How Long Can You Drive on a Spare Tire?

Whether you’re going on a family adventure or driving around Rye, we suggest you schedule a service appointment with our team to ensure your vehicle is running smoothly. There are many things to consider with vehicle maintenance, especially if you’re going on a long drive, but one of the most important maintenance items to think about is your spare tire.

We often get asked, “How long can I drive on a spare?” and the answer truthfully depends on your exact tire. However, the general rule of thumb is you have around 70 miles of range on a space-saver spare. Work with the service professionals from Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich today and we can help you ensure your spare tire is good to go so you aren’t stranded on Stamford drives if you have a flat! Here are some spare tire questions we’ll go over below:

• How long can I drive on a spare tire?
• How fast can you drive on a spare tire?
• What kind of spare tires are there?

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

It’s common for many vehicles these days to feature a spare-saver spare tire. These are also called donut spare tires and they’re usually smaller and look different from the regular wheels and tires on your vehicle.

So, how long can you drive on a spare tire if it’s a space-saver spare? We suggest you visit a service center as soon as possible after you’ve got a space-saver spare tire on because the range is only meant to be used for emergencies:

• How Long Can I Drive on a Spare Tire? Around 70 miles depending on your exact space-saver spare tire.
• How Fast Can I Drive on a Spare Tire? Around 50 mph is the maximum speed limit for many space-saver spare tires.

How Far Can You Drive on a Spare Tire? – Full-Sized Spare

Although not as common, your vehicle could also have a full-sized spare tire. Full-sized spare tires take up more space than a space-saver spare and they usually look just like the other wheels on your vehicle.

However, keep in mind that some full-sized spares have an older tire that could even be a different brand than the other tires on your vehicle. If this is the case, we suggest you call for help as the old spare tire could be dangerous to drive on:

• How Long Can I Drive on a Spare Tire? If the full-sized spare is regularly replaced and maintained, it can be driven on for as long as a regular tire. With that being said, make sure you get the damaged tire replaced so you can continue to use it as a full-sized spare.
• How Fast Can I Drive on a Spare Tire? If the full-sized spare is regularly replaced and maintained, it can go as fast as a regular tire. Similar to the distance, get the damaged tire replaced as soon as possible.

How Far Can You Drive on a Spare Tire? – Run-Flat Tires

Some vehicles may also come with run-flat tires. Run-flat tires can maintain pressure for a short time, even after a puncture. Of course, you want to visit a service center as soon as possible after your run-flat tires have been punctured. If you have run-flat tires, your vehicle likely doesn’t have a spare tire so here are some questions you’ll want to consider:

• How Long Can I Drive on a Run-Flat Tire? Once your run-flat tire has been punctured, you likely have around 50 miles before the tire needs to be replaced.
• How Fast Can I Drive on a Run-Flat Tire? Once your run-flat tire has been punctured, you’ll want to limit your speed to around 50 mph.

We’re Your Tire Experts at Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich!

From tire repairs to tire maintenance, you can count on our Greenwich service center for assistance. If you’re still wondering, “How long can you drive on a spare tire?” or you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can help!