Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 08:34

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - cheesed off with Fords

bought a new Galaxy Ghia last June Yesterday hit a pothole(thanks Herts CC) and got a puncture rang the RAC told them yes I have a spare wheel .Oh no I didn t there is no provision for one This was 6.45 am fortunately I was only 2 miles from home but it totally screwed my day up what should have taken a few minutes wasted several hours .What happens at times like Christmas when no tyre shop is open I do not know and on motorways you will now have to be towed for a simple puncture .What makes it worse is they provide a tyre repair kit for an amateur to use this is just asking for a blow out do Ford want legal action ??? How long is it before someone is killed for this penny pinching By all means have a spare as an extra but design your cars with space for a spare

And Fords pathetic excuse it is government policy to save fuel so cars need to be lighter all I can say is b******ks

I will never buy a Ford or any other vehicle without a spare ever again

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 08:46

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - piston power

Yes thats poor but have heard that before with these and other cars it's a company car why bother just leave it there and walk away.

But if you have room can you fit a space saver wheel in the boot if ford do one to fit like that of the other ranges that may fit.

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 09:00

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - jc2

Not just Ford-most firms now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 09:15

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - ijws15

By buying it you confirmed to Ford that they were correct in leaving the wheel out. I

f you had asked the salesman if it had a spare, and walked when he said no - as I have - they would have got a different message.

So we can blame you for fewer cars having spares.

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 11:36

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - cheesed off with Fords

It is a little unfair to expect someone to have asked whether it had a spare wheel Would you have thought to ask about something that is not visible but has been in every previous car I have bought ?It was not pointed out when I bought the car if I had known I would have walked away.Anyway that is it no more Fords for me or any other car without a spare

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 11:50

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - piston power

This is the first car i bought with a space saver i asked for a genuine size it won't fit in the boot sir was the reply.

Too many just jump in and drive off they see the gleaming shiney paint work and "must have it" well a lesson learnt, carry a can of tyre weld and a portable ciggarete lighter compressor and just hope you don't get a blow out or a large hole.!

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 12:46

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - bathtub tom

>>This is the first car i bought with a space saver i asked for a genuine size it won't fit in the boot sir was the reply.

Er, what do you do with the wheel with the punctured tyre then?

I've visions of a car full of passengers, on a wet day. Who gets to carry it on their lap?

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 13:01

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - piston power

Er, what do you do with the wheel with the punctured tyre then?

He was reffering to that it won't fit in the same hole the space saver comes out of if fitted a full size wheel.

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 15:12

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - bathtub tom

Er, what do you do with the wheel with the punctured tyre then?

He was reffering to that it won't fit in the same hole the space saver comes out of if fitted a full size wheel.

OP said: >> rang the RAC told them yes I have a spare wheel .Oh no I didn t there is no provision for one

Am I missing something?

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 13:05

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - ijws15

If you had read all my post you would see that I DO ask.

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 12:42

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - gordonbennet

By buying it you confirmed to Ford that they were correct in leaving the wheel out. I

f you had asked the salesman if it had a spare, and walked when he said no - as I have - they would have got a different message.

Thats the way to do it, they'll get the message sooner or later, used car buyers should adopt the same approach.

No spare wheel?...keep it.

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 13:44

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - madf

I am sorry but anyone who buys anything without checking the specification in detail is doomed to a life of being either disappointed or screwed .. or both.

As for threats of legal action...:-)))))

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 14:45

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Andy P

There's a business opportunity for someone - boot inserts to carry full-size spare wheels. I did consider doing this with my current BMW as it has no room even for a space-saver, but it would mean losing several inches of depth in the boot, plus a lot of changes to the carpeting.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 09:22

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - ijws15

So you are the second contributor to this thread that confirmed to the car makers that t he public are happy not to have a spare - but are actually unhappy - so why did you buy a car without a spare ?

Runflats are not the answer since what do you do if you find a blister in the sidewall - it is now illegal to drive on it . . . . .

