How long can you drive on a spare tire?

How long can you drive on a spare tire?

The worst thing is going to your car after a long day and realizing you have a flat tire…so now you have to put on a spare tire. But, you should know how long can you drive on a spare tire because it can be dangerous if you exceed the recommended time. Also, you may be surprised about what can happen to your car if you drive for too long on a spare tire. Our Clermont Toyota car care experts are going to answer all your questions for you. Let’s get into it.

What you need to know about driving on a spare tire

If you’re wondering how long can you drive on a spare tire, you’ll need to know whether or not you have a full-size or a temporary spare tire. Here are just some of the differences between the two:

• Full size: The same size as the other tires on your Clermont Toyota, commonly found in full-size trucks and SUVs (like the Sequoia). Typically, they have the same characteristics (handling and durability) as your old tire…minus the deflating part.
• Temporary: We get a lot of questions from our customers asking how long can you drive on a spare tire – specifically a temporary one. These are known as the “donut” spare tires. These are smaller than your normal tires and are meant to be temporary…notice how these are called “temporary”. Essentially, don’t drive too far out with these tires. But, how exactly far out? We’re gonna get into how far can you drive on a spare tire.

How far can you drive on a spare tire?

If you were wondering how far can you drive on a spare tire – look no further. But, yet again, there are differences between how far you can drive on a full-size versus a temporary spare tire. Let’s get into it.

• Full-size: Our Clermont Toyota experts recommend no further than 100 miles because they’re not the same as your existing tires. These are not for daily driving, even though they are typically more durable than a temporary spare tire.
• Temporary: Our Clermont Toyota car care experts recommend no further than 50 miles with a temporary spare tire. If you decide to drive too far on a temporary, you can get damage on your spare and your car as it is smaller than the other tires. This causes your car to have stress and damage to your transmission.

So, you know how long can you drive on a spare tire and how far can you drive on a spare tire – what about how fast?

How fast can you drive on a spare tire?

Now to keep your car protected, you’ll need to know how fast you can drive on a spare tire. If you’re wondering about your full-size, don’t worry. Since typically they have more durability than a temporary spare, you can drive at normal speeds with it (up to 70 mph). Let’s get into the temporary now:

• When it comes to temporary spare tires, you should not go over 50 mph. This is because if you go any faster than the recommended mph, you can expect too much heat on the tire causing it to potentially blow out. This leads to more issues with your Clermont Toyota.

Our Clermont Toyota car care expert tips on spare tires

On top of knowing how long can you drive on a spare tire, you need to know more. For example, keeping your spare tire in good condition is extremely important. These tips go for both temporary and full-size spare tires. Take a look:

• Free from any damage like bubbles, blisters, and sidewall separation.
• Check your spare once a month.
• Make sure your tires are fully inflated

Our Clermont Toyota car care experts made the list short because they’re always Making it Simple™.

Get new spare tires at Toyota of Clermont

If you have any more questions on how long can you drive on a spare tire or if you’re in need of a new tire, a spare tire, or tire care, Toyota of Clermont has got your back. Give us a call at 352.404.7001 or come on down to 16851 State Road 50, west of the turnpike!