My first time using Toyota Roadside Assistance really sucks

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by Paul Gregory, Jun 6, 2025 at 7:43 PM.

  1. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    Less than a week after I said I never had a flat tire on a Prius, I got flat tire on my Prius.
    I got a warning of a low tire, which quickly went to zero psi, so I knew it was a big leak. I called roadside assistance, and they told me to wait (on a busy highway) for 2 hours, then 3, then they said it might be by 6:30 pm. I would have had to get a hotel at in-season rates in the city where the dealership is. They close at 5, so an overnight stay would have been necessary.

    All I was really saving was a tow charge, so I drove on the flat to the nearest tire shop, and no surprise, the tire was ruined. Of course they don't have the tire in stock, so I'll have to wait at least 24 hours for it to come in. This way, I don't need a tow, and the tire is probably less expensive at the tire shop than the Toyota dealer anyway. Everyone asks me "where is your spare?" Of course there is none in my Prius.

    I don't fault them too much; it is Friday afternoon and there's not much else they could have done. As it is, this will cost me a new tire and a taxi ride I guess.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sorry to hear it. i refuse to drive without a spare, and i haven't had a flat in decades. although my house has never burned down, i still carry insurance
     
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  3. GcinFl

    GcinFl Junior Member

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    Maybe your Toyota standard tire repair kit (fix a flat) would have got you on the road again and possibly saved the tire?
     
  4. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    A spare wouldn't do me any good. I'm too old to change a tire.
     
  5. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    It was a sizable hole that may have been fixable, but tire shops are so risk-averse nowadays that they'd refuse to repair it. They would always rather sell you a new tire anyhow.
     
  6. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    I look forward to the days when I can't change wheel assemblies anymore. Wednesday night is my Friday at work and I had a 5 pack with a brake on the good wheel on my second plane....737NG. I'm only 66 YO...so a car wheel is nothing more than a 10 minute chock to chock hiccup for me. I will never drive without a spare on board though...ever...even when I finally do need assistance.
     
  7. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Roadside assistance programs are a joke. Most of them have the same problem- they negotiated a certain price for the actual recovery services some time ago, and everything got more expensive since then. So the tow operators play a massive game of "not-it" to avoid having to go out and actually tow any cars on those contracts because they aren't going to make any money on the deal.

    Meanwhile you can hire your own and get picked up in 20 minutes.
     
  8. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    ...for about $200. Roadside Assistance is a Dealership sales tool...nothing more. Most insurance policies cover said tow as it relates.
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Tow truck drivers could do the change.
     
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    triple a will change the tyre for me, if i have one. and they come fairly promptly. sometimes it is their own truck, sometimes private.
     
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  11. Julio_E

    Julio_E Junior Member

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    The other spare tire consideration for the OP is how much room there is for a spare tire in his Prius trim. I have the same or similar model (XSE Premium) and can only carry the spare above the trunk due to the larger Prime battery taking that trunk space. Over time, I've been ok with this and with the stock cargo net and the right additional straps, the spare tire in the cargo area has never really gotten in the way or left me wanting for space. Sorry to hear about your flat and experience too.
     
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  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that's what i did in my pip.
     
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  13. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    When I saw "Toyota Roadside Assistance" I laughed and said to myself, more like Toyota Roadside Robbery... Your description of how it went for you is a perfect example of how Toyota loves to charge big for "service" even though they aren't able to provide those services in a timely or even professional manner... And all this goes back to them selling a tire size that is not easily available so they have more proprietary control of where those tires are bought and they can continue the highway robbery you're experiencing at a greater profit than they thought possible before they realized they really can squeeze blood from a stone.

    The more I read about Gen5 wheel & tire issues the more convinced I am that you shouldn't even drive the Gen5 off the dealer lot until you get them to put on what you bring to them as new wheels with tires that are available in most every tire store. Leave it to Toyota to take a simple hassle of a flat tire that takes hours out of your day into a hassle that takes your car away for days, or in some cases weeks of your life.
     
    #13 PriusCamper, Jun 7, 2025 at 4:01 PM
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
  14. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Roadside assistance is a racket to begin with and Toyota selling it as an add on product makes it even worse than that.