great that you can do it on your own! I don't have the tools or knowledge to fix it myself. And I paid $121 for the service, not $3-400.

[@bobby350z]

I would recommend America Tire. Free fix if they can (if no side wall issues). New tires cost and installation are similar to what Costco charges. Had great service on multiple occasions.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thank you

[@richardcastillo1027]

I purchased portable air pump and tire sealant kit from the Tsla store. Hopefully I never use it, but it may come in handy on a road trip. It cost around 80.00. Hope this idea helps.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thank you, yeah everyone else has pretty much said the same so I’ll be looking into getting one. I’m just not the type of person who can confidently make a repair like this, so for me I don’t mind paying someone else to take care of it for me.

[@CampMymy]

I had a flat about 20 miles from my house. Tesla roadside sent someone to pick up the vehicle and luckily I have a Tesla dealer in my town. We rode to the dealer with the tow truck driver but service was closed - luckily my son could pick us up. I was able to pick it up the next day. In the future I will call AAA and go to discount tire, which was still open, it could have been addressed in 2 hours vs needing to leave the car overnight.

[@taylordencermedia]

Yikes! Yeah that's unfortunate timing...mine was thankfully at home but it happened at night and obviously everything was already closed so I just waited until the next morning.

[@Brutus4048]

How much was the bill????!

[@nthrixx2388]

Ill add to this slightly, if for some reason you are out in a rural area (like where i live) tesla service is 5 hours away minimum. I keep a tire repair kit plug set just basic from Auto Zone in the car always, I have a little bit of a background working on cars and tractors, 4 wheelers etc growing up on a ranch I've driven well over 1000 miles on a tire that was flat and was repaired with a plug in a very heavy dodge ram 3500 if you travel a lot or live in a rural area 100% keep a set of repair plugs learn how to use them and keep a air pump in the car either the one sold from tesla or another brand since me personally and a lot of others don't have tesla service as an option this method will buy you time to get into a town/tire service center or tesla service center.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thanks for sharing! Yeah, I don’t have experience or the tools to patch a tire myself. But it’s good to try and prepare for this when I do go on road trips in more desolate areas that are far away from a mechanic.

[@ericdcraneukiah]

I recently picked up a nail in my MYLR om a road trip. Got a warning 75 miles from home at 22psi. Drove 30 miles to a tire shop and it had dropped to 17psi. Tire shop was booked for the day so they aired it up to 46 psi and i drove 50 miles tonget home and the psi was 25psi. Took it to a Les Schwab Tire store and they patched it. It took 30 min and they didn't charge for the plug. I have since added a Milwaukee M12 air compressor to the tool kit. I plan to get some tire slime in case of emergency.

[@taylordencermedia]

Thanks for sharing! I don’t know if I would’ve had the confidence to keep driving on it while the pressure goes down 😅

[@ericdcraneukiah]

I've been running construction equipment, cars/trucks, offroad equipment and airplanes my whole life. I could feel the tire getting soft before the warning came on. So as the pressure dropped I just drove carefully; gental acceleration, breaking and slow on the turns. But even at 17 psi it felt and looked fine. No major risk of loosing the bead. By keeping track of the pressure drop over time I was comfortable trying to keep going. When I reached the first tire store I was fairly certain I would make it home. Having a little air compressor is a good idea.

[@LearntodriveTesla]

Might have been cheaper to have your local tire shop come to you to fix it. $121 is insane for that small nail. I had one similar and luckily did it myself (patch kit cost me $12) and still have enough to do it 10 more times. But I agree, it's easier to just have them do all the work for the $100 .

[@taylordencermedia]

Absolutely, and I don’t disagree that it’s definitely way too expensive. But, for someone like me who lives in an apartment with no garage or tools or knowledge on how to fix the tire myself, it ended up being worth the convenience of them handling it all for me.

[@LearntodriveTesla]

@taylordencermedia I didn't need to use my garage for this. Actually, if you look up nail patch videos, it will help for next time. I moved my car up a bit so I can see the nail, and used pliers to take out nail and plugged it myself , took like 10 min.

[@ColorStation4]

I wish I had a tesla

[@taylordencermedia]

You will someday! never give up on your dreams!

