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Out-of-hours tyre repair in Bexley

We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.

Bexley is about 18 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. We give you an arrival time when you call.

5.0173 Google reviewsPuncture repairs where the damage allows it2,000+ tyres fittedFully insuredSame price at any hourUK registered company
Out of hours

Off the A2 and onto a quiet street

Postcodes, roads and stations, from our records and OpenStreetMap
WhatDetail
Postcode districtsDA5, DA6, DA7, DA8, DA14, DA15, DA16, DA17 and others
Main roadsA2 Rochester Way and East Rochester Way, A20 Sidcup bypass, A206 through Abbey Wood, Belvedere and Erith, A207 Welling, Bexleyheath and Crayford, A2016 Eastern Way and Bronze Age Way
Stations nearby (OpenStreetMap)Bexleyheath, Barnehurst, Crayford

The A2 through the borough is a red route. Away from it, a drive or a side street in Bexleyheath, Welling or Sidcup is the simplest kind of place for an evening repair.

  • The area is inside the London-wide Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), in force since 29 August 2023: a charge for driving a vehicle that does not meet its emission standards, not for a parked car.
  • If the car is in a controlled parking zone permit bay, tell us so the fitter can park legally beside it.
  • We cannot stop or work on a red route; the car needs to be on a side street or private ground first.

Station, retail park and industrial estate car parks are private land. The fitter can work there only if the owner or operator allows it, so check the signs or ask first. A driveway or a quiet, well lit residential street is usually the easiest place for the work.

What the job includes

  • Evening, night, weekend and bank holiday jobs when the diary allows
  • The same price as a weekday job
  • The tyre checked from the inside before a repair is agreed
  • A replacement tyre when a repair is not safe
  • A plain answer on the call if we cannot take the job
Repair or replace

Can it be repaired out of hours?

A repair in the evening, at night or at the weekend is held to the same standard as one in the day. The damage must be in the central part of the tread and the hole no bigger than 6 mm, and the tyre comes off the wheel so it can be inspected from the inside before it is repaired. Sealant from a can, or a plug pushed in from outside, is not a repair to that standard.

Damage in the sidewall or the shoulder, or a tyre that has been driven on while flat, cannot be repaired, and the tyre needs replacing. We tell you before any work is done. Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, and tyre suppliers may be closed in the evening, at night, at weekends and on bank holidays. If the right tyre cannot be found, we tell you so you can decide what to do next.

On the road

If the tyre fails on a fast road

Do not wait on the carriageway or the verge of a motorway or a fast road. If the car can be moved safely, leave at the next exit and stop in a lit side road or car park. If it cannot, follow the Highway Code: hazard lights on, everyone out on the side away from the traffic and behind the barrier if there is one, use the emergency phone or call 999 if anyone is in danger, then call your breakdown cover. We never work on the carriageway of a motorway or main road, on a hard shoulder, in a smart motorway emergency area or on a slip road. We can help once the car is somewhere safe.

Try not to keep driving on a flat tyre. It can turn a repairable puncture into a tyre that has to be replaced, and it can damage the wheel.

Before you call

What to have ready when you call

  • Where the damage is: the middle of the tread, or near the edge or sidewall
  • Whether the tyre is already flat or losing air slowly
  • The tyre size from the sidewall, for example 205/55 R16 91V
  • Where the car is waiting: a postcode, a street name or the name of the car park
  • The locking wheel nut key, if the car has locking nuts
Repair or replace

Why some punctures cannot be repaired

The shoulder and the sidewall are never repaired. They flex with every turn of the wheel, and the sidewall has no steel belt behind it for a repair to hold against, so a patch there can let go without warning.

The tyre is replaced rather than repaired when:

  • The damage is in the shoulder or the sidewall
  • It is a cut or a tear rather than a round hole
  • The inner wall shows damage from running flat
  • A new repair would overlap an earlier one
  • The tread is already at or below the legal minimum of 1.6 mm
  • The tyre has a bulge, a split or cords showing

A repair is only as good as the tyre around it. If the tyre is old, cracked or close to the legal limit, a new tyre can be the better buy even when the hole itself could be repaired, and we say so on the day.

Slow punctures

Slow punctures, sealant and run-flat tyres

A tyre that needs air every few days usually has something in the tread, a leaking valve, or a poor seal where the tyre meets the rim, often from corrosion on an alloy wheel. A tyre pressure warning light that keeps coming back after the tyres have been pumped up is a common sign.

Tyre sealant from an emergency kit is meant to get the car to a safe place, not to fix the tyre. The sealant has to be cleaned out before the inside can be checked, and some sealants make a repair impractical, so say on the call if a can has been used.

