When a tyre cannot be repaired, we fit a new one at the car once you are safely off the motorway. Urgent jobs are fitted in when the diary allows. Our only base is at Brent Cross, NW2, about 78 miles away in a straight line. 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 a tyre fails on a motorway, leave at the next exit if the car can still be driven safely. If you have to stop, use the hard shoulder, get everyone out by the left-hand doors, wait behind the barrier and do not try a repair yourself. If you are stuck in a live lane, stay in the car with your seat belt on and call 999. 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.
National Highways runs this road. Its contact centre is on 0300 123 5000; in an emergency, call 999.
The road's junction list and the full Highway Code steps are on its main page, under Related pages below.
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.
If your size has to be ordered, we say so on the call and agree with you when the fitter can bring it. At the car the fitter replaces the tyre, balances the wheel and sets the pressures. On a fast road the car needs to be off the carriageway first.
When the car is parked somewhere safe and legal, such as a side street near the exit or a car park where the owner allows it, we can come to it. Tell us which junction you left at and where the car is now.
| Road | M69 Coventry to Leicester |
|---|---|
| Operator | National Highways |
At its nearest measured point, the M69 is about 78 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. We have no base or van stationed nearby. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
A tyre that has burst, split or been cut on the sidewall is beyond any repair, so the answer is a new tyre. What matters first is getting the car to a safe place without driving on the damaged tyre for longer than you have to.
Hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the car straight. Do not brake hard: ease off the accelerator and let the car slow down, then brake gently once it is under control.
Indicate, move to the side when it is safe and switch the hazard lights on.
A burst or a hard pothole strike can bend or crack the rim. With the tyre off, the fitter looks at the bead seat and the rim edge before the new tyre goes on.
A badly bent or cracked wheel cannot hold a tyre safely, and if that is the case you hear about it before the job goes further.
The new tyre should match the size, load index and speed rating on the sidewall of the damaged one, or the figures in the handbook.
Some cars need a maker-approved tyre, shown by a marking such as a star for BMW or MO for Mercedes-Benz. A photo of the sidewall lets the right one be found.
If a pothole caused the damage, note the exact location, photograph the hole and the tyre, and keep the receipt for the new tyre.
Claims go to whoever looks after the road: National Highways for motorways and major A roads in England, and the local council for most other roads.
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.
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
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.
Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
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.
A run-flat tyre has a reinforced sidewall that carries the car for a limited distance with little or no air. Because the car can feel normal, the tyre pressure warning light may be the only sign that something is wrong.
Tyre makers commonly quote up to 50 miles at no more than 50 mph after pressure loss, but the handbook has the final word.
Use that range to reach a safe place such as home or a car park, not to finish a long journey.
Run-flat and standard tyres should not be mixed on the same car.
Switching all four to standard tyres is possible on some cars, but it leaves you unable to drive on after a puncture, so check the handbook first.
Look near the size on the sidewall for markings such as RFT, SSR, ROF, ZP or RSC in a circle.
Cars on run-flats often have no spare wheel at all, so check under the boot floor and in the handbook.
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.
Tyre blowouts: causes and prevention
Most tyre blowouts are preventable. Here are the main causes, the simple monthly checks that stop them, and what to do if one happens anyway.
Get the car somewhere safe, send a photo of the damage and the size, and the new tyre comes to the car.
