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My New S60 - No spare and No Donut!

93K views 126 replies 44 participants last post by  dhorvath 
#1 ·
When I ordered my S60 T5 a month ago, the salesperson told me the car had a donut, no full size spare like my present Audi A4. Its clearly my fault for not checking under the trunk mat. I rode by the dealership today and stopped in to see if the T5 arrived (it had). Test drove it and loved it. Then I opened the trunk and lifted the mat. To my surprise, there is not even a dunkin donut there. Just a canister to spray gunk into a tire that has lost pressure. My salesperson wasn't in today, but another salesperson expressed a similar sentiment to mine. I asked, ok, what if I have a bubble in the sidewall on a long trip on a sunday evening. The response: you'll need a flat bed to tow you to a dealer.

I'm sorry - but that is unacceptable. This is Volvo - known for safety. They offer a gadget to make sure I won't hit a pedestrian in daylight (not nighttime), but save money by eliminating a donut (which Kias and Hyundais offer). I think this is awful. Volvo knows most buyers won't look under the trunk bottom and won't see the stupid canister they give you instead. The saleguy tells me, "you can buy an extra wheel and tire". Yeah, and take up half the 12.4 cubic feet of the trunk.

This will be my fifth Volvo, and first OSD. I think its terrible that this safety feature, universally accepted by every brand, is where they choose to cut corners. (not to mention the cheap trunk lid liner that is not tucked in to the lid like it is on Audi or BMW).

I have been a longtime Volvo fan, since I was a kid - and always held Volvo's respect for safety as something that would never be compromised by this great car company. But, truth be told - this is not a run flat equipped car - and I believe it is irresponsible for Volvo to sell cars without one of the most basic safety features that all cars have.
 
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#3 ·
Volvo knows most buyers won't look under the trunk bottom and won't see the stupid canister they give you instead. The saleguy tells me, "you can buy an extra wheel and tire". Yeah, and take up half the 12.4 cubic feet of the trunk.
I understand your frustration. Nevertheless, you are insinuating that Volvo is being deceptive in that we hope you will not pop up the trunk mat to see what's under. I think that is unfair as there is absolutely no hidden agenda.

By the way, you can buy a spare donut (which it will have to go inside the trunk but it will not take as much space as a regular extra full size wheel and tire).
 
#4 ·
Jay,

By chance, did you get the 17" Njord wheels with the "self supporting tires"? (SST). They are designed to allow you to drive (at a reduced speed) in the event of a tire failure. Just asking.

IM me and I will try to get you some more detailed info as to WHY there is not a donut.
 
#5 ·
I ordered the wheel upgrade, but not the run flats. I guess I'm particularly frustrated because back in 1992, I was driving on a Saturday on the NJ Turnpike from New York to Washington and stopped at a service station for gas in my 1991 940. The service station attendent pointed out that I had a sidewall bubble on one tire. The donut in the trunk would not be advisable to drive with for the remaining150 miles of my trip at turnpike speeds. He sold me a non-matching tire of the correct size for like, $500. I had little choice on the Turnpike. Now, 90% of the time, a donut would work and I can accept that. But a sidewall puncture or bubble will not be resolved by Volvo's inflation kit. That may work for a nail in the tread, but otherwise is useless. So, I believe Volvo is leaving its customers unprotected in a basic safety issue.

As far as being able to order a donut, that was a not an option I was aware of. If memory serves, it is not listed as an option on the Tourist price list. If I knew in advance, I would have ordered either the runflats or the donut. My order confirmation indicates no changes are allowed at this point. I would definitely order one or the other if that could be done. Thanks for listening.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Folks,

For domestically-delivered S60s, you can order a donut in a bag to go, which is a port-added option. You can also order one from the parts department of your local dealer, but it is way more expensive to do it that way. I don't know if the first option would be available for an OSD vehicle, but I suspect not. OSD can be a two-edged sword in many respects: you save in some ways, get a lot more choices when ordering the car, but you also lose in other ways. It is not the panacea that its ardent advocates would have one believe.

In any event, I would most certainly not recommend getting the 17" Njord rims with SSTs, which is a $1000 option. As I have already posted in another thread, the Conti SSTs are noisy and also deteriorate the ride quality.
 
#10 ·
Wow, I don't even like the idea of no spare with run-flats. No spare with conventional tires is just asking to be stranded! Towing companies will be thrilled...
 
