- Ease off and leave at the next junction, or pull into a service area, if you can do so without risk.
- If you cannot, stop on the hard shoulder well to the left with the hazard lights on.
- Get out by the left-hand doors, keep your passengers with you, and wait behind the barrier.
- Call your breakdown provider. If you are stuck in a live lane or in danger, call 999.
- Do not try to change or repair the tyre on the motorway.
Out-of-hours tyre repair near the M40
Out of hours means evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job. We are a mobile tyre service with one base, at Brent Cross, NW2 1LX, about 11 miles in a straight line from the start of the M40 at J1, Denham. 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. Once you are safely off the road, call. Call and we will tell you straight away whether we can take the job; if we can, the arrival time is given on the call.
Tyre help
A puncture in the dark: what to do first
These steps follow Highway Code rules 274 to 287.
Where we can work
Where the repair can happen
We repair the tyre where the car is parked safely and legally after you leave the motorway: a side street, your driveway, the address the car was recovered to, or a car park when its owner agrees. Beaconsfield services (Extra) at J2 and Oxford services (Welcome Break) at J8a are on this motorway; work there needs the operator's permission. Please have the tyre size from the sidewall ready, and the locking wheel nut key if the car has one.
Repair or replace
Repairable, or does it need a new tyre?
Whether a puncture can be repaired depends on the damage: the tyre comes off the wheel and is checked inside first (our puncture repair page, linked under Related pages, explains how it works). A screw near the shoulder, sidewall damage, a cut or a hole bigger than 6 mm means a replacement. Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, so a replacement at night may have to wait until the tyre can be collected.
The price is the same at any hour. It depends on whether a repair is possible and, if not, the size and brand of the new tyre, and we confirm it on the call. Urgent jobs are fitted in if the diary allows.
On the road
How far up the motorway we can reach
Near the London end, around J1 at Denham, J1a with the M25 and J2 for Beaconsfield, the car is within reach of Brent Cross. High Wycombe is about 23 miles from the base and Princes Risborough about 28. Thame is about 34 miles and Oxford and Bicester about 45 to 46, which is a longer trip; the call will confirm whether and when. Banbury, about 58 miles away, and Leamington Spa and Warwick, about 75 miles, are far from our only base and we have no van stationed near them. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
Out of hours
Tyre trouble in the evening or at the weekend
We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job. Call to check what can be done; evening and weekend jobs are fitted around the work already booked.
Light, space and firm ground
A well-lit spot on firm, level ground makes the job safer for everyone. Room on the side of the flat tyre lets the jack go in properly.
If the car is boxed in or in a tight bay, say so on the call so the fitter can plan around it.
A flat found at home or at work
A flat found on the drive or outside the house can stay where it is, as long as the car is legally parked. There is no need to move it to a garage.
At work or in a hospital or shift car park, check that the site is happy for a tyre to be fitted in its bays.
What an out-of-hours job includes
- The same repair-or-replace check as at any other time
- A new tyre fitted when the damage rules out a repair
- A lit, legal spot to work in, agreed on the call
Staying safe
Staying safe until the job is done
While you wait for the fitter
- Stop somewhere off the main flow of traffic, switch on the hazard lights and, if you have one, put on a high-visibility vest.
- Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait behind a barrier, on a pavement or well back from the road.
- If the tyre may still be repairable, say so before using a sealant can, and leave any nail or screw where it is.
- Keep your phone on and charged, and tell us about anything that makes the spot hard to find.
What to tell us from the roadside
- Which road you were on and the direction you were travelling
- The last junction you passed, or the number on a driver location sign if you can read one safely
- Where the car is now: the exit, the side street or the car park it was moved to
- The tyre size from the sidewall, and whether the car has locking wheel nuts
Step by step
Calling us once the car is safe
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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.
★★★★★
“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
★★★★★
“From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful.”
KMKian MGoogle review
Questions
Questions drivers ask
Can a tyre that went flat on the motorway still be repaired?
Sometimes. If it was driven flat for any distance the inside may be damaged, which rules out a repair. The tyre has to come off the wheel to be sure.
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.
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.
Do new tyres come with a warranty?
New tyres carry the manufacturer's warranty against defects. It does not cover damage from punctures, kerbs or potholes.
Can I bring the car to you instead?
No. Rescue Tyres is fully mobile and works from one base at Brent Cross, NW2, which is not open to walk-in customers. The fitter comes to the car.
Can a damaged tyre get me to the next exit?
If the car is controllable and the tyre is only losing air, driving slowly to the exit is usually safer than stopping beside fast traffic. A tyre that has burst or is flapping loose is different: stop as soon as it is safe.
Is it safe to change a wheel on the hard shoulder?
No. The advice in the Highway Code is to keep well away from the vehicle and the traffic and not to attempt any repairs there.
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 given on the call. 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
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.
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).
Night driving safety and your tyres
At night you spot hazards later, so grip matters more than ever. Here's how to drive safely after dark and why healthy tyres are your safety net.
Tyre fitting at the office: how it works
Get your tyres fitted while you're at work. Here's how workplace mobile tyre fitting works, what we need from you, and why it saves you the most time.
Call to check we can take the job
Tell us where the car is
Call to check what the diary allows this evening or this weekend.