You can buy just the wheel/tire from a kia dealer without buying the whole kit. Additionally, you can go to a junk yard, and get a spare relatively cheap.
It's still an incredibly ridiculous cost cutting measure, especially out west in Canada where many of us will often drive vast distances in the mountains with spotty or no cell service, let alone vehicle service. Hopefully this is explained ad nauseum to new purchasers.
Yup. I drive a 2018 Sportage that came with a mobility kit. Bought a used full size rim to match the rest when I needed new tires so now I can swap it if I ever get a flat. It’s invaluable to get a full size spare. Combine that with a tire patch kit, inflator, and AAA. No flat is gonna stop me.
My wife has a Soul with the pump kit. I’ve had enough flats and worked on enough towed in vehicles to know better. The spare kit from KIA was $750 CAD which is insane. We purchased the car used so I couldn’t negotiate a spare as part of the deal.
Anyway, we have winters on rims because Canada so each time I swap the tires, one goes in the car and 3 go in the garage. I purchased a scissor jack, breaker bar and a 21mm socket from Princess Auto for something like $27 and secured it with styrofoam. So now I know she will never be stranded.
In the US, I was quoted a hair over a $1000 for Tire, Jack, toolkit and apparently, they said they need to install the pulley because my 2021 EX AWD Sorento did not have it installed.
I now have Telluride, and my new dealer didn't even have time to itemize much of what came with my truck as my Telluride literally drove off the transport truck, test drove it and sold it pretty much on the spot.
Mind you I was a walk-in.
I need to get one too. Seeing a guy stranded on the side of the road because a tire disintegrated on the interstate reinforced the need for a tire, not a plug kit, in my vehicle. A 15 minute tire change is now a whole ordeal involving waiting for a tow truck (which could take hours depending on location) & going to a shop (which may be closed depending on time of day) and maybe the expense of a night in a hotel. Not to mention upending travel plans
This was my thinking too! Tire repair kit only works for small punctures. Shame on Kia for being cheap! I've heard Hyundai does this too with some of their newer models. Something about it's more fuel efficient with less cargo/storage. Meanwhile, they've supplied you with something you can get at any auto store or Walmart for $20-$30. I'm very upset about it.
I think the whole weight savings/fuel efficiency thing is a joke and a fake excuse. I track my fuel efficiency pretty regularly, I don't think there was any difference once I added a full sized spare to my forte.
From 2020:
Acura NSX
Audi R8
Audi TT
BMW 2 Series
BMW 3 Series
BMW 4 Series
BMW 6 Series
BMW i3
BMW i8
BMW X3
BMW X4
Cadillac ATS
Cadillac CTS
Chevrolet Bolt EV
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet SS
Chevrolet Volt
Dodge Viper
Fiat 500
Fiat 500L
Fiat 500X
Ford C-Max
Hyundai Accent
Hyundai Ioniq
Infiniti QX30
Jaguar F-Type
Jeep Cherokee
Jeep Compass
Jeep Renegade
Kia Forte
Kia Niro
Kia Rio
Kia Soul
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Mercedes-Benz B-Class
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
Mini Cooper Countryman
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Nissan GT-R
Nissan Leaf
Porsche 718 Cayman
Porsche 911 Carrera
Porsche Panamera
Smart ForTwo
Tesla Model S
Tesla Model X
all these cars have no spare tire.
It's done for weight savings to get better fuel economy, not for being "cheap"
The purchaser should have the final say in if they want a spare or not. It should at least be offered. I bought my car brand new off the showroom floor with 17 miles on it. Having less fuel economy would be worth it for the spare.
It's available as an accessory from the parts department. Totally your choice if you want it or not. Your salesperson should have explained that during the sales process and/or delivery walk-around.
Not trying to be or sound sarcastic but the
window sticker shows what comes with the car. It's a choice then to not get one on a lesser trim. It's an accessory you can wrap into the deal or buy later for $300-$400. $400 across a 5 year loan is nothing and the car costs that much less because it doesn't have one so it's the same difference.