[@taylorhufford6484]

So overall you are happy with your choice to use Tesla vs AAA or another tire shop?

[@taylordencermedia]

Suuuper happy with it! I mean I know I paid more for it but just can’t beat the convenience.

[@xghostyxjokerx]

How much was this service?

[@taylordencermedia]

@@xghostyxjokerx I mentioned it in the video. $121 for repair or $462 to replace the tire.

[@xghostyxjokerx]

@@taylordencermedia got it thanks

[@scottarmen9097]

I would buy a spare tire and take it with me on long trips but most of the time I'd leave it in the garage.

[@taylordencermedia]

Haha!

[@jrbabcock]

Great informative video. Thanks for the great 411! May I suggest to eliminate background music during narration. Difficult to hear while using headphones.

[@taylordencermedia]

@@jrbabcock thanks for the feedback! That’s the first I’ve heard, but I appreciate you letting me know. Next time I will make the background music quieter.

[@davesiegwald]

What was the charge to fix it?

[@guildguitars6349]

She stated earlier in the video that the repair estimate was $121, and the replacement estimate was $462, plus tax.

[@taylordencermedia]

@@guildguitars6349 correct, it was $121 to repair

[@JaneLipa]

I’m assuming warranty doesn’t cover flat tire?

[@taylordencermedia]

@@JaneLipa it does not. It just covers the towing to a Tesla service center within the first 4 years or 50,000 miles.

[@pticman]

Go to DISCOUNT TIRE

[@taylordencermedia]

Yes, that is an option I mentioned in the video.

[@lashlarue59]

One thing she forgot to mention was that if they didn't get their loaner tire back within 5 days they will charge $1300 for it.

[@taylordencermedia]

Wow! Yeah, I guess that's if you have them install a loaner and then you take your tire somewhere else to get it fixed. Makes sense.

[@jeffmichaels1703]

Your tire CAN be repaired based on the location of the nail.

[@taylordencermedia]

Yep. Mine was able to be repaired

[@johnddee-xp4bc]

Most of the times its a screw in the tire,let the screw inside and flat

[@johnddee-xp4bc]

And inflat the tire to the good pressure ,drive to tzh repair shop to fix the hole by inside less expensive or change the tire

[@sohmal3]

How much Tesla charged you for the repair?

[@taylordencermedia]

I mentioned it in the video.

[@sohmal3]

@@taylordencermedia I may have missed it, but won't be able to watch 8.25 mins video again to see when you have mentioned the cost. Would have been better if you could reply with the cost.

[@taylordencermedia]

@@sohmal3 $121

[@sohmal3]

@@taylordencermedia thanks.

[@CHiTO316]

People please do NOT use tire sealant. Tire sealant ruins your tires and it’s basically a way to get you to a tire shop but with the expense of completely loosing your tire (even if all you had was a $12 nail). Tires with tire sealant inside cannot be used again so once you use it on your tire you loose the tire

[@taylordencermedia]

Exactly...this is why I don't want to mess with trying to patch a tire myself and would rather just pay someone else to take care of it. Otherwise it will end up being more costly for me in the long run.

[@stephen2220]

Unless your vehicle had been driven 5k-10k miles or less all you tires have now been evenly worn down. If you replace just 1 tire you'll have more tread on that 1 tire than the other 3, and you vehicle may ride slightly off, handling wise. I realize that these tires are very expensive but I would have purchased at least 2 tires. Example: if you needed to replace 1 rear tire you should replace both rear tires (same, if this happened to a front tire). Also, Never ever replace a tire with a different brand and tread type tire, the handling will be even worse, especially if you just replace 1 tire.

[@taylordencermedia]

I didn't replace the tire. I had the tire patched. Still have plenty of tread on all my tires, I've only owned the car for a year.

[@stephen2220]

@@taylordencermedia Great, but now you know.

[@300zVinh]

Its sad alot of car manufacture are getting rid of the spare tire to cut cost. I think majority of people would rather pay a little more just to have a spare. Doesn't matter if your car is worth 2k or 80k. Any one can get a flat.

[@r1l56me]

It’s not just cost; not carrying around a spare increases trunk and storage space and reduces weight thereby increasing the car’s range.

[@taylordencermedia]

This part right here. Would much rather have greater range than a spare tire.