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Thu 1 Apr 2010 19:01

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Tornadorot

There's a business opportunity for someone - boot inserts to carry full-size spare wheels. I did consider doing this with my current BMW as it has no room even for a space-saver, but it would mean losing several inches of depth in the boot, plus a lot of changes to the carpeting.

I've though of something similar for my Golf - I haven't measured but I reckon a full-size spare would only be a couple of inches or so wider than the space-saver, so something like a styrofoam spacer under the boot liner (with a big round hole in the middle) might allow you to keep a proper spare wheel in the same space.

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 14:49

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - nb857

Would it be possible to have some kind of campaign about this lack of spares? I have emailed Honda about the lack of spare in their new cars (I'd like another Honda). They seemed to basicly say "get stuffed, nobody else has complained" then go on about fuel economy, thanks to the weight saving. With that I took the car to work and weighed the full sized steel spare, jack and wheel brace on the fancy scales, and it came to 15kg. Exactly how much fuel with jettisoning this saving, keeping in mind that I only weigh 9 stone? When one has to be towed home, does that not negate the fuel saving.

I can change all four wheels on my tractor (the rears on on a 46 inch rim) in 90 minutes, with out an air ratchet, the car takes 5 minutes to change a wheel, how long will it take the RAC to come and scoop me up for a flat?

New cars are packed with all manner of passive safety guff to protect the inept, but it is deemed safe to leave you stranded on the side of a motorway for the want of a spare tyre that we always used to have. Grrrrrrr

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Tue 30 Mar 2010 17:55

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - NARU

The decider for me when choosing my towcar was the fact that the landcruiser comes with a full size alloy just like the 4 other wheels. I think Landrover might too, but few other cars, even big 4x4s.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 12:24

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Waino

I thought it was bad enough when manufacturers went to a space-saver rather than a full-size spare - but I certainly would not entertain a car that had no form of spare wheel at all. My wife's Focus suffered a flat in December the afternoon before we were due to go on holiday - so, for the first time in 74,000 miles, the space-saver came to the rescue. Then, a couple of weeks later, it saved us again when the same tyre was disastrously punctured and ruined by a piece of bone.

No, nothing less than a space-saver will do for me. This is even more vital than asking 'what's it like to change a headlamp bulb?' when taking on a new car.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 12:31

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - diddy1234

I was quite impressed to find my 09 Rio came with a proper spare tyre.

Not even a space saver cop out.

If all car makers are going to go the same way as the above Galaxy, does this mean we will all need to keep a tyre inflater in the car as well taking up boot space ?

In a way this defeats the object just in order to make the car lighter weight lower co2 output.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 14:03

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - gordonbennet

^^^

If all car makers are going to go the same way as the above Galaxy, does this mean we will all need to keep a tyre inflator in the car as well taking up boot space ?

^^^ Not at all, if we do as ijws15 and don't buy the useless junk they'll have to start putting spare wheels back in, i really can't believe some car buyers, it seems you can polish a turd enough to sell it. And i call a car with no spare wheel useless junk because if you get a irreparable flat tyre at a difficult place and time.ie not within spitting distance of a competent tyre shop that won't rip you off and is actually open the car is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. I too prefer a full size spare and my vehicles have them, i understand with wide tyres and wheels this is no longer practical for all vehicles, but a space saver is my minimum acceptable standard. As an aside some people obtain spare wheels and tools from ebay and the like for their ill supplied cars, sounds to me like having a dog and barking yourself.

didn't even need to edit the post this time to take all sentences out and lump it all into one paragraph.

Edited by gordonbennet on 31/03/2010 at 14:05

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 15:18

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Herr Sandwichmann

I bought a new car last year and avoided any which did not come with a spare. It has a space saver which is not ideal but better than nothing. I am not an expert, but I daresay that a can of goo to temporarily inflate a tyre is far cheaper than a spare hub and tyre.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 17:47

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - bathtub tom

I've no objection to space-savers, not having had a puncture in about ten years (he said, hoping the gods of fate aren't listening).