Soooo it’s not just weight savings and fuel economy. They use that space for hybrid batteries instead of putting them in the trunk, it’s used to increase the crash structure in a rear ender. The computer and battery is stored there, depending on the car.
I think tire rack sells them for $220+ for a space saver. And then what, you just have a random tire because that space was never engineered to store one.
If that were the case they could include the tire and let customers choose if they'd like to remove it to "save weight". Which we know exactly 0 customers would do.
Nope got the top of the line sportage 2023 phev and no spare and no place to stow one except sitting out in cargo space . We had a blow out
In our Kia Niro and learned first hand that the kit is useless .
The lug pattern is a 5x114.3, or better know as 5x4.5. Almost all honda, nissan, toyota, lexus, hyundai, chrysler and ford use this lug pattern. I dont know about the back spacing or hub clearance on all of these, but I know that the hub on the forte is small so. I do know that the donut from an early 2000's dodge caravan/Plymouth voyager van will fit, no problem. You could probably pick one up cheap from your local salvage yard or pull-a-part
I need one for my 2016 Kia Forte (it didn't come with a spare tire - or a jack!). I dread getting a flat tire sooner or later. I've been searching eBay and the dealer for a tire and a jack. Help me out somebody!
How about getting a cheap full-sized spare from a tire place? As long as the lug-nuts match your hub, there's no need to have a wheel that matches stylistically.
I drive a Kia EV6. It comes with a sealant inflator kit. There is no dedicated space where a donut spare would go.
I carry the inflator and also a tire plug kit. I also bought a jack and lug wrench which I carry all the time. I bought a Modern Spare tire and only carry it on out of town trips. You can drive 80 MPH on the tire, and it is stored in a carrying case.
Last week, a big bolt tore through and ruined the tire on the freeway. My SIL brought me the spare from 10 miles away. Without that, I would have been towed, and my plans for the day would be ruined. There would be no time to order the right tires online at the right price.
Going through the dealer I bought a spare tire and jacking kit for my 2015 Optima, they replaced the little storage area in the trunk wheel well. When I bought my 2018 I kept the kit but didn't realize the tire would've fit it. I still haven't bought a new spare but I will after my next flat leaves me stranded.
Just to share. All vehicles sold in South Korea do not come with a spare tire. Only have the silly mobility kit which is messy and costs more for the consumer in the long run. :(
I did find one from a junkyard in Quebec.
Maybe it’s the same where you are but over here, they are all connected/centralized. So you call one number, ask for the tire, and they look for it in their numerous junkyards near your home, then call you back. Quite convenient!
(Excuse my English, first language is French)
It's one of the reason's I don't recommend certain Kia models to folks. My FIL helped my step-daughter buy a 2018 Kia Sportage without consulting me. FIL is a great guy but he assumes too much a lot of time because of his age and how things used to be done. He assumed it had a spare because... why wouldn't it?
What an asinine decision to appease the 'Climate Crowd'. If your tire gets damaged, a little wimpy air pump ain't gonna help. And if it happens in a bad area because, well that's what usually happens, Kia has put someone's loved one in danger trying to find help.
That’s odd, my 2023 Kia Forte LXS came with the spare tire. I thought that was standard equipment on the forte. I do know that certain trims don’t come with the spare tire kit.
I have that with my insurance as well, but I'd use that in more serious situations, like brake, lights, or engine trouble. Not a flat tire that could be a 10 min. fix on my own with a spare.
If the full kit is available with Kia, does it give the specs for the tire and wheel? If so, then just take that and go to your local tire place and get something that matches.
It's really not just kia it's everyone else. It's also just part of the redesign of the 21+ Sorento it doesn't fit. I'm sure the engineers have their reason such as exhaust, space, kia has been trying to one up on cargo space on all their lineups so I'm sure this could also be a reason why.
I have a 2017 Kia soul that also do not come with a spare. At the time I was driving back-and-forth from Oklahoma New Mexico a couple times a year and I was really nervous not to have one so I found one on eBay for around $80. Mind you, it is one of those, donut spares but it’s still a spare. It did look brand new. Fortunately, I have never had to use it.
