NHTSA Complaint #11052555 — 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY COMPLAINT HAS TO DO WITH A DESIGN "FEATURE" OF MY NEW VEHICLE. HAVING OWNED IT LESS THAN A WEEK, NO RELATED INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED. HOWEVER, I SEE AN UNNECESSARY RISK DUE TO THIS DESIGN. MY NEW CAR, A 2017 PRIUS 4 TOURING, COMES WITH NO SPARE TIRE. THERE ARE THREE PRIUS MODELS LIKE THAT, EVEN FOR THE 2018 MODEL YEAR. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE RELATED SAFETY ASPECTS OF THAT TOYOTA DECISION? IN THE WESTERN US, ESPECIALLY, THERE ARE MANY PAVED ROADS WITH LITTLE OR NO TRAFFIC AND SPOTTY, IF ANY, CELL PHONE SERVICE. TYPICALLY, THEY ARE IN DESERT AREAS, SCORCHING IN THE SUMMER, FRIGID IN WINTER, WITH TOWNS FAR APART. IF A DRIVER OF A CAR LIKE MINE HAS A TIRE BLOWOUT IN SUCH A REMOTE AREA, HE/SHE IS LITERALLY STRANDED. THE SUPPLIED TIRE REPAIR KIT WILL NOT HELP IN CASE OF A BLOWOUT. AVERAGE OWNERS WILL NOT EVEN KNOW THEY ARE WITHOUT A SPARE TIRE UNTIL THEY NEED ONE. MORE THAN AN INCONVENIENCE, THIS COULD BE FATAL TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS IN EXTREME HEAT OR COLD. THE DRIVER'S ONLY HOPE IS THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE WILL HAPPEN ALONG TO HELP. A RISK LIKE THAT DOES NOT JUSTIFY A MANUFACTURER'S CUTTING COSTS TO BOOST PROFITS. IMHO, THE NHTSA SHOULD TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS: 1 - ANY CAR SOLD NEW WITHOUT A USABLE SPARE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND RETROFITTED. 2 - MANUFACTURERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SELL CARS IN THE USA WITHOUT A USABLE SPARE. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO VOICE MY OPINION. I HOPE YOU WILL AGREE THAT ABSENCE OF A SPARE TIRE IS AN UNNECESSARY RISK.