[@300zVinh]

@@taylordencermedia of course everyone would like to go further, but not having a spare when you need it, makes it very frustrating. Imagine going somewhere far and you get a flat. Now you have to wait a few hours for that person to bring a spare. If you have kids, seniors, or it's on a very hot day. A spare could keep your insanity in check.

[@300zVinh]

I use to always take my spare out the moment I buy a car. Less weight, more cargo space, but after having a few incidents. I always make sure my spare is ready when I need it.

[@300zVinh]

I remember taking a 500+ mile trip without a spare. The whole time I was paranoid of getting a flat. Had 2 kids in the car and it was not a pleasant trip.

[@Will67267]

Call AAA

[@taylordencermedia]

Yes that is an option I mentioned in the video.

[@paf268]

Prevention is key. You need to completely fill each tire with fix-flat goo. It’ll take 20-30 cans per wheel but worth it. You never have to worry about a flat tire again. Class dismissed. Mic dropped.

[@taylordencermedia]

that sounds like a nightmare

[@psychedeliccomics]

At 22psi I would of drove it to a local tire shop and save on the technician cost....

[@taylordencermedia]

that's fine if that works for you. Tire shops were closed by the time I discovered it so had to wait until next day anyway. And it was at 2 psi the next morning.

[@psychedeliccomics]

@@taylordencermedia Understood and 2psi is no good. Wish that the car came with a spare....

[@psychedeliccomics]

Also, I assume that you had your damaged tire as well as the spare that Tesla let you borrow. How did you return that spare?

[@taylordencermedia]

@@psychedeliccomics yeah, it doesn't come with a spare because it would add more weight to the car which would lead to less mileage efficiency. So it makes sense but it doesn't. lol

[@taylordencermedia]

@@psychedeliccomics a tesla service technician came to my location and removed my wheel/tire and put on a loaner wheel/tire. He said usually he would have been able to patch my tire on the spot, but his van wasn't working so he showed up in a model X instead. Since he didn't have his van, he had to take it back to their service center and then bring it back to me and re-install. He was only here for about 10 minutes.

[@trythis2821]

WTF shouldn't Tesla have included a spare Tyre even if it is one of the small low speed smaller size ones. I know they don't but would make sense rather than nothing.

[@taylordencermedia]

@@trythis2821 it adds more weight to the car which reduces your range.

[@trythis2821]

@@taylordencermedia I know but a small space saver wheel really wouldn't make that much difference to the overall weight. Aftermarket wheels are available for this purpose so would be great if Tesla included one.

[@Da-King-of-Swing]

Takes any tire shop less than 30 minutes to fix a flat

[@taylordencermedia]

plus my time & money to wait for a tow truck to show up and tow it to the nearest shop and interrupt 1hr+ of my workday. The Tesla technician was here for all of 10 minutes and I didn't even have to leave my house.

[@Da-King-of-Swing]

@@taylordencermedia you don't have to have a car towed to a tire repair shop if you carry a portable battery operated air compressor. Once you fill tire with air you can drive the car to any shop the air on a flat tire rarely comes out fast 90% of time it's what's often referred to as a slow leak. So you can safely drive car to shop. If it happens after hours simply drive home and than refill tire in the morning before continuing to a shop. 😉👍

[@Da-King-of-Swing]

@@taylordencermedia Taylor, you would have gotten tire fixed much faster than what it took roadside assistance

[@taylordencermedia]

@@Da-King-of-Swing I don't own an air compressor so that was not an option for me. As I mentioned in the video, there are MANY ways you can do this. I chose to just have someone handle it all for me.

[@taylordencermedia]

@@Da-King-of-Swing cool

[@cbnchbak.6258]

Just go to Les Schwab, tire fixed for FREE!

[@taylordencermedia]

Thank you

[@Shackleford_Rusty]

This is pretty cool for those people that are not self sufficient. I’m sure they will charge you way more than it’s worth but if it gets you up and running. 🫡 I just jack these cars up pull the wheel and drive it down to a tire shop and swap it out in my apartment parking lot.

[@taylordencermedia]

There are many reasons why one is unable to handle this themselves or maybe some people just straight up don’t want to. When people have money they have no problem spending it on convenience.