- If the car still steers, ease off, switch on the hazard lights and leave at the next junction or pull into a service area.
- If you cannot, stop on the hard shoulder as far to the left as you can, get out by the left-hand doors and wait behind the barrier.
- If you are stuck in a live lane, stay in the car with your seat belt on and call 999.
- Do not try to change or repair the wheel on the motorway; your breakdown cover can move the car somewhere safe.
Emergency tyre repair near the M40
We are a mobile tyre service with one base, at Brent Cross, NW2 1LX. The London end of this motorway, where it meets the M25 at junction 1a, is about 11 miles from it in a straight line; further north the trip gets much longer. 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 the car is off the motorway and parked, 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.
Before you call
Before you call: get off the motorway
National Highways runs the motorway. These steps follow Highway Code rules 274 to 287.
Where we can work
Service areas and where we can work
Beaconsfield services (Extra) at J2, Oxford services (Welcome Break) at J8a, Cherwell Valley services (Moto) at J10 and Warwick services (Welcome Break) between J12 and J13 are on this motorway. They are safe places to stop, but they are private ground, so we can only work there with the operator's permission. We can also come to a side street off the junction, your home or workplace, or a car park whose owner agrees.
Repair or replace
What an emergency repair involves
A tyre that has been driven on while flat may be damaged inside even when the tread looks fine, so the fitter takes it off the wheel and checks the inner wall before deciding. A puncture in the central part of the tread, no wider than 6 mm, is sealed from the inside with a combined plug and patch; damage on the shoulder or sidewall, a cut or a bulge means the tyre is replaced instead.
If you used a sealant kit to get off the motorway, say so on the call, because the fitter needs to know before taking the tyre off. The price depends on whether a repair is possible and, if not, on the new tyre, and we confirm it before anyone sets off. Urgent jobs are fitted into the diary when it allows.
Distance
Distance from our base along the route
Distances are to the town centre, and road miles are longer. Beyond Thame the trip is a long one for the van, and from Banbury north we are far from our only base with no van stationed there. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
| Junction | Town | From Brent Cross |
|---|---|---|
| J2 | Beaconsfield | about 18 miles |
| J4 | High Wycombe | about 23 miles |
| J7 | Thame | about 34 miles |
| J8 and J8a | Oxford | about 46 miles |
| J9 | Bicester | about 45 miles |
| J11 | Banbury | about 58 miles |
| J13 to J15 | Leamington Spa and Warwick | about 75 to 76 miles |
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.
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.
★★★★★
“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
★★★★★
“Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service.”
BCBen CorrieGoogle review
Questions
Questions drivers ask
Can you repair the tyre on the hard shoulder?
No. Once the car has left the motorway, or been moved somewhere safe, we can come to it.
Is an emergency repair only a temporary fix?
No. A repairable puncture is sealed from the inside once the tyre is off the wheel, in the same way as any other repair. If the tyre cannot be repaired safely, we say so and quote a replacement.
Can a tyre with sealant in it be repaired?
Sometimes, but not always, as some sealants leave the inside of the tyre unfit for a repair.
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 puncture in the sidewall be repaired?
No. The sidewall flexes as the tyre turns, so damage there always means a new tyre.
Is a puncture repair permanent?
A repair that meets BS AU 159 is treated as permanent, so the tyre can stay on the car for the rest of its legal tread life.
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. We give you an arrival time when you call.
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.
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.
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. 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
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 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.
How much does puncture repair cost in the UK?
What a proper UK puncture repair includes, what changes the price, the BS AU 159 limits, and when a new tyre is better value than a repair.
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 to check we can take the job
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.