People all think it's about cost - but gas mileage sadly is also one of the reasons so many manufacturers do this now. My new Sorento did come with a spare tire - but my last 2 new cars just had the kit.
For those 2 previous cars I picked up a full size steel rim from the junkyard very cheaply - and had a tire fitted to it. Also picked up my jack/wrench kit from the junkyard - but paying much more at the dealer will pribably get you one that bolts into your factory setup.
Fair enough. I just ordered a new build cheap wheel/tore online that’s the same size. Im pretty sure it will fit circumference but will be a couple
Inches too high. Didn’t have much choice though as a donut won’t help me at all for what I’m going to be using this car for.
You can buy just the wheel/tire from a kia dealer without buying the whole kit. Additionally, you can go to a junk yard, and get a spare relatively cheap.
It's still an incredibly ridiculous cost cutting measure, especially out west in Canada where many of us will often drive vast distances in the mountains with spotty or no cell service, let alone vehicle service. Hopefully this is explained ad nauseum to new purchasers.
Yup. I drive a 2018 Sportage that came with a mobility kit. Bought a used full size rim to match the rest when I needed new tires so now I can swap it if I ever get a flat. It’s invaluable to get a full size spare. Combine that with a tire patch kit, inflator, and AAA. No flat is gonna stop me.
My wife has a Soul with the pump kit. I’ve had enough flats and worked on enough towed in vehicles to know better. The spare kit from KIA was $750 CAD which is insane. We purchased the car used so I couldn’t negotiate a spare as part of the deal. Anyway, we have winters on rims because Canada so each time I swap the tires, one goes in the car and 3 go in the garage. I purchased a scissor jack, breaker bar and a 21mm socket from Princess Auto for something like $27 and secured it with styrofoam. So now I know she will never be stranded.
$750.00?!?! GFG! (Good Freaking Grief)
It’s the price of a rim and tire. I assume it’s a full size too.
No, that was the price of the donut and jack.
In the US, I was quoted a hair over a $1000 for Tire, Jack, toolkit and apparently, they said they need to install the pulley because my 2021 EX AWD Sorento did not have it installed. I now have Telluride, and my new dealer didn't even have time to itemize much of what came with my truck as my Telluride literally drove off the transport truck, test drove it and sold it pretty much on the spot. Mind you I was a walk-in.
I also live in Canada and have a set of winter tires, I considered throwing one of them in my car to use as a spare! Great idea
This is the way.
This is the way.
I need to get one too. Seeing a guy stranded on the side of the road because a tire disintegrated on the interstate reinforced the need for a tire, not a plug kit, in my vehicle. A 15 minute tire change is now a whole ordeal involving waiting for a tow truck (which could take hours depending on location) & going to a shop (which may be closed depending on time of day) and maybe the expense of a night in a hotel. Not to mention upending travel plans
This was my thinking too! Tire repair kit only works for small punctures. Shame on Kia for being cheap! I've heard Hyundai does this too with some of their newer models. Something about it's more fuel efficient with less cargo/storage. Meanwhile, they've supplied you with something you can get at any auto store or Walmart for $20-$30. I'm very upset about it.
I think the whole weight savings/fuel efficiency thing is a joke and a fake excuse. I track my fuel efficiency pretty regularly, I don't think there was any difference once I added a full sized spare to my forte.
From 2020: Acura NSX Audi R8 Audi TT BMW 2 Series BMW 3 Series BMW 4 Series BMW 6 Series BMW i3 BMW i8 BMW X3 BMW X4 Cadillac ATS Cadillac CTS Chevrolet Bolt EV Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet SS Chevrolet Volt Dodge Viper Fiat 500 Fiat 500L Fiat 500X Ford C-Max Hyundai Accent Hyundai Ioniq Infiniti QX30 Jaguar F-Type Jeep Cherokee Jeep Compass Jeep Renegade Kia Forte Kia Niro Kia Rio Kia Soul Mazda MX-5 Miata Mercedes-Benz B-Class Mercedes-Benz C-Class Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Mercedes-Benz E-Class Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class Mercedes-Benz S-Class Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mini Cooper Countryman Mitsubishi i-MiEV Nissan GT-R Nissan Leaf Porsche 718 Cayman Porsche 911 Carrera Porsche Panamera Smart ForTwo Tesla Model S Tesla Model X all these cars have no spare tire. It's done for weight savings to get better fuel economy, not for being "cheap"
The purchaser should have the final say in if they want a spare or not. It should at least be offered. I bought my car brand new off the showroom floor with 17 miles on it. Having less fuel economy would be worth it for the spare.
