| Where the car is | Who to call |
|---|---|
| Stopped in a live lane, or you cannot get out safely | 999 |
| On the hard shoulder or in an emergency area | National Highways on 0300 123 5000, or your breakdown provider |
| On a slip road, or on the Dartford Crossing (the A282 tunnels and QEII Bridge between J31 and J1a) | Your breakdown provider or National Highways |
| Parked safely off the motorway | Us, for a repair or a new tyre at the car |
Emergency tyre repair after you leave the M25
We are a mobile tyre service with one base at Brent Cross, NW2 1LX. The closest junctions and towns on the M25 are about 8 miles from it in a straight line; other parts of the ring are further. 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. 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.
Tyre help
Who to call first
Once a breakdown provider has moved the car to a safe place, call us and we will say whether we can come to it there.
Tyre help
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.
Tyre help
How an urgent job is fitted in
We take urgent jobs when the diary allows. 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
Puncture repair
How a puncture is judged and repaired
The accepted way to repair a puncture is a combined patch and plug fitted from inside the tyre, rather than a string plug pushed in from outside. That means taking the tyre off the rim, which also lets the inner liner be checked for damage from running low.
Nails and screws in the tread
If you can see a nail or screw in the tread, leave it where it is. It is often partly sealing the hole, and pulling it out can turn a slow leak into a flat.
Take a photo of where it sits and send it on WhatsApp. Its position across the tread says a lot about whether a repair is likely.
Why driving on it flat ends the chance of a repair
Driving on a tyre with little or no air crushes the sidewall between the rim and the road. The inner liner rubs on itself and breaks up, which often shows as grey dust or a groove inside the tyre.
Once that has happened the tyre cannot be repaired, even if the hole itself is small and well placed. Stopping as soon as the tyre feels soft gives the best chance of saving it.
Slow punctures and valve leaks
A tyre that needs air every week or two has a slow leak. The cause can be a small object in the tread, a leaking valve or valve core, or a poor seal where the tyre meets a corroded rim.
A slow leak still needs finding and fixing, because a tyre run underinflated wears faster, runs hotter and can fail at speed.
What a puncture repair includes
- Tyre taken off the rim and inspected inside
- Repair considered only for small holes in the central tread area
- Wheel balanced and pressure set after the repair
- A plain answer if the tyre needs replacing instead
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
→
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.
→
Agree what happens next
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
→
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.
★★★★★
“A pleasure having them come down and save me. Big shout out to Hiwad, really responsive, recommend him to anybody.”
AMAdam MorrisGoogle review
★★★★★
“Fast and reliable.”
KSKhurram ShehzadGoogle review
Questions
Questions drivers ask
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 a puncture in the sidewall be repaired?
No. The sidewall flexes as the tyre turns, so damage there always means a new tyre.
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.
My tyre keeps losing air slowly. Is it a puncture?
It may be, or it may be the valve or the seal between the tyre and the rim; the tyre has to come off to tell which.
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 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 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.
What if I stop on a smart motorway?
Use an emergency area if you can reach one; they are marked with blue signs and an orange SOS phone. If the car stops in a live lane and getting out is not safe, everyone stays belted in with the hazard lights on while you dial 999.
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.
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.
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
Tyre valve problems and replacement
A faulty valve can leak air just like a puncture. Here's how to spot a bad tyre valve, why to replace it with every new tyre, and how TPMS valves differ.
Tyre repair vs replacement: which do you need?
Should you repair a damaged tyre or replace it? Here's how to decide, based on UK safety standards, the repair zone rules, and the real cost difference.
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. We give you an arrival time when you call.