#11 ·
When I ordered my S60 T5 a month ago, the salesperson told me the car had a donut, no full size spare like my present Audi A4. Its clearly my fault for not checking under the trunk mat. I rode by the dealership today and stopped in to see if the T5 arrived (it had). Test drove it and loved it. Then I opened the trunk and lifted the mat. To my surprise, there is not even a dunkin donut there. Just a canister to spray gunk into a tire that has lost pressure. My salesperson wasn't in today, but another salesperson expressed a similar sentiment to mine. I asked, ok, what if I have a bubble in the sidewall on a long trip on a sunday evening. The response: you'll need a flat bed to tow you to a dealer.

I'm sorry - but that is unacceptable. This is Volvo - known for safety. They offer a gadget to make sure I won't hit a pedestrian in daylight (not nighttime), but save money by eliminating a donut (which Kias and Hyundais offer). I think this is awful. Volvo knows most buyers won't look under the trunk bottom and won't see the stupid canister they give you instead. The saleguy tells me, "you can buy an extra wheel and tire". Yeah, and take up half the 12.4 cubic feet of the trunk.

This will be my fifth Volvo, and first OSD. I think its terrible that this safety feature, universally accepted by every brand, is where they choose to cut corners. (not to mention the cheap trunk lid liner that is not tucked in to the lid like it is on Audi or BMW).

I have been a longtime Volvo fan, since I was a kid - and always held Volvo's respect for safety as something that would never be compromised by this great car company. But, truth be told - this is not a run flat equipped car - and I believe it is irresponsible for Volvo to sell cars without one of the most basic safety features that all cars have.
Unfortunately Americans are not used to European spec vehicles. Your Audi/Vw products are sold only in North America and Australia with spare tires. The Conti Repair kit is designed to repair 98% of all flats. Yes, that's not all of them, but from an environmental and weight standpoint, it's hard to justify a spare tire. I'm not going to make up a statistic as some might, but only because I don't remember the real number. A staggering majority of vehicles NEVER use the spare tire in their entire service life. For those that decide they NEED a spare tire, they are available as PORT installed options or as an accessory through your parts department. You will soon see that Audi and VW will be ditching their spares as Mercedes Benz and BMW already have.

To clarify, Pedestrian Detection is still active at night, but just as in a human eye, if the car can't "see" the person, it may fail to activate. If you are in a well-lit downtown area, pedestrian detection will still save your tush.
 
#18 ·
Personally I would not order run flat tires since they are harder and usually have compromised grip.

I would be very interested in seeing stats on how many people use their spare tire. Maybe I am just unlucky, but I have changed tires on just about every car I've owned due to a flat.

The difference in mileage because of the spare tire is likely so little it cannot even really be measured. There is definitely a weight penality, but that is one I will gladly take.
If you want to save weight, take away Pedestrian Safety, City Safety and lane depature warnings. Driving an XC60 D5 for two weeks, these systems were annoying. Safety? Pay attention to your driving!
 
#13 ·
Question: How many uses can you get from the Conti Repair Kit? Is it replaceable? Finally, if you purchase a donut - do you also need a jack and wrench, or are those included in the car to begin with? Thanks for the help.
 
#19 ·
I got a nice bubble in the sidewall of my Acura TL-Type S back in 02 while driving on the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City. Usually there is not a problem continue driving for a while. Honestly, I think I drove 1000-2000 miles before getting the tire changed (and rim repaired).
 
#21 ·
Same "luck" here...had to change tires on every vehicle I owned and more than once...

A couple of times tire was punctured by the large metal object at highway speeds and shredded before I could safely stop...once 30 miles away from anything... in pre-cell phone era...unloaded the trunk, changed the tire and loaded the trunk back without one single car passing by...

I hear the reasoning but read it as a corner-cutting measure...the US is different from the Europe space- and population density-wise...we still have miles and miles of deserted, scarcely populated areas between the towns...

I am with people who believe that the tempa spare tire is a must...
 
#31 ·
I hear the reasoning but read it as a corner-cutting measure...the US is different from the Europe space- and population density-wise...we still have miles and miles of deserted, scarcely populated areas between the towns...

I am with people who believe that the tempa spare tire is a must...
OMG.........another agreement with Gascos. :eek:

Volvo is trying to sell the customer a bill of goods by gaining rear leg room at the expense of trunk space........which is actually an even bigger loss of trunk space since the P2 had a spare.
 
#22 ·
On my 2005 S60R with 17" wheels I had 14 (yes 14!) flat tires in the 20 months that I owned that car. That being said, a spare tire for me is a MUST. I just called my dealer and was told that the spares are added at port upon request. All is good.
 
