[SamInWa]

Hey everyone,

I knew that there was no spare in the emergency equipment, but I went looking and I discovered that my 2018 Volt didn't come with a jack either. There is a spit under the floor carpeting for one, but it is blank.

Is that normal or did the dealer take it out and forget to put it back?

All I had down there was the tow hook and the kit with the pump and tire sealant.

Not having a jack is a pain as I can't take a tire off to use a patch kit.

 

[saghost]

Hey everyone,

I knew that there was no spare in the emergency equipment, but I went looking and I discovered that my 2018 Volt didn't come with a jack either. There is a spit under the floor carpeting for one, but it is blank.

Is that normal or did the dealer take it out and forget to put it back?

All I had down there was the tow hook and the kit with the pump and tire sealant.

Not having a jack is a pain as I can't take a tire off to use a patch kit.

That's normal. AFAIK, no car that's delivered without a spare includes a jack or tire iron.

 

[bjrosen]

Hey everyone,

I knew that there was no spare in the emergency equipment, but I went looking and I discovered that my 2018 Volt didn't come with a jack either. There is a spit under the floor carpeting for one, but it is blank.

Is that normal or did the dealer take it out and forget to put it back?

All I had down there was the tow hook and the kit with the pump and tire sealant.

Not having a jack is a pain as I can't take a tire off to use a patch kit.

Why would you need a jack if you don't have a spare?. They are saving the weight and the space of a spare, that's why they don't provide one. AAA is not an option anymore, it's a necessity now.

 

[Steverino]

Some buy a spare wheel & tire, and of course a jack. See spare tire FAQ in the Newcomers forum https://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?105593-Chevy-Volt-Wheels-amp-Tires-FAQs

 

[fishhawk]

If you decide to acquire a jack, be aware of this note:
https://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?48058-Volt-Spare-Tire-Guide

The body to jack interface is different starting in 2018 and requires a different jack then the 2017. It has a flat head with a side mounted saddle for the pinch weld. See image later in this thread at https://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?48058-Volt-Spare-Tire-Guide&p=4596841#post4596841
See owners manual illustrations from 2017 and 2018 later in this thread at post #140: https://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?48058-Volt-Spare-Tire-Guide&p=4449306#post4449306

 

[SamInWa]

I was in a situation where I had a flat in the evening. I had AAA tow me home and my plan was to take the tire off and have a friend take me down to the tire shop to have it patched first thing in the morning. That ended up being a better option that the others I had before me.

Luckily my friend was able to bring over a jack for me to borrow.

I'll pick up a jack to put in the vehicle. They aren't very expensive and there is a spot in there for one after all. In the future, I might want to take a tire off and use a patch kit. My friend swears by them and has used them a couple of times including on his Gen 1 Volt.

Thanks for the information and the pointer to the other thread.

 

[Don M]

I'll pick up a jack to put in the vehicle. They aren't very expensive and there is a spot in there for one after all.

If you can find a used one, they're not too bad - $50 or so. Finding one used which 'fits' the 2018 might be hard though. If you have to buy one from Chevrolet, they are ridiculous expensive

Don

 

[alfon]

For our 2016 Volt Premier I purchased a brand new compact spare tire, jack, tools etc, everything in a complete kit to change your tire. I purchased on Ebay for about $170.00 delivered, the tire was already mounted and full of air. The tire fits nicely behind the drivers seat taking up little or no space and I can adjust the seat as well.

Believe me this is a piece of mind and cheap insurance out here in Oregon as there are places with no homes or businesses for miles and miles with no cell coverage, and very little traffic and if one of your tires goes unrepairably flat you may be stuck for more than a day. As far as a spare being so heavy to lower your range or mpg when running on gas forget it, the last two trips each were over 70 miles on electric and over 105 miles on gas with an overall average of 60 mpg just on gas.

My wife, the Volt is her daily driver, can easily pickup the tire from behind the seat and place it in the hatch area in the event she has passengers as well. Lets not forget in the past even the lowest price new auto had a spare tire, jack, and tools to change the tire as well. I believe it is only a money issue and not a mpg issue by the auto manufactures. I doubt if the additional 30 lbs, the weight of a packed small suitcase at that, would have such a negative impact on mpg's or electric range as to effect the E.P.A. Fuel Economy Ratings.

 

[wssix99]

I purchased the proper GM spare tire kit. The jack and tire iron install under the panel perfectly and I left the spare and spare hold-down bolt out of the car and will just pop them in so I can have the spare with us for road trips.

 

[Cord]

we still need to tell him what goes in that empty spot he saw.

I would suggest keeping an extra tire somewhere - a jack is good too as one road side service tried to use a floor jack in the wrong location.

 

[BoogetyBoogety]

The primary reason we never considered a new Volt was the lack of a spare. Seriously. My Beloved sometimes needs to commute throughout Texas, and as she is handy with a jack, there’s no way she would get on the road without a spare in any vehicle. But when I bought (spur of the moment) our Volt off a friend who was replacing his wife’s 2015 with a new one last year, the first thing I did was buy a jack and a CTS compact spare (plus a nice cover) which we put in the back of the car (storage room is not a big deal for us, we have other vehicles to carry stuff when we travel).

Look under the car between the rear wheels, there seems to be ample room for a spare to fit back there (with access through the hatch, not from below, if GM had engineered it that way). The trend of manufacturers of not including a spare and a jack, to me, is at best idiotic, and at worst, a reason not to buy that model. /rant

 

[Eagleco]

I can see both sides of this, and at least for those who want to carry a jack and spare, that can be done.

