The spare is the most forgotten tyre on the car, and it's no use at all if it's flat or perished when you finally need it. A few minutes every few months keeps it ready: check the pressure, the condition and, once a year, the age. Knowing what type of spare you have, or whether you have one at all, matters just as much.
The forgotten tyre
Because the spare sits unused under the boot floor for years, it's easy to forget, until the moment you need it on a dark roadside. By then it's too late to discover it's flat. Treat it as a tyre that needs occasional attention, not a fit-and-forget item, and it'll be there when it counts, see spare vs repair kit.
What to check
- Pressure – check it every few months and set to the figure in your handbook (space-savers often need a high pressure).
- Condition – look for cracks, perishing and any damage.
- Age – check the DOT date yearly, as it ages even unused.
- The kit – make sure the jack, brace and locking nut key are present.
Space-saver rules
Many cars carry a narrow space-saver rather than a full-size spare. It's only meant to get you to a fitter: it's usually limited to around 50mph and short distances, and it often needs a higher pressure than your normal tyres. Don't treat it as a normal wheel, and get a proper tyre fitted as soon as you can after using it.
If you have no spare
Many newer cars come with no spare at all, just a sealant repair kit, which only handles small tread punctures. Check what you actually have before you need it, and make sure any kit is in date. If you'd rather not rely on a kit, a 24-hour mobile fitter is a dependable alternative, see mobile fitting.
We can check it
We'll check your spare's pressure, condition and age when we visit, and fit a fresh tyre if it needs one, across the UK. Book a check.
