Flat Tyre Help near the M40

Safety first

If a tyre fails on a motorway, leave at the next exit or pull into a service area 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.

What happens

How flat tyre help works

A flat tyre is not always a simple puncture. The cause can be a nail or screw, a damaged valve, a leak where the tyre meets the rim, or a bent wheel. Once the car is off the main road and parked somewhere safe and legal, do not drive it any further on the flat: a short distance can ruin the sidewall and turn a repairable puncture into a replacement.

The fitter finds the cause, then repairs the tyre if the damage allows it. If not, we tell you and quote a replacement.

Before you call

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.

The tyre size from the sidewall, for example 195/65 R15
Whether you can see a nail, a cut or damage to the wheel
Whether the car has locking wheel nuts, and where the key is

On this road

Road	M40 (Denham to Warwick)
Operator	National Highways
Service areas	Beaconsfield services, Oxford services, Cherwell Valley services, Warwick services

Measured at points on the road itself, the M40 runs from about 11 miles to about 76 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. 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 the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.

Flat tyre

Dealing with a flat tyre safely

A flat tyre can come from a puncture, a damaged valve, a tyre pushed off its bead by a kerb or a split in the sidewall. The first job is to stop somewhere safe and not drive any further on it than you must.

Driving on a flat

Driving on a flat, even slowly, damages the tyre and can bend or crack the wheel. A short distance is often enough to turn a repairable puncture into a tyre that has to be replaced.

Get to the nearest place where it is safe to stop, switch the hazard lights on and stop there.

Tyre pressure warning lights

A tyre pressure warning light means the system has detected a drop in pressure in one or more tyres. Check all four by eye and with a gauge before driving further.

A light that flashes when the car starts and then stays on usually points to a fault in the system itself rather than a tyre.

What flat tyre help includes

The cause found with the tyre off the rim
A repair if the damage allows it, or a new tyre if not
Valve checked and pressure set before the wheel goes back on

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

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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. Say whether there is a usable spare.

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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.

Google reviews

What customers say

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

★★★★★

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

PNPegah NourmandGoogle review

★★★★★

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

KMKian MGoogle review

Questions

Questions drivers ask

The pressure light is on but the tyre looks fine. What should I do?

Measure the pressures with a gauge before going further. A modern tyre can lose a lot of pressure before it looks flat.

Will a flat tyre need replacing?

Not always. If the damage is in the repair zone and the tyre was not driven flat, it may be repairable.

How far can I drive on a flat tyre?

Ideally nowhere. Even a short distance can destroy the tyre and damage the wheel, so stop as soon as it is safe to.

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.

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.

My spare is flat or missing. What now?

Many newer cars have no spare at all. A repair or a new tyre can be done at the car without one.

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.

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

Run-flat tyres

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.

How to tell if you have run-flats

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.

Can a run-flat be repaired?

Sometimes, but less often than a standard tyre. TyreSafe does not recommend repairing run-flats, and some tyre makers advise against it, especially after the tyre has been driven without air.

The tyre comes off the rim and is checked against the maker's guidance before a repair is even considered.

Never mix run-flat and standard tyres

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.

What a run-flat job includes

Correct run-flat in your size, load index and speed rating
Inspection inside the tyre before any repair is considered
Advice on maker markings such as RSC and the star

Helpful guides

Tyre advice worth reading

Spare wheel maintenance and checks

The spare is the most forgotten tyre on the car, and often flat when you need it. Here's how to check and look after your spare, plus space-saver rules.

Spare wheel vs tyre repair kit: which is better?

Many new cars come with a sealant kit instead of a spare wheel. Here's the difference, the pros and cons of each, and what to do if you have neither.

School-run flat tyre: what to do

A flat tyre on the school run throws the whole day. Here's the safe way to handle it without changing a wheel in the road with kids in the car.

Call to check we can take the job

Tell us where the car is

Stay safe, keep off the flat tyre and tell us where the car is.

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Flat tyre help near the M40