The weight savings really does increase gas mileage in combination with all the other weight saving measures the automakers undertake.

According to TireRack, 85% of all spares and jacks end up with the car in the junkyard having never been used. That is a waste of resources, money and was just dead weight and space used up.

In many cases it's not safe to change a tire on the side of the road. I don't know the statistics, but certainly some have been killed.

Tires are much better than in the past, and the rate at which flats occur has probably gone down. Personally, it's been over 30 years since I have had to change a flat on the road. Some flats can be resolved temporarily with the on board compressor and goop too.

Automakers and dealers have to compete for our business. If they don't have to pass on the cost of a spare and jack, in a competitive environment, that savings will be reflected in the price. I don't think the automakers and dealers have all seen their profit margins go up by the amount saved on the tire and jack.

I'll take my chances with roadside assistance and AAA. Also we have snow tires on rims that can be used as spares if needed, and I have a floor jack.

And we never take long trips in our Volt or Cruze, both which lack spares. For long distances we fly, and rent a car. If we get a flat in the rental car, Hertz can deal with it.

Another factor to consider if putting a spare tire in the Volt, is making sure it does not become a dangerous projectile in the event of a crash. For vehicles that do come with a spare in the trunk, Federal standards require that it remain secure in a frontal crash up to 30 mph. So I would at least want to meet that standard. It makes no sense to solve one problem while creating a new more dangerous one.


Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[turboguy327]

The primary reason we never considered a new Volt was the lack of a spare. Seriously. My Beloved sometimes needs to commute throughout Texas, and as she is handy with a jack, there’s no way she would get on the road without a spare in any vehicle. But when I bought (spur of the moment) our Volt off a friend who was replacing his wife’s 2015 with a new one last year, the first thing I did was buy a jack and a CTS compact spare (plus a nice cover) which we put in the back of the car (storage room is not a big deal for us, we have other vehicles to carry stuff when we travel).

Look under the car between the rear wheels, there seems to be ample room for a spare to fit back there (with access through the hatch, not from below, if GM had engineered it that way). The trend of manufacturers of not including a spare and a jack, to me, is at best idiotic, and at worst, a reason not to buy that model. /rant

That’s a pretty odd reason to not buy a car considering the only new cars that really come with a spare are full size trucks/SUVs. 🤦*♂

 

[Barry]

It has gotten to the point where you just about have to own a separate jack if you are going to be a car owner any more. I bought a used one for my trunk and got an additional one for the garage for convenience. I got the kind that is raised by turning it with a lug wrench. That way I can power it with my cordless drill. Makes it really fast and easy. I also got a Gorilla Wrench, which is a great tool.

Between this car and my wife's, I am dealing with tire punctures fairly regularly, and have gotten pretty good at plugging them. I'd rather have a shop do it, but sometimes they are closed or whatever, so I just take care of it.

 

[FI Spyder]

I own one hydraulic and 4 scissor jacks. That said I have never had a flat tire in 54 years since I left the Manitoba country gravel roads with sharp stones. I did have a screw in tire once but didn't loose any air, at least until I got to a Canadian Tire to get it patched. They come in handy though to put cars up on jack stands and do brake work etc. Never had a flat on my motorcycles either and never carried a jack for them.

 

[bjrosen]

It has gotten to the point where you just about have to own a separate jack if you are going to be a car owner any more. I bought a used one for my trunk and got an additional one for the garage for convenience. I got the kind that is raised by turning it with a lug wrench. That way I can power it with my cordless drill. Makes it really fast and easy. I also got a Gorilla Wrench, which is a great tool.

Between this car and my wife's, I am dealing with tire punctures fairly regularly, and have gotten pretty good at plugging them. I'd rather have a shop do it, but sometimes they are closed or whatever, so I just take care of it.

I can't remember the last time I had a flat tire. How bad are your roads that you are dealing with them "fairly regualrly"?

 

[uchual]

Yes, most new cars, regardless of cargo space, come with no spare tire or tools to remove wheels at all. Only large SUVs and Trucks do.
I think it's more a matter of peace of mind and the kind of roads one usually drives on. In my case, I have had CAA membership (cheap peace of mind, useful for many things, other than flat tires) for over 15 years and I've never called them to fix a flat.

 

[SamInWa]

I did find a jack kit up on eBay and it looks like the correct one for my 2018 with that offset notch. I'll find out when it arrives next week and I'll report back. There was an eBay coupon sitting in my account for $15 off, so that brought the total cost down to about $54.

I'm going to forgo the spare tire. Most flats I've had could have probably been repaired with a patch kit. If it ends up being worse than that, well I've got AAA coverage for a reason. If I plan a really long road trip in desolate parts, I'll consider getting some sort of spare tire.

So, I'm splitting the difference on preparedness and this fits the level of risk I'm willing to take.

 

[BoogetyBoogety]

Well, you pays your money, you takes your chances. Having to wait for AAA or someone to come fetch me or My Beloved out of a mess an hour or more after we could have handled it with a ten-minute tire change is asinine in my opinion. We're a pretty self-sufficient bunch in our household. Your patience may vary...

 

[El Dobro]

That's normal. AFAIK, no car that's delivered without a spare includes a jack or tire iron.

My Prius PiP came with everything except the spare. Go figure.