[jakesterpdx]

My wife and I have both been driving for 20+ years and have driven many different cars over that time. In all those years and cars, we have never had a flat tire from hitting a curb on the sidewall. In the last month, it happened to her once and me once. It's probably just extremely bad luck, but I wanted to post here, just in case others have had similar issues with the volt.

 

[obermd]

After 30+ years of driving my first flat that required putting the spare tire on was in my Cruze ECO MT, which didn't come with a spare. Fortunately I had put a spare in the trunk. I need to get the spare tire for my Volt.

 

[TSquare]

My wife and I have both been driving for 20+ years and have driven many different cars over that time. In all those years and cars, we have never had a flat tire from hitting a curb on the sidewall. In the last month, it happened to her once and me once. It's probably just extremely bad luck, but I wanted to post here, just in case others have had similar issues with the volt.

You have learned, the hard way, that Low Rolling Resistance tires have very thin sidewalls. I avoid parking next to a curb where I will have to turn the front wheels toward the curb to back out of the space.

 

[Insight Refugee]

You have learned, the hard way, that Low Rolling Resistance tires have very thin sidewalls. I avoid parking next to a curb where I will have to turn the front wheels toward the curb to back out of the space.

Quoted for truth.

I blew out two sidewalls on LRR tires on the Insight over the years.

I learned to treat them very gingerly.

 

[Ziv]

Assurance tires are efficient but weak. I have had two blowouts in 4 years, and the lack of a spare is irritating but not overly so. I had one or two flats in 30 years of driving before getting my Volt.
My county is milling most of our major roads and I hit the edge of one at 25 mph and tore out a 5" section of the sidewall. And it was a 3" bump, at most. Treat the Assurance tires gingerly and consider upgrading to a stronger tire, even if it costs you a mile or two of AER.

 

[LANMAN]

My wife had a side wall leak take out one of the OEM tires a couple of years back. I think it was because of the rough roads during a water main replacement on one of the roads she traversed during her commute. I try to take it easy over the rough roads and whenever I hit a big pot hole I switch over to the tire pressure screen to make sure I'm not loosing pressure. I like my electric miles, and I have collected more 'items' in the tread of my Escape hybrid by far, but it does have a spare.

 

[jakesterpdx]

Thanks for the explanation about low rolling resistance tires - that makes me feel better that I'm not losing my mind!

 

[bkp1300]

Tire pressure too low? I ran my 2012my and now my 2017my at max pressure as stated on sidewall of tires, never had a tire problem.....51 psi for the Goodyears and 44 psi for the Michelins. (Not trying to dredge up the great debate on tire pressures again....)

 

[Insight Refugee]

Tire pressure too low? I ran my 2012my and now my 2017my at max pressure as stated on sidewall of tires, never had a tire problem.....51 psi for the Goodyears and 44 psi for the Michelins. (Not trying to dredge up the great debate on tire pressures again....)

I've been running higher pressures on my LRR tires for years. That's not the root cause. There is no free lunch. LRR tires have relatively lighter but stiffer sidewalls ... that's a recipe for increased sidewall blowouts.

 

[jakesterpdx]

We run at the recommended 38 psi.