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Emergency tyre replacement in Barnet

Our only base, at Brent Cross, NW2, is in the London Borough of Barnet. We give you an arrival time when you call.

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5.0173 Google reviewsPuncture repairs where the damage allows it2,000+ tyres fittedFully insuredSame price at any hourUK registered company
Urgent replacement

An urgent tyre replacement, done at the car when the diary allows

Emergency tyre replacement is for a tyre that has to be changed rather than repaired, at the car; urgent jobs are fitted in if the diary allows. If it has burst or is visibly damaged, our burst tyre and damaged tyre pages cover what to do first. What we need on the call is the tyre size, printed on the sidewall in a form like 205/55 R16 91V, and where the car is. Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, and we tell you on the call which applies to yours.

If your size has to be ordered, we say so on the call and agree with you when the fitter can bring it; until then leave the car where it is safe and legal and do not drive on the tyre. At the car the fitter replaces the tyre, balances the wheel and sets the pressures. 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. On a fast road the car needs to be off the carriageway first. Our main emergency replacement page, linked below, has more detail.

Book now →Ask on WhatsApp

Where we can do this

Tell us where the car is now. If it is on a driveway, in a legal space on a quiet street or in a car park where the owner allows it, on firm, level ground, it can stay there until the new tyre is fitted.

From our area records and OpenStreetMap.
WhatDetail
Postcode districtsEN4, EN5 and others
Red routes (no stopping)A1 Great North Way and Barnet bypass; A406 North Circular; A41 Watford Way and Hendon Way (on the stretches marked with red lines)
  • 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 size checked on the call so the right tyre is sourced
  • The tyre fitted, balanced and the nuts tightened at the car
  • The other tyres looked over while the car is up
  • The old tyre taken away

Emergency tyre replacement: how it works →

What to have ready

Before you call

Have these ready when you call:

  • The tyre size from the sidewall, for example 205/55 R16
  • Where the car is now, and whether it is somewhere safe and legal
  • What happened to the tyre: a burst, a cut or a bulge
  • Whether the car has locking wheel nuts, and where the key is

Not quite your situation?

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.
  • Keep your phone on and charged, and tell us about anything that makes the spot hard to find.

Tyre failure on a motorway

  • If the car can still be driven safely, carry on to the next exit or services and stop away from traffic before you call.
  • If you cannot leave, use an emergency area or the hard shoulder, stop well to the left and, if it is safe to, get out on the side away from the traffic.
  • Wait behind the barrier, not in the car. Rule 277 of the Highway Code says not to attempt any repairs on your vehicle on a motorway.
  • Call 999 if you are in danger or stuck in a live lane. Otherwise National Highways can be reached on 0300 123 5000.
The right replacement

Matching the new tyre to the car

The replacement has to be the size the car is built for, with a load index and speed rating at least as high as the maker specifies. All of it is printed on the sidewall of the old tyre, and most cars also have a sticker inside the driver's door or the fuel flap.

Tyres on the same axle should match: the same size and type, ideally the same model, so the car brakes and corners evenly. If the tyre on the other side of the axle is badly worn, it is worth replacing the pair, and we tell you what we find while the car is up.

Four-wheel-drive cars are more sensitive. Some makers ask for all four tyres to be close in tread depth to protect the transmission, so tell us on the call if the car is four-wheel drive.

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 types

Run-flat tyres

Many newer cars, especially some BMW and MINI models, leave the factory on run-flat tyres and carry no spare wheel. The sidewall says so, with a marking such as RSC, ROF, SSR, ZP or RFT depending on the maker.

A car built for run-flats should stay on run-flats, because it has no spare to fall back on and its suspension is set up for their stiffer sidewalls. Tell us on the call if the car has them, so the right tyre is sourced.

Google reviews

What customers say

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

“From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful.”

KMKian MGoogle review

“I urgently needed to replace my tyres and the team were prompt, friendly and efficient at a great price.”

JIJisoo ImGoogle review

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

AAAdam AntarGoogle 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.

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

Postcode districts

  • N2
  • N3
  • N11
  • N12
  • N20
  • NW4
  • NW7
  • NW11
  • NW9
  • HA8

Main roads

  • M1 J1
  • A1000 Great North

Landmarks

  • RAF Museum at Hendon

The same service in nearby towns

Tyre types we fit

Questions

Questions and answers

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:

  • Brent Cross Shopping Centre
  • Barnet Hospital
  • Finchley Central station
  • Hendon Central station
  • Middlesex University at Hendon
What should I do if a tyre bursts while I am driving?
Hold the wheel firmly, keep straight, ease off the accelerator and avoid braking hard. Once the car has slowed, brake gently and pull over where it is safe.
Is there any way to save a burst tyre?
No. A burst or a split sidewall destroys the structure of the tyre, so it is always replaced.
Is a bulge in the sidewall dangerous?
Yes. A bulge means the internal cords have broken and the tyre can fail without warning. Do not drive on it further than you need to reach a safe place.
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.
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 you fit tyres at my workplace?
Yes, if the site is happy for the work to be done there and there is room around the wheel. Tell us the address and where the car is parked on site.
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 charge more 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.
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.

All tyre help here

Every tyre service, done at the car

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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