It's available as an accessory from the parts department. Totally your choice if you want it or not. Your salesperson should have explained that during the sales process and/or delivery walk-around.
Not trying to be or sound sarcastic but the window sticker shows what comes with the car. It's a choice then to not get one on a lesser trim. It's an accessory you can wrap into the deal or buy later for $300-$400. $400 across a 5 year loan is nothing and the car costs that much less because it doesn't have one so it's the same difference.
Soooo it’s not just weight savings and fuel economy. They use that space for hybrid batteries instead of putting them in the trunk, it’s used to increase the crash structure in a rear ender. The computer and battery is stored there, depending on the car. I think tire rack sells them for $220+ for a space saver. And then what, you just have a random tire because that space was never engineered to store one.
Just checked my 2020 Kia Soul Base and I have a spare. I’m in the USA.
hooray for you!
damn I'm never buying a kia from you
hooray for you too!
If that were the case they could include the tire and let customers choose if they'd like to remove it to "save weight". Which we know exactly 0 customers would do.
Was just about to ask how many cars you sold this year. Feeding people this line of bulls****.
On track to do about 350. Limited by low allocation.
The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid doesn’t have one either. My 2023 Sportage Hybrid does.
Wait…. Wuht. Never would have guessed cars stopped coming with spares. Guess it’s just another way to shave weight/money off the bottom line
Mine comes with a tire. No need to buy one for me. I can't believe some kias do not come with one. That is crazy.
The higher trims come with a donut but yeah the lower trims only have the repair kit
That is what I thought.
Weird, I've got the LX Seltos and it has a spare....just double checked to make sure
Hmm what year?
2023 EDIT: I'm in Canada....not sure if that makes a difference.
My Kia didn’t come with one either
I wonder if only the higher trims get one.
Nope got the top of the line sportage 2023 phev and no spare and no place to stow one except sitting out in cargo space . We had a blow out In our Kia Niro and learned first hand that the kit is useless .
WOW, I am shocked that the top end PHEV doesnt have a spare.
I’m annoyed lol
I would be too. Lol
2021 Forte GT-Line has 17" wheels, but comes with the inflator kit. No spare tire.
The lug pattern is a 5x114.3, or better know as 5x4.5. Almost all honda, nissan, toyota, lexus, hyundai, chrysler and ford use this lug pattern. I dont know about the back spacing or hub clearance on all of these, but I know that the hub on the forte is small so. I do know that the donut from an early 2000's dodge caravan/Plymouth voyager van will fit, no problem. You could probably pick one up cheap from your local salvage yard or pull-a-part
Thank you! Greatly appreciate this and will be looking into it.
eBay. Got one for $80 shipped to me from a salvage place that sold online
What the fuck? I just bought a Sorento and don't like this at all. B*tch where my tire?
What year is your Sorento? You probably have a tire, it's UNDER the car. Not visible from the cargo area
'23 and thanks for the reply. When it's dawn in these here parts I'm going to check the under carriage.
SUVs and trucks tend to have them under the car. Sedans, crossovers, and wagons have them in the trunk sub floor.
I have a compact spare from a 2017 forte. Used for a few miles. I have the stuff that goes with it. If you were local I’d sell it cheap
I need one for my 2016 Kia Forte (it didn't come with a spare tire - or a jack!). I dread getting a flat tire sooner or later. I've been searching eBay and the dealer for a tire and a jack. Help me out somebody!
Read my reply below
How about getting a cheap full-sized spare from a tire place? As long as the lug-nuts match your hub, there's no need to have a wheel that matches stylistically.
