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Emergency tyre repair in Greenwich

Emergency tyre repair is for a puncture that cannot wait for a booked slot. We fit urgent jobs into the diary when it allows, and the fitter repairs the tyre where the car is parked if the damage allows it.

Greenwich is about 13 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
Urgent repair

Roads, postcodes and local rules

From our records of the area. Distances are straight-line.
WhatDetail
Postcode districtsSE3, SE7, SE9, SE10, SE18, SE28, SE2
Main roadsA2 Rochester Way and Shooters Hill Road, A102 Blackwall Tunnel approach, A206 Woolwich Road and Trafalgar Road, A205 South Circular, A20 Sidcup Road
Distance from our baseAbout 13 miles (straight line)
  • 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.

What the job includes

  • A plain answer on the call about whether we can take the job
  • The tyre checked from the inside before anything is decided
  • A repair from the inside when the damage allows it
  • A replacement tyre when it does not, with the reason explained
  • Pressures set and wheel nuts tightened before the fitter leaves
Staying safe

Keeping safe while you wait

  • If it is safe, leave the main road for a side street, a car park or a drive, put the hazard lights on, and stop driving on the flat tyre: every extra mile makes a repair less likely.
  • On a motorway, follow the Highway Code: leave at the next exit if you can; if not, stop on the hard shoulder or in an emergency area, get out on the left and wait behind the barrier, and call your breakdown provider, or 999 if anyone is in danger. 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 need firm, level ground with room to work beside the car: a driveway, a legal parking space on a quiet street, or a car park where the owner allows it. Supermarket, retail park and station car parks are private ground, so the owner's permission comes first.
Urgent repair

Using the spare or a sealant in the meantime

If you can fit the spare safely away from the traffic, that gets you moving, and the damaged tyre can be dealt with later at a booked time. A space-saver is for short, slow journeys only. If you have used a sealant kit, tell us on the call: the tyre still has to be cleaned and checked from the inside.

Urgent repair

How an urgent job is fitted in

We take urgent jobs when the diary allows. 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. If the diary is full we say so, so you can ring your breakdown cover instead. The price is the same at any hour.

The price depends on the tyre size, the brand and the job, and we confirm it on the call before anyone sets off.

Repair or replace

Repair or a new tyre

Whether the tyre can be repaired depends on where the damage is; the national puncture repair page explains the limits. If it cannot be repaired safely, the fitter can fit a new tyre instead. Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job.

Before you call

Before you call

Have these ready when you call:

  • Where the car is, and whether it is somewhere safe and legal
  • The tyre size from the sidewall, if you can read it
  • Where the damage is: the middle of the tread, or near the edge or sidewall
  • Whether the car has locking wheel nuts, and where the key is
  • A photo of the damage on WhatsApp, if you can send one
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. A photo of the tread where the damage is helps judge whether a repair is possible.

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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

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

AMAjith Das MenonGoogle 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

“Amazingly fast, polite and saved my day.”

YOYvonne OphausGoogle 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.

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

Landmarks

  • The O2
  • Eltham Palace

The same service in nearby towns

Questions

Questions and answers

Can you tow the car if the tyre cannot be fixed?
No. We repair and fit tyres at the car and do not recover vehicles. If the car has to be moved, your breakdown cover can do that.
Can the fitter work in a hospital, station or retail park car park?

Yes, if the site allows it. Places of this kind in this area include:

  • North Greenwich station
  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Woolwich
  • Woolwich Arsenal station
Should I pull the nail out?
No. Leave it in, as it is often partly sealing the hole. Send a photo of where it sits instead.
Is a plug pushed in from outside a proper repair?
Not as a permanent repair. The British Standard for tyre repairs, BS AU 159, expects the tyre to come off the rim so the inside can be checked as well.
Can a tyre be repaired more than once?
Sometimes. Two repairs must not overlap or sit too close together, so where the earlier repair is matters.
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.
How much will it cost?
The price depends on the tyre size, the tier you choose and the work needed.
Can you work on the street outside my house?
Yes, if it is legal to park there and the car is not blocking traffic. A quiet residential street is usually fine; a busy main road or a red route is not.
Helpful guides

Tyre advice worth reading

Tyre sealant: good idea or bad idea?

Tyre sealant can get you moving after a puncture, but it has real downsides. Here's when to use it, when to avoid it, and why it isn't a proper repair.

Call or WhatsApp us

Tell us where the car is

Send a photo of the tread and where the car is; the damage is checked before anything is decided. Tell us what has happened and the make and model of the vehicle. The price is given on the call.

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