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Emergency tyre replacement in London

We fit a new tyre at the car when the old one cannot be repaired. London is about 6 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 replacement

How emergency tyre replacement works

Some tyre damage cannot be repaired: a blowout, a cut or bulge, sidewall damage or a tyre that has been driven flat. Then the only safe answer is a new tyre. Tell us the size from the sidewall 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.

Urgent jobs are fitted in if the diary allows. The fitter replaces the tyre at the car, balances the wheel, checks the rim and sets the pressures. If the car is on a busy road, it needs to be moved somewhere safe first, or recovered by your breakdown cover. Our main emergency replacement page, linked below, has more detail.

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

The price depends on the size, brand and type of tyre, and is confirmed on the call before the fitter sets off. The price is the same at any hour, with nothing added for an evening, weekend or bank holiday visit.

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
Where we can work

Where we can and cannot fit the tyre

The fitter needs firm, level ground and room to work beside the wheel: a drive, a parking bay or a quiet side street. If the car is in a controlled parking zone permit bay, tell us so the fitter can park legally beside it.

  • Red routes such as the North Circular (A406), the A40 and the A13 are no-stopping roads. We cannot work on them, so the car needs to be on a side street or private ground first.
  • A private car park, at a supermarket, retail park or office, needs the owner's permission before we can work there.
  • 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. If the car is stuck on one, follow the Highway Code and call your breakdown provider.
  • The ULEZ covers every borough. It is a charge for driving a non-compliant vehicle, not for a car parked while we work.
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

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

JIJisoo ImGoogle review

“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”

PNPegah NourmandGoogle review

“Quick, helpful and very understanding of our situation.”

EAEva AshmoreGoogle 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

  • Barking and Dagenham
  • Barnet
  • Bexley
  • Brent
  • Bromley
  • Camden
  • Croydon
  • Ealing
  • Enfield
  • Greenwich
  • Hackney
  • Hammersmith and Fulham
  • Haringey
  • Harrow
  • Havering
  • Hillingdon
  • Hounslow
  • Islington

Postcode districts

  • WC
  • KT
  • TW
  • UB

Main roads

  • M25
  • M1 J1
  • A2

Landmarks

  • The O2
  • Canary Wharf

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:

  • Heathrow Airport
  • Wembley Stadium
  • Brent Cross Shopping Centre
  • Croydon town centre
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
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.

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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