I ran over something on the freeway last night. I was on my way home from work, and around 8:00 pm, I heard a loud “clunk” sound. At first everything seemed normal, but quickly the tire pressure alarm sounded. Very soon afterwards, I could hear rumbling noises from the right back tire. I tried to pull over, but the next exit was the connector from 105 East to 710 South. I was trying for the next exit but ended up stopping on the shoulder near the end of the freeway connector.
I contacted Tesla roadside service using the app and got a text saying they will get back to me. Then I called my sister, who suggested that I call 511 for motorist assistance. I did, and they suggested I call 911 since I was a road hazard. I did and was forwarded to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Soon, a CHP cruiser showed up, parked behind me, and the trooper set up some flares. I was still texting Tesla regarding insurance information when the trooper said she will call AAA. I let Tesla know that AAA was coming, and we waited.
After about thirty minutes, the trooper came back, and said AAA was going to be another hour. She could call for a CHP tow just to move me off the freeway. Even though there was an unknown cost, I agreed since it was super scary to park on the freeway shoulder. After another thirty minutes or so, a tow truck showed up. The driver winched my Tesla up the flatbed ramp and towed me to the next exit, then an ARCO gas station.
As soon as we arrived, the other tow truck also showed up. This was the “regular” AAA tow that the CHP trooper called in. The first tow truck driver winched my car down and said the was no charge. I gave him a $20 tip for getting me off the freeway. The second tow truck driver was on the phone looking for a replacement tire for me. He did find a close match for $50, and I agreed. My Tesla uses 245/45 R19 tires and the tire he found was 245/40 R19. Close enough. Instead of winching my car up, he just drove it up the tilted flatbed. Easy.
The tow truck driver said his home base was nearby, so he knew where to get a tire at 10:30 pm. He proceeds to drive deeper into Compton and turn into smaller and darker streets. He finally pulls into a small industrial park and up to this driveway.
The place was a total mess. There were tires strewn everywhere and it looked like the lift had not been used in a long time. But “beggars can’t be choosers” right? The tow driver drives my car off the flatbed, and I also give him a $20 tip while hoping he did not drive me to a gang hideout.
In the meantime, another guy shows up with what appears to be a low-profile tire. I can see from far away that it is not going to fit my Tesla. I think the shop owner is thinking the same, and he starts rummaging to find another tire. Eventually he finds something, a used Toyo 225/55 R19, and he assures me that it will fit.
The owner proceeds to remove my flat tire right in the doorway. He then removes the old, shredded tire and mounts the “preowned” tire in its place. He shows me that they’re the “same” height and dunks the tire into a bathtub just outside the door to check for leaks. Great. I have never seen that at other tire shops. He finally put the repaired tire back on my Tesla and charged me $50. I was wondering why he did not balance my “new” tire, but I kept my mouth shut.
The tire did work, and the car seems to drive fine. Initially, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPM) showed an error in the right back tire. Eventually, the error turned into a reading of 34 PSI. By this time, I was on the 5 freeway and thought the car was pulling right. Fearing that I would get another flat, I took the next exit and pulled into a gas station. Assuming the TPM was still working, I pumped up the tire to 43 PSI, slightly less than the recommended 45 PSI.
Dammit, that clearly says INSIDE yet it was on the outside of the tire. Zero points for attention to detail.
So, four hours after pulling over on the freeway, I finally got back home. I was totally exhausted and just crashed on my bed. I woke up around 2:00 am to schedule a service appointment on my Tesla app. The earliest date was Wednesday, April 19 so I booked it but sent a text to the Santa Ana service center to see if I could walk in. Surprisingly, they answered this morning, and I was able to bring my car in at 9:00 am.
At the service center, the CSR said all the tires are worn so I agreed to replace all four. The wheel, though scuffed up, was still good. However, just buying and installing four tires came out to $1500. The tire pricing was fair, but Tesla charges $65/tire for labor to replace the tire. Not cheap, but I feel a lot safer in my car now.
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Here is the Yelp page for the tire shop. Should I leave a review? In my circumstance last night, I would give them ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. They get minus one star for giving me the wrong sized tire installed backwards, and not even checking balance. If it were a normal day, I would not go there for tires. However, I know not everyone can pay $375 for a tire (and service). I can see in my prior life as a poor student, this may be my only option to keep my car running. My Tesla invoice today can get me thirty or more tires last night.
They also have a web address but the page is blank.
Life with chronic diseases 