How Long Can You Drive on a Spare Tire

Sometimes, life gets busy and you’re on your way to do some errands when all of a sudden, one of your tires gives up. Or maybe you’ve been diligent about tire maintenance, but you drive over a sharp object on Orange roads. If you find yourself in one of these situations, you might be thinking to yourself, “How long can I drive on a spare tire?" While a spare tire will help you resume your commute, it’s only a short-term solution. A full-size spare gives you more time and mileage, but most smaller space-saver tires need to be replaced within 70 miles at most. Find out more details below with the service team at Sonia’s CDJR.  

How Long Can You Drive on a Space-Saver Spare Tire? 

A space-saver or "donut" spare is smaller than a normal tire. They're included on many new vehicles and come with certain restrictions, such as: 

• They cannot be driven at speeds of over 50 miles per hour
• They shouldn't be driven for more than 70 miles
• They provide less traction than a full-size spare

Any additional usage restrictions on the space-saver spare tire itself. If you’re using a space-saver spare, you'll want to get to the nearest service center quickly to repair your old tire or purchase a new one.

How Long Can You Drive on a Full-Size Spare Tire? 

Besides the donut spare, you might also have a full-size spare on hand. They’re less common, but they’re often included with new trucks and SUVs. While this type of spare tire can be used longer than a space-saver spare, you'll still want to get the tire replaced as soon as possible. It's unlikely that it's the same brand as your other tires, so you’ll experience poor traction and handling. And since it's brand new, it won't have the same amount of wear as the other tires. We recommend visiting Sonia’s CDJR to find a tire that offers a better fit as soon as you can.

What is a Run-Flat Tire?

What about run-flat tires? Run-flat tires can maintain pressure even after a puncture, so if you ever drive over a sharp object that punctured the tires, you won’t have to scramble for a spare. Instead, you can keep driving with it as it remains inflated for about 50 miles following a puncture. While they are tougher than a space-saver tire or full-size spare, they also often cost more than a standard tire.

If you have run-flat tires and your tire pressure monitor shows that it's running low, stop the vehicle and inspect your tires. A visible puncture on a run-flat tire means you'll want to head to your local service center to repair or replace it.

Get More Tire Care Advice from Sonia’s CDJR 

Regardless of what type of spare tire you have, they will only work for a short period of time. Learn more about tire care with Sonia’s CDJR whether you want to know how to make your tires last longer or how to read tire numbers!