Recently the spare wheel was stolen from under my Nissan Pathfinder. I was surprised to discover from Nissan Customer Care that it is a) easy to steal and b) not protected by the car alarm. Given the emphasis placed on the security of their products by motor manufacturers, I suggested to Nissan Customer Care that the theft occurred because of shortcomings in their design and invited them to contribute to the cost of replacement and repair, which is over £600. They rejected any responsibility whatever, claiming never to have heard of such a case: this I find hard to believe, as similar thefts from Pathfinders and other cars soon came to light - unless they don't want to know and aren't looking.

Two questions arise; firstly the wisdom of placing a brand new alloy wheel and tyre outside a vehicle without security, and secondly, could you give any advice please to help us protect our spare wheels from thieves? If I replace it, it will be immediately at risk again and it takes up a lot of room in the boot.