I understand there are cars out there that don't have enough space to carry the full-sized wheel and tyre if punctured.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 18:04

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - commerdriver

I understand there are cars out there that don't have enough space to carry the full-sized wheel and tyre if punctured.

Absolutely BT but it is a psychological thing, what if I need a spare?

I can understand the points of view expressed here but having just taken delivery of a new 3-series with runflats and no spare wheel (spare is not an option and there is no space for one), I wait to see what happens if/when I have a problem.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 18:35

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - nb857

I can understand the points of view expressed here but having just taken delivery of a new 3-series with runflats and no spare wheel (spare is not an option and there is no space for one), I wait to see what happens if/when I have a problem.

I will tell you what happens. You get a light on the dash to say you have a flat. It does not tell you which tyre is flat, just that one of them is. You then need to find out which one of them it is with a pressure gauge, that I am sure you carry with you all the times. You then have a distance that you can drive on your "run flats" and that distance is reduced depending on how many passengers and or weight you are carrying. If you are too far from home/destination you then ring BMW Assist who then take you home, possibly scratching your paint with the light cable as they go.

If I get a puncture, I stop the car, get out and change the wheel, and within 10 minutes I'm on my way. But I drive an old car.

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Wed 31 Mar 2010 18:51

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - retgwte

according to a friend at Ford

the replacement foam and pipe needed after the foam has been used costs about the same retail (for the end customer) as a new spare tyre would have done, and customers will mostly be forced to go back to ford to buy this rather than go to a quick fit tyre place, so there is clearly a lot more profit in it for ford, and it brings customers back that were going elsewhere

and its significantly cheaper to fit originally

so from fords point of view its another way to squeeze another few quid out of motorists

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Wed 7 Apr 2010 10:39

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - commerdriver

If I get a puncture, I stop the car, get out and change the wheel, and within 10 minutes I'm on my way. But I drive an old car.

what if it's during rush hour / dark unlit road / pouring rain and you are 15 miles from homw? Would you still choose to stop, putting yourself in danger, getting filthy and soaked rather than carry on home and change the tyre in the morning.

It's not always bad to have runflats just as it's not always good, as I said in my original post I shall see what happens in 4 years running the car, from past experience I may well not have a puncture anyway in that time.

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Thu 1 Apr 2010 13:12

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - ijws15

Absolutely BT but it is a psychological thing, what if I need a spare?

I can understand the points of view expressed here but having just taken delivery of a new 3-series with runflats and no spare wheel (spare is not an option and there is no space for one), I wait to see what happens if/when I have a problem.

It is not psychological - when it happens, and sooner or later it will.

Having had a tyre de-laminate on the M1 a few years ago and take part of the rear bumper with it I want a car with a spare of some kind - not a can of goo.

BTW you don't have the BMW alloys that crack and leak do you?

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Fri 2 Apr 2010 21:27

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Tornadorot

Alas, the space-saver spare on a BMW Z3 has, today, resulted in tragic consequences:

"A US air force officer who was on holiday in Scotland has died after a car tyre she was holding exploded."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8600833.stm

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Fri 2 Apr 2010 22:21

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Avant

This is quite frightening. This was a BMW Z3 like mine, and the handbook says that you can't fit the defective tyre into the spare wheel holder (because it's a space-saver) but gives you no hints as to where to put it, apart from saying that there's a plastic bag included in the kit.

It wouldn't fit even in an empty boot unless you have the lid partly open and tie it down. The only other possibility is the front passenger seat (with or without a front passenger) - or a tow from a motoring organisation.

Normally a tyre will be punctured so having to hold it inside the car is inconvenient but not dangerous. This tragic couple had spotted a bulge so the tyre was inflated.

Surely there must be other 2-seaters with space-savers, and therefore nowhere to put the punctured full-size tyre. Anyone know/?

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Wed 7 Apr 2010 10:32

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - commerdriver

Most tyre failures are straightforward punctures, most journeys are short so in most cases runflats make sense, carry on your journey, get the tyre fixed at a convenient time & place.

