Need Advice: Skoda Octavia suffers 2 flat tyres & rim damage

Both tyres suffered deep cuts, forcing me to swap these tyres for new ones.

BHPian rahul1407 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey Folks, need some info - After nearly 2 months of purchase, my wife and I started our journey from Gurgaon to Jaipur in our new car for a quick weekend getaway. We wanted to cherish some good memories but sadly things didn't work as expected. I was cruising on Delhi Jaipur highway when the left side of our car went in a deep pothole at this NH post-Neemrana toll gate. My wife being in 3rd trimester took the impact and she was shaken badly. Anyway, she is doing fine now.

The reason for posting this message is to understand the next options that I have now. I have got 2 flat tyres and there is some damage to the rims on the rear left tyre. Luckily there was a puncture repair shop nearby but both tyres have got deep cuts and my destination is 150+kms away. The repair guy is performing a makeshift ’jugaad’ to make these usable as a space saver tyres alone wouldn't be the best option.

Since it is accidental damage mainly due to poor highway despite charging toll fees barely a few km ago, can I claim any warranty with Dealership/NHAI for this?

Also, I will have to swap these tyres because they are torn and I have no faith left in good year assurance tyres. Can Anyone point me to a good tyre dealer in Jaipur who can also provide any warranty in Delhi/NCR?

Any other suggestions or inputs which could be valuable at this point in time?

Here's what BHPian sunikkat had to say on the matter:

Sorry to hear, but glad you and your wife are fine. Looks like the car performed well and did not escalate things.

Since it’s accidental damage it won’t get covered under a warranty. You can try with your insurance though. No point taking it with NHAI, the effort is not worth it.

Depending on damage you can still repair alloys, but tyres would need changing.

Personally, for me, those alloys are the only eyesore and the sub-par tyres in an otherwise great car. I would have taken this instance as an opportunity to get some good aftermarket wheels and Michelin / Continental tyres.

Here's what BHPian amansanc had to say on the matter:

Hello Rahul,

I have bought tyres from a few shops in Jaipur and can recommend these 2:

• Tyres N Trims (Michelin shop)
• The Spare Mart (Multi brand)

Would be best if you call them in advance to check the availability of the specific size you need. Hope it works out well!

Here's what BHPian CircleOfLife had to say on the matter:

Good year last longer compared to Continental or Michelin. Michelin wouldn't have survived the impact. They would have been the first to give away. Honda city is a much lighter car. It's not apples to apple comparison here.

In terms of sidewall strength Good year > Conti > Michelin

It's an odd size tyre for the moment but you had an option to upsize them easily with no deviation. It's a missed opportunity.

Any tyre manufacturer will never compensate for cash other than goodwill discount or replacement (rare). It's always mentioned in those bullet points of T&C of warranty. Goodyear did give you a good offer.

Few considerations, one had to take while finalizing the car. Understanding the insurance coverage thoroughly, dealers always try to sell a vanilla version with basic coverage, it's up to you to get the add on. You also might have a good understanding of the limitation of space savers during purchase. Why point out the manufacturer? They are addressing the market demands. In most VAG / BMW models sub is accommodated with a space saver. If one isn't up for the risk appetite involved then walk away.

One of the very reasons I didn't opt for the L&K variant was the space saver limitation. We travel a lot on highways & pothole roads. In an emergency situation, with a space saver, it would have been a huge limitation. Though the heart was set at L&K, but the Style was more practical for our running.

Gald that everyone walked off the situation safe & sound. In your shoes & heat of the moment, it's hard to think straight and understand all options on table. You did well .

Do you plan to remove sub and replace with full size spare in future?

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