Found the tyre flat, or felt it go? Do not drive on it. Get somewhere safe, then call: we come to the car and repair the tyre where the damage allows, or fit a new one where it does not.
Call us, tell us where the car is, and a fitter comes to it. We work out the safe option: a proper repair where the damage allows, or a replacement where it does not. Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. This page walks you through what to do first, how the repair or replace decision is made, and what happens when we arrive.
Before you think about who to call, get the car and everyone in it somewhere safe. These four steps cover most flats, from a soft tyre on the drive to one that goes down on a fast road.
If the tyre goes while you are moving, ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel straight and let the speed fall. Do not brake hard or swerve. Pull as far off the road as you can, on the level if possible, and put your hazard lights on.
A tyre driven on with no pressure is destroyed within a short distance, and the wheel can be damaged too. A repairable puncture becomes a replacement. If you must move, keep it to a few metres at walking pace to get out of danger.
A nail or screw in the tread with the tyre still holding some shape is usually a repair. A bang, a shredded tyre, a bulge or a cut in the sidewall means a new tyre. Take a photo if it is safe to do so; it helps us bring the right thing.
Call 07473 720871 or WhatsApp us with your location, the tyre size from the sidewall and what you can see. We agree the price and give you the arrival time on the call.
On a motorway or dual carriageway? The rules are different and the risk is higher. If it is safe, get everyone out on the passenger side and behind the barrier; if not, stay belted in. Call National Highways, or 999 if you are in a live lane. Nobody can change or repair a tyre on a hard shoulder or in an emergency area, so if the car cannot be driven you will need recovery off the motorway first. Once it is somewhere safe, we can come to it. Our guide to breaking down on the hard shoulder explains the Highway Code rules.
You do not need to diagnose it yourself, because the fitter inspects the tyre before deciding. But if you would like to know what to expect, this is how the jobs break down.
The tyre has gone down slowly or is still partly inflated, and you can see an object in the tread or a small hole. This is usually a puncture repair. If the hole sits in the central three-quarters of the tread, is no larger than 6mm and the tyre has not been driven on flat, we repair it to BS AU 159 and rebalance the wheel.
Puncture repairA sudden blowout, a tyre that has shredded, a bulge in the sidewall or damage from a kerb or pothole. None of these can be repaired safely, so the job is a new tyre, fitted and balanced at the car. We check the wheel before the new tyre goes on and tell you if the rim itself is bent or cracked.
Burst tyre replacementFound it flat late in the day or at the weekend? We come out evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job. The price is agreed on the call before we set off.
Out-of-hours tyre fittingTwo related situations are worth knowing about. If the tyre is fine but the wheel will not come off because the locking wheel nut key is missing or rounded, we can remove the locking nut. And if the tyre is simply worn out rather than punctured, or you would like to replace a pair, our mobile tyre fitting service brings budget or premium tyres to you at a time that suits.
From your call to driving away, here is what happens.
Tell us where the car is, what happened and the tyre size from the sidewall, for example 205/55 R16. A photo on WhatsApp is ideal.
We agree a repair price and a replacement price for a budget and a premium tyre in your size, so there is nothing to renegotiate at the car, and give you the arrival time.
The wheel comes off and the tyre is checked inside and out. If it is repairable it is repaired; if not, the new tyre is fitted and balanced. Either way you are told what was found.
The wheel is refitted with the nuts torqued to the manufacturer setting and the pressures are set on all four tyres.
Driving on a flat is the mistake that costs the most. Even a short distance breaks up the inside of the tyre, which rules out a repair under BS AU 159, and it can damage the wheel as well. Our guide on whether it is safe to drive on a flat goes into the detail; the short answer is no.
A spare wheel, if you have one and can fit it safely, will get you home or to a safe place. Space-saver spares have a speed and distance limit printed on them, so treat them as a way to get off the road, not a fix. We can then come to wherever the car ends up, repair or replace the flat tyre and put the spare back in the boot. Check the spare's pressure now and then, because a flat spare is no help at all.
A sealant kit can get a small tread puncture holding air for a short drive, but it coats the inside of the tyre and the sensor, which makes a proper inspection harder and can rule out a repair. If you have used one, tell us when you call so we can try to bring a replacement in your size, in case it is needed. Our guide to spare tyre versus repair kit compares the two.
Stay somewhere safe and away from traffic, not in the car if it is on a fast road. Keep your phone charged and switched on so the fitter can call when close, and have the locking wheel nut key out of the glovebox. If the weather or the location makes waiting unsafe, tell us on the call; your breakdown cover may be able to move the car first.
"Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service."
"A pleasure having them come down and save me. Big shout out to Hiwad, really responsive, recommend him to anybody."
"From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful."
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Standards we work to: puncture repairs follow BS AU 159, the British Standard for tyre repairs (explained by TyreSafe); the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters (GOV.UK); motorway breakdown advice follows the Highway Code, rules 274 to 287.
We work from one base at Brent Cross, London NW2, and the van comes to you. The areas we cover run from the streets around the base out to towns in the West Midlands, about 100 miles away in a straight line.
How long it takes to reach you depends on that distance and on the jobs already in the diary, so we give you the arrival time on the call rather than promise one. If we cannot take the job, we say so on the call. A long way from London, if the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
It is a depot for tyre stock, not a walk-in garage. Every job is done where your car is.
Call or book online. We agree the price and give you the arrival time on the call.