If it happens on a long journey either finish your journey and get it fixed or call out either relay truck to get you there or tyre service to replace. Bit inconvenient but probably no more so than redistributing luggage round the car, getting soaked / filthy changing the wheel.

I don't have strong feelings about this one way or the other I can just see that the no spare route seems to make sense in many situations.

BTW no I don't have the ultra low profile runflats and their resulting alloy problems.

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Sat 3 Apr 2010 09:41

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - f2

Father in Law recently bought a new Fabia, I can't remember if it was due to be supplied with a can of gunk or a spacesaver; but having nearly completed a deal on it he decided that he wanted a proper spare wheel and wouldn't entertain a car without one.

No problem said the salesman and duly ordered one at no extra cost (price had already been agreed by this point).

Personally speaking, I found a full size spare for my car via a well known auction website. Spacesavers will do at a pinch but only a full size spare will allow you to continue to your destination without significant delay or worry...

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Sat 3 Apr 2010 18:08

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - AF

Ironically I used a well known auction site to find a spacesaver spare wheel to replace the full size spare that came with my Focus.

The reason was that if my wife was forced by circumstance to change a wheel (no mobile phone coverage, etc), although she would be able to get the flat tyre off the car, there is not a cat in hells chance that she would be able to lift and hold the weight of a full size steel spare to put it back on the car. With a spacesaver spare wheel it would be possible.

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Tue 6 Apr 2010 09:19

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - ijws15

Ironically I used a well known auction site to find a spacesaver spare wheel to replace the full size spare that came with my Focus.

The reason was that if my wife was forced by circumstance to change a wheel (no mobile phone coverage, etc), although she would be able to get the flat tyre off the car, there is not a cat in hells chance that she would be able to lift and hold the weight of a full size steel spare to put it back on the car. With a spacesaver spare wheel it would be possible.

My wife is instructed NOT to change the spare - If she could get the nuts off there is no guarantee she would get them back on the right way round OR tight. Her istructions are to call the rac - It is why we pay the subscription.

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Tue 6 Apr 2010 09:22

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Armitage Shanks {p}

I would have thought that OP might have noticed the absence of a spare wheel when doing his routine checks of lights, fluid levels and trye pressures but what do I know?

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Tue 6 Apr 2010 09:56

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - bristol01

Ironically I used a well known auction site to find a spacesaver spare wheel to replace the full size spare that came with my Focus.

The reason was that if my wife was forced by circumstance to change a wheel (no mobile phone coverage, etc), although she would be able to get the flat tyre off the car, there is not a cat in hells chance that she would be able to lift and hold the weight of a full size steel spare to put it back on the car. With a spacesaver spare wheel it would be possible.

My wife is instructed NOT to change the spare - If she could get the nuts off there is no guarantee she would get them back on the right way round OR tight. Her istructions are to call the rac - It is why we pay the subscription.

Charming. It's nice to know that sexism is alive and well.

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Tue 6 Apr 2010 20:24

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - Avant

I don't think that's sexism - just a considerate husband recognising that some (not all) women don't have the same physical strength as men and trying to ensure that she doesn't do herself an injury.

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Tue 6 Apr 2010 22:31

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - ianjoh

I know of a national company that actually removes the spare wheels from all the company staff cars as a health and safety precaution. Madness or what?

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Tue 6 Apr 2010 22:52

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - nb857

You don't need to be strong to change a car wheel, just stand on the wheel brace to loosen and tighten the wheel nuts/studs. Show the Mrs how to do it.

I would be interested to know how being left stranded on the hard shoulder of a motorway can be considered a safety feature? Show your drivers how to change the wheel, like you show the mrs...

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Wed 7 Apr 2010 09:04

Ford Galaxy - no spare wheel - ijws15

I don't think that's sexism - just a considerate husband recognising that some (not all) women don't have the same physical strength as men and trying to ensure that she doesn't do herself an injury.

Herself, or others - especially in these days of "causing death by . . ." offences which lead to imprisonment.

Edited by ijws15 on 07/04/2010 at 09:05

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