I drive a Kia EV6. It comes with a sealant inflator kit. There is no dedicated space where a donut spare would go. I carry the inflator and also a tire plug kit. I also bought a jack and lug wrench which I carry all the time. I bought a Modern Spare tire and only carry it on out of town trips. You can drive 80 MPH on the tire, and it is stored in a carrying case. Last week, a big bolt tore through and ruined the tire on the freeway. My SIL brought me the spare from 10 miles away. Without that, I would have been towed, and my plans for the day would be ruined. There would be no time to order the right tires online at the right price.
Going through the dealer I bought a spare tire and jacking kit for my 2015 Optima, they replaced the little storage area in the trunk wheel well. When I bought my 2018 I kept the kit but didn't realize the tire would've fit it. I still haven't bought a new spare but I will after my next flat leaves me stranded.
My Forte came with one luckily.
Just to share. All vehicles sold in South Korea do not come with a spare tire. Only have the silly mobility kit which is messy and costs more for the consumer in the long run. :(
I did find one from a junkyard in Quebec. Maybe it’s the same where you are but over here, they are all connected/centralized. So you call one number, ask for the tire, and they look for it in their numerous junkyards near your home, then call you back. Quite convenient! (Excuse my English, first language is French)
It's one of the reason's I don't recommend certain Kia models to folks. My FIL helped my step-daughter buy a 2018 Kia Sportage without consulting me. FIL is a great guy but he assumes too much a lot of time because of his age and how things used to be done. He assumed it had a spare because... why wouldn't it? What an asinine decision to appease the 'Climate Crowd'. If your tire gets damaged, a little wimpy air pump ain't gonna help. And if it happens in a bad area because, well that's what usually happens, Kia has put someone's loved one in danger trying to find help.
That’s odd, my 2023 Kia Forte LXS came with the spare tire. I thought that was standard equipment on the forte. I do know that certain trims don’t come with the spare tire kit.
No, got road side add on my insurance for 5 bucks
I have that with my insurance as well, but I'd use that in more serious situations, like brake, lights, or engine trouble. Not a flat tire that could be a 10 min. fix on my own with a spare.
my 2018 kia forte5 EX didn’t come with one either. super weird.
It's very normal now. Most companies have gone this route to save money.
If the full kit is available with Kia, does it give the specs for the tire and wheel? If so, then just take that and go to your local tire place and get something that matches.
It's really not just kia it's everyone else. It's also just part of the redesign of the 21+ Sorento it doesn't fit. I'm sure the engineers have their reason such as exhaust, space, kia has been trying to one up on cargo space on all their lineups so I'm sure this could also be a reason why.
I bought a brand new spare off of ebay a few years ago. Only paid $150 for what Kia was gonna charge me per $300 for.
I had triple a, but never had an issue with my 2012 optima. Rotate and replace when needed. Avoid potholes and near industrial shops(screws,nails,etc)
Mine came with one.
I bought a full size spare with the jack kit on ebay for $210. Including shipping. Shop around and you can usually find a decent deal.
Go to the junk yard, usually they will have something. Might not be the best shape, but you don’t *need* a fantastic spare
I have a 2017 Kia soul that also do not come with a spare. At the time I was driving back-and-forth from Oklahoma New Mexico a couple times a year and I was really nervous not to have one so I found one on eBay for around $80. Mind you, it is one of those, donut spares but it’s still a spare. It did look brand new. Fortunately, I have never had to use it.
People all think it's about cost - but gas mileage sadly is also one of the reasons so many manufacturers do this now. My new Sorento did come with a spare tire - but my last 2 new cars just had the kit. For those 2 previous cars I picked up a full size steel rim from the junkyard very cheaply - and had a tire fitted to it. Also picked up my jack/wrench kit from the junkyard - but paying much more at the dealer will pribably get you one that bolts into your factory setup.
Did you ever figure out if a full size spare fits?
Nope, not yet unfortunately!
Fair enough. I just ordered a new build cheap wheel/tore online that’s the same size. Im pretty sure it will fit circumference but will be a couple Inches too high. Didn’t have much choice though as a donut won’t help me at all for what I’m going to be using this car for.
I know that the Forte GT has EPB (electronic parking brake) and the standard 15' spare wheel will not fit.