Your tire cannot be saved, the replacement is a day or two away, and the car is sitting in the driveway on a space-saver — or worse, not going anywhere at all. That gap is the genuinely annoying part of a flat, and it is the part a loaner tire is designed to close.
What a loaner tire actually is
A loaner is a sound, road-legal used tire in your size that we fit to your vehicle so you can carry on driving while we source the correct new one. It is ours, not yours — we come back and swap it out when your tire arrives, and we take it away again.
It is not a space-saver spare and it is not a repair. It is a normal full-size tire that happens to be a temporary resident on your car.
Why we bother offering them
Honestly? Because the alternative is unreasonable. Tires are not always in stock locally, particularly in less common sizes, and if we cannot get yours until tomorrow or the day after, the choice without a loaner is leaving you on a space-saver at 80 km/h or leaving you without a car entirely.
Neither is much of a service. So the loaner is included in the repair call-out rather than charged as an extra. If we have your size on the van, you keep driving.
When you would get one
- The puncture is in the sidewall or shoulder and cannot be repaired.
- You drove on the tire while it was flat and the inner liner is damaged.
- The tire has blown out rather than deflated.
- Your size is not in local stock and has to come from the supplier.
How long can I drive on a loaner?
The honest answer is days, not weeks. In practice most of our loaners are out for two to five days while the replacement is sourced and fitted.
That is a deliberate limit, not an arbitrary one. Here is what actually constrains it.
It will not match your other tires
A loaner is whatever suitable tire we have in your size. The tread pattern and tread depth will not match the other three, so grip is not perfectly balanced — most noticeably under braking in the wet.
On an all-wheel drive vehicle, be more careful
AWD systems do not like tires of different diameters. Over a few days of local driving the risk is low, but a loaner on an AWD car is not something to run for weeks, and it is not something to take up the Sea-to-Sky on. Keep trips local and moderate, and get the real tire fitted promptly.
Keep the speed sensible
Local roads and normal speeds are fine. We would not recommend extended highway running or a loaded trip out of town on a loaner.
What we ask in return
Only that it comes back. The loaner goes on when we fit it, comes off when your new tire is fitted, and we handle both visits. If your replacement is delayed and you need the loaner a few extra days, tell us — that is usually fine, we would just rather know.
What it costs
Nothing on top. Fitting a loaner is part of the tire repair call-out, which is $150 plus tax during regular hours. You pay for the repair visit and the replacement tire when it goes on — not for the loan itself.
If you are stuck right now
Do not drive on a flat to get somewhere. It turns a repairable tire into a scrap one, and it can damage the wheel as well. Pull over somewhere safe and call us.
Mobile tire service across North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Lions Bay — call or text 604-900-8453, or book online.
