If a Tire Goes FlatIt is unusual for a tire to “blowout” while you aredriving, especially if you maintain your tiresproperly. See Tires on page 392. If air goes out ofa tire, it is much more likely to leak out slowly.But if you should ever have a “blowout”,here are a few tips about what to expect andwhat to do:If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a dragthat pulls the vehicle toward that side. Takeyour foot off the accelerator pedal and grip thesteering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain laneposition, and then gently brake to a stop well outof the traffic lane.A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts muchlike a skid and may require the same correctionyou’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, removeyour foot from the accelerator pedal. Get thevehicle under control by steering the way you wantthe vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy andnoisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to astop — well off the road if possible.If a tire goes flat, and your vehicle has a sparetire, see Changing a Flat Tire (CTS Only) onpage 424. This information shows you how touse your vehicle’s tire changing equipmentand how to change a flat tire safely.{CAUTION:Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to domaintenance or repairs is dangerouswithout the appropriate safety equipmentand training. The jack provided with yourvehicle is designed only for changing aflat tire. If it is used for anything else, youor others could be badly injured or killedif the vehicle slips off the jack. Use thejack provided with your vehicle only forchanging a flat tire.Run-Flat Tires (CTS-V)If your vehicle has run-flat tires, there is no sparetire and no tire changing equipment. Run-flattires can operate effectively with no air pressurefor a limited distance and speed.422
