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Damaged tyre replacement in Stevenage

A pothole, a kerb or debris on the road can leave a tyre cut, bulging or split, and the replacement is fitted where the car is parked.

Stevenage is about 23 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
Damaged tyre

How damaged tyre replacement works

A tyre with a cut, a bulge, a split, exposed cords or sidewall damage is not safe to repair, so it is replaced. A bulge means the inner structure is broken and the tyre can fail without warning, so it is safest not to drive on it.

We bring a new tyre in your size, fit it at the car and balance the wheel. The fitter also checks the wheel for damage from the same kerb or pothole and looks at the tyre on the other side of the axle: tyres on the same axle must be the same size and type, and should have a similar tread depth. If both need changing, we tell you before any work starts. Our main damaged tyre page, linked below, has more detail.

What the job includes

  • A look at the damage, from a photo on WhatsApp if you can send one
  • A new tyre in the right size, load index and speed rating
  • The wheel checked for damage from the same impact
  • Wheel balanced and nuts tightened to the maker's setting
  • The old tyre taken away
Damaged tyre

After a pothole: what to look for on the tyre

A hard hit can damage a tyre without letting the air out. Park somewhere safe and look at both sidewalls and the tread for:

  • a bulge or bubble on the sidewall;
  • a cut deep enough to show threads or cord inside;
  • a split or crack in the rubber;
  • a dent or chip in the rim edge of the wheel;
  • a new vibration, or the car pulling, after the hit.
Where we can work

Where the car can be

A drive or a street where the car is legally parked works best. The car parks at Lister Hospital, Stevenage station, the Westgate shopping centre and the Roaring Meg and Monkswood retail parks are private ground, so the operator has to allow the work.

If a tyre fails on the A1(M), we cannot work on the carriageway, the hard shoulder or the slip roads at junctions 7 and 8. Follow the Highway Code, and once the car has been recovered off the motorway, we can fit the new tyre where it is.

Damaged tyre

Reporting the pothole

You can report a pothole to the highway authority: Hertfordshire County Council for the town's roads, and National Highways for the A1(M). If you plan to claim for the damage, take photos of the pothole and the tyre, and keep the receipt for the new tyre.

Before you call

Before you call

Have these ready when you call:

  • The tyre size from the sidewall, for example 225/45 R17
  • What the damage looks like: a cut, a bulge, a split or exposed cords
  • Where the car is: a postcode or the nearest road
  • Whether the car has locking wheel nuts, and where the key is
  • A photo of the damage on WhatsApp, if you can send one
Damaged tyres

Bulges, cuts and splits: what the law says

The rules on tyre condition are in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. They apply to every tyre fitted to the car's wheels, and a damaged tyre carries the same penalty as a bald one: for a car, a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points can be given for each tyre.

A car tyre is not legal to use when it has:

  • A lump, bulge or tear caused by the structure of the tyre failing
  • Any ply or cord showing
  • A cut longer than 25 mm or 10% of the tyre's width, whichever is greater, deep enough to reach the ply or cord
  • Less than 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters, all the way round

Potholes and kerbs do much of this damage. A hard knock can break the cords inside the sidewall without marking the outside, and the bulge may only show days later, so it is worth looking at a tyre again after any heavy impact.

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. A photo of the damage helps find the right replacement.

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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.

Tyre sizes

How to read the size on the sidewall

The size is moulded into the sidewall as a line such as 205/55 R16 91V. Reading it out on the call, or sending a photo of it on WhatsApp, is the most useful thing you can do before the fitter sets off.

What each part means:

  • 205 is the width of the tyre in millimetres
  • 55 is the profile: the sidewall height as a percentage of the width
  • R means radial construction, and 16 is the wheel diameter in inches
  • 91 is the load index, the weight each tyre can carry (91 means 615 kg)
  • V is the speed rating, the highest speed the tyre is built for

Elsewhere on the sidewall, at the end of the DOT code, is a four-digit date code such as 2423, which means the tyre was made in the 24th week of 2023. Tyres age even when they are not used, so an old spare is worth checking before it is relied on.

Google reviews

What customers say

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

“I called out for a mobile repair. The service was quick and quite reasonably priced. Would recommend.”

AMAjith Das MenonGoogle review

“Excellent service from start to finish. He came out quickly to help my mum change her tyre and was extremely friendly.”

EHEllie-Mai HalesGoogle review

“Fast and efficient, really good service, sociable guy.”

AAAdam AntarGoogle review
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

  • Old Town
  • Bedwell
  • Broadwater
  • Chells
  • Pin Green
  • Shephall
  • Symonds Green
  • St Nicholas
  • Poplars
  • Great Ashby
  • Fairlands
  • Bragbury End
  • Norton Green

Postcode districts

  • SG1
  • SG2

Main roads

  • A602
  • A1155

Landmarks

  • Fairlands Valley Park
  • Old Town High Street

The same service in nearby towns

Questions

Questions and answers

Do you repair potholes?
No. We replace the tyre that a pothole has damaged. The road itself is the highway authority's job, so report the pothole to them.
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:

  • Lister Hospital
  • Roaring Meg retail park
  • Stevenage station
  • Westgate shopping centre
  • Lamex Stadium (Broadhall Way)
Will the wheel be damaged too?
It can be. The rim is inspected with the tyre off, and you are told if it is bent or cracked before the new tyre is fitted.
Can I claim for pothole damage?
You may be able to claim from the council or the authority that looks after the road. Note the location, photograph the pothole and the tyre, and keep the receipt.
Do I need to replace both tyres on the axle?
Not always. If the other tyre on that axle has good tread and is the same size and pattern, one new tyre can be enough.
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.
Do you bring the tyre with you?
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. Send the size from the sidewall when you call so the right tyre can be found.
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.
What if the tyre needs replacing rather than repairing?
You are told before anything else is done, with the reason and the options for a new tyre in your size. Nothing changes until you agree.
Helpful guides

Tyre advice worth reading

Replace one tyre or all four?

You don't always need four new tyres. Here's when you can replace just one, when you should do a pair, and when all-wheel-drive means replacing all four.

Is sidewall tyre damage repairable?

Bulge, cut or crack in your tyre's sidewall? Here's why sidewall damage almost always means a new tyre, what causes it, and why it's so dangerous.

Call or WhatsApp us

Tell us where the car is

Get the car somewhere safe, send a photo of the damage and the size, and the new tyre comes to the car. Tell us what has happened and the make and model of the vehicle. The price is given on the call.

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