#23 ·
Well, I just heard back from my dealer. The dealer emailed back and forth with Volvo Sweden and was told no dice. The car comes with the inflation kit, and "no donut is available for that car." The dealer was told it could order a donut that would fit the car, but is not specifically designed for the 2012 S60. Apparently, Volvo is pushing the inflation kit hard and trying to discourage buyers from getting donuts. Now, I have to decide whether to get a donut from the dealer not spec'd. for my car, or see if they'll let me order run flats at this point. My concern with the donut is that it is not specified for my car, and if I use it, will Volvo say that any repairs are no longer subject to warranty for using a non-spec. wheel? The dealer also said you have to replace the cannister after each use. Not good.
 
#24 ·
There is a spare tire and wheel kit for the S60 that your dealer can order. Here is the Volvo part number and description of this item from Volvo:

31316302 Tempa spare wheel kit

The all new Volvo S60 does not come equipped with a spare tire from the factory. The car comes equipped with a tire repair kit instead. There are many customers however, that prefer a spare wheel solution to the tire repair kit. For those customers, Volvo offers a S60 Tempa Spare wheel kit. The kit consists of a Tempa Spare Wheel, textile storage bag and straps to secure attachment. The tire Dimensions are 125 / 80 / R17. A jack and wheel bolt tool are standard with the car.
 
#25 ·
Thanks for that information. I will have my dealer look into it tomorrow. Am I better off upgrading to runflats? My friend who has a BMW says the sidewalls are thick and can with stand most side impacts that a regular tire would not. I would also not have to give up my trunk for the spare. Thanks.
 
#26 ·
Am I better off upgrading to runflats? My friend who has a BMW says the sidewalls are thick and can with stand most side impacts that a regular tire would not. I would also not have to give up my trunk for the spare. Thanks.
If you are really going to worry about it, yes. Otherwise save your money for something else.

I have driven close to 8,000 miles in the S60 I am currently driving in and I never thought one moment about flat tires; even when my family and I drove from Chicago-Philadelphia-Chicago (about 1,600 miles roundtrip)...I just enjoyed driving every single one of those miles! ;)
 
#27 ·
Thanks for the info, William. I ordered an S60 T5 for May OSD delivery. My dealer did show me that there was no spare. I was not too concerned since the car comes with 5-year
free roadside assistance. I figure if enough buyers have flats and need to get towed, Volvo will add the spare donut.

What is the approximate charge for the Tempa spare wheel kit?

Thanks in advance.
 
#28 ·
Just my 2 cents here - Having owned 2 98-00 V70 AWD cars, I got pretty used to the idea of not having a spare tire or donut. I ditched them in both cars because the AWD system is so sensitive that using the donut was almost a guarantee of ruining the viscous coupling and/or angle gear. I put in one of the Slime kits in the trunk which I have used on other vehicles (including a small ambulance in a pinch) and the kits work pretty well.

Driving 6500 miles around the country this summer I didn't give any thought to not having a donut or spare. The same was true driving 1600 miles through Norway the summer before in the other wagon. Try to be vigilant about tire pressure and they'll last a long time.
 
#29 ·
When I was looking to buy this week, the very first thing my salesman did when we walked up to the car was open the trunk and show me the repair kit and no spare. They obviously know its a sticky subject.
 
#30 ·
I have decided to go with William's suggestion of the spare tire and wheel kit from the dealer. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. The dealer said they will make sure to point out the inflation kit to buyers in the future to avoid surprises.
 
#32 · (Edited)
I agree with Magoon and Gasco as well. This is about saving $$. And probably about weight as well.
Frankly if you have a serious blowout, a kit is not going to help.
For those of you who have had a tire blow in a major way (like cutting the sidewall on a piece of sharp metal or a bad pothole), then a patch kit or a can of foam isn't going to do the trick.
Most run flats are compromise tires (read articles in Car & Driver for confirmation) from a handling perspective and ride comfort.

And while it may save natural resources not having a spare tire, who knows what nasty chemicals are in those cans?
I had two flats with my S60R and I was thankful for the spare. I've become very efficient at changing tires over the years! The AWD system should not be negatively effected by short drives on a smaller-sized tire. I also had a flat in the XC90 as well.

A proper spare is a must!!
 
#33 ·
Looks like I hit a raw nerve! I hope Volvo takes note. They are trying to rebuild sales in the US with the new S60 which has brought excellent reviews. I think taking the spare out is one of the dumbest moves they could make. People attracted to Volvo, among other reasons, appreciate the safety features of the brand. This decision by some MBA and his/her calculator will do more damage to sales then Volvo expects. I will make do with the small spare, but at the cost of trunk space. Its ironic that the operator's manual devotes several pages to use and storage of the optional spare. Obviously, Volvo knew there would be some blowback from this decision.

I must complemenBob and William for their helpful suggestions on this and other questions I have had.
 
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