Run-flat tyres let the car keep moving for a limited distance after a puncture, but that driving can damage the tyre from inside. Some run-flat makers advise against repairing their tyres at all, so the fitter follows the maker's guidance for your tyre.

Step by step

From your call to the finished job

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Tell us what happened

Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall.

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Agree what happens next

You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.

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Work at the car

The fitter comes to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, raises the car on a jack and does the job beside it.

Checked before the fitter leaves

Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.

Google reviews

What customers say

Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 173 Google reviews. Read more reviews

“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”

PNPegah NourmandGoogle review

“Good communication, excellent work and takes the initiative. Happy to go the extra mile, highly recommended if you're in a tyre-related bit of bother!”

DFDavid FordhamGoogle review

“Quick, helpful and very understanding of our situation.”

EAEva AshmoreGoogle review
Tyres and the law

Tread depth, tyre age and the law

The legal tread limit

Cars and light vans need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around the whole circumference.

For a car, each illegal tyre can bring a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points; the maximum fine for a van is higher.

The 20p test

Push a 20p coin into the main grooves at several points around the tyre. If the outer band of the coin is visible, the tread may be close to the limit and should be measured properly.

Other defects that make a tyre illegal

A tyre is also illegal with a cut longer than 25 mm or a tenth of its section width, whichever is greater, that reaches the ply or cord, a lump or bulge, exposed cords, or the wrong size or type for the car.

How old is your tyre?

The last four digits of the DOT code on the sidewall give the week and year of manufacture, so 2319 means the 23rd week of 2019.

Rubber hardens and cracks with age even on a tyre that has done few miles, and many tyre makers advise replacing any tyre ten years old or more.

Pricing

How the price is worked out

There is no fixed figure that suits every car, so the price is built from a few things and told to you before you decide.

The price is the same at any hour. Asking for a price does not commit you to anything.

When you compare prices, compare like with like: the same brand and pattern, the same load index and speed rating, and whether balancing and a new valve are part of the job.

What goes into the price

  • The tyre itself: size, load index, speed rating and whether it is a run-flat
  • The tier you choose: budget, mid-range or premium
  • The work: a repair, one new tyre or several, and any locking nut removal
  • The location of the car
Around the area

Neighbourhoods, roads and nearby towns

These are the neighbourhoods, postcode districts and main roads on record for this area. Whether we can take a particular job depends on the diary and the distance from our base, so the call always decides.

Neighbourhoods and villages

Postcode districts

  • DA18

Landmarks

  • Danson Park
  • Lesnes Abbey Woods

The same service in nearby towns

Questions

Questions and answers

Does it cost more at night, at weekends or on a bank holiday?
No. The price is the same at any hour, on any day.
Will someone always pick up the phone?
We cannot promise that the phone is answered at every hour. If you cannot get through and the car is somewhere unsafe, call your breakdown cover.
Can the fitter work in a hospital, station or retail park car park?

Yes, if the site allows it. Supermarket, retail park and station car parks are private ground, so the owner's permission comes first. Places of this kind in this area include:

  • Bexleyheath Broadway shopping centre
  • Queen Mary's Hospital at Sidcup
  • Sidcup station
  • Erith Riverside Shopping Centre
  • Bexleyheath station
Do out-of-hours jobs include puncture repairs?
Yes. The repair-or-replace decision does not change out of hours: if the damage is outside the safe repair limits, the answer is a new tyre.
Can you fit a tyre in the evening or at the weekend?
That depends on the diary: evening, night and weekend work is booked around the jobs already taken. Call to check what can be done.
What if the car is in a car park that closes overnight?
Check the closing time and tell us on the call. If the car would be locked in before the job is done, it may be simpler to sort the tyre when the car park opens again.
Is a tyre job at night done any differently?
No. The checks are the same as in the day, but the fitter needs a lit, legal spot away from passing traffic to work safely.
Where should I wait for the fitter at night?
Somewhere well lit, legally parked and away from passing traffic, with the hazard lights on.
How soon can the fitter get to me?
It depends on how far the car is from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2, and on the jobs already booked.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
Helpful guides

Tyre advice worth reading

Is it safe to drive on a flat tyre?

Driving on a flat tyre is dangerous and can wreck your wheel. Here's what happens, what to do instead, and how far you can safely go (almost nowhere).

Call or WhatsApp us

Tell us where the car is

Call to check what the diary allows this evening or this weekend. Tell us what has happened and the make and model of the vehicle. The price is given on the call.

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