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Tyre failure on the A34

If a tyre fails on the A34, your safety comes first and the tyre second. 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. Once the car is safely off the road, we can come to it.

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

If a tyre fails on the A34

  1. Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator and do not brake hard.
  2. If the car can still be driven safely, get it off the road: into a side road, a lay-by or a car park. A lay-by on a fast road is a place to stop safely, not somewhere we can work; we come to the car once it is on a side street or in a car park.
  3. If you have to stop, pull as far from the traffic as you can and switch on the hazard warning lights, and the sidelights too if it is dark or visibility is poor.
  4. Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait somewhere safe, behind a barrier if there is one.
  5. If it is safe, put a warning triangle at least 45 metres behind the car on the same side of the road.
  6. On a busy dual carriageway, do not try to change the wheel yourself.

If the car is stuck somewhere dangerous, call your breakdown cover, or 999 in an emergency.

Road operator: National Highways (Oxfordshire section); local councils (Birmingham section). For its sections, the National Highways contact centre is on 0300 123 5000; in an emergency, call 999.

This advice follows the Highway Code rules on breakdowns and incidents (rules 274 to 287). Read the rules on GOV.UK.

About this road

The road at a glance, from our road record
Stretch coveredOxford to Chieveley and Birmingham Stratford Road
MeetsM40, A40, A41, M6, A5
Service areasOxford Peartree services (Welcome Break) at Peartree Interchange (A34/A44/A40)

Service areas are private ground, so we can only work there with the operator's permission.

Measured at points on the road itself, the A34 runs from about 45 miles to about 103 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2, a longer trip for the van all the way. 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.

Slip road leading to a roundabout
Junction by junction

Junctions and what they serve

Junctions and the places they lead to
JunctionWhat it serves
M40 J9 (Wendlebury, Oxfordshire)M40, Bicester, A41 Aylesbury
Weston-on-the-Green (Oxfordshire)B430 Weston-on-the-Green, Middleton Stoney
Bletchingdon and Kidlington (Oxfordshire)B4027 Bletchingdon, Islip, Kidlington, Oxford Airport
Peartree Interchange (Oxfordshire)A44 Woodstock, A40 east, A4260 Kidlington, Oxford Parkway
Wolvercote roundabout (Oxfordshire)A40 Witney, A44 Woodstock Road, Oxford north
Botley Interchange (Oxfordshire)A420 Oxford west, Swindon, Botley
Hinksey Hill Interchange (Oxfordshire)A423 Oxford south, Kennington, Redbridge park and ride
Lodge Hill (Oxfordshire)Abingdon north, Radley, A4183
Marcham Interchange (Oxfordshire)A415 Abingdon, Marcham, Witney
Milton Interchange (Oxfordshire)A4130 Didcot, Milton Park, Wantage
Chilton (Oxfordshire)A4185 Harwell campus, Chilton, Wantage
Chieveley (M4 J13, Oxfordshire)M4, A4 Newbury, Chieveley services
Robin Hood Island, Hall Green (Birmingham)A4040 Outer Circle, Hall Green, Shirley
Sparkhill and Sparkbrook (Birmingham)Stratford Road shops, Sparkhill Park, Stoney Lane
Camp Hill (Birmingham)A4540 Middleway, Digbeth, city centre (Clean Air Zone boundary)
Newtown and Six Ways, Aston (Birmingham)Newtown Row, Aston, A4540 Dartmouth Circus
Perry Barr, Birchfield (Birmingham)A4040 Outer Circle, One Stop shopping centre, Alexander Stadium
Scott Arms, Great Barr (Birmingham)A4041 Newton Road, Great Barr, West Bromwich
M6 J7, Great Barr (Birmingham)M6, Walsall Road, Streetly
Walsall town centre (Birmingham)Walsall, Bloxwich, A454, A4148 ring road

Not every junction allows every movement, so follow the road signs.

Service areas

Oxford Peartree services

  • Operator: Welcome Break
  • Junction: Peartree Interchange (A34/A44/A40)
Off the road

What can we do once you are off the road?

Every job below is done at the car, once it is parked somewhere safe and legal away from the traffic.

Tyre replacement at your car

The fitter brings the new tyre to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, fits it, balances the wheel and sets the pressure.

Tell us the size from the sidewall and we can talk through budget, mid-range and premium options for it.

  • New tyre sourced in your size, load index and speed rating
  • Old tyre off, new tyre on, wheel balanced and refitted
  • Wheel nuts tightened to the maker's torque figure

Tyre replacement at your car →

Puncture repair

A nail or screw in the main tread can often be repaired. The fitter takes the tyre off the rim and looks at the inside before deciding, because a small hole can hide bigger damage.

Damage in the shoulder or the sidewall, or a tyre that has been driven flat, cannot be repaired safely, and you are told why before anything else is done.

  • Tyre taken off the rim and inspected inside
  • Repair considered only for small holes in the central tread area
  • Wheel balanced and pressure set after the repair

Puncture repair →

Flat tyre help

A flat tyre does not always mean a new tyre. Whether it can be repaired depends on where the damage is and how far the car was driven flat.

If the spare is missing, flat or a space saver you would rather not rely on, the repair or the new tyre is brought to the car.

  • 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

Flat tyre help →

Burst and damaged tyre replacement

A burst tyre, a bulge in the sidewall or a deep cut from a kerb or pothole cannot be repaired. The fitter replaces the tyre at the car and checks the wheel while the tyre is off.

Send a photo of the damage and the size on the sidewall so the right replacement can be found.

  • Damaged tyre removed and the rim checked for bends or cracks
  • Replacement matched to the size, load index and speed rating
  • New tyre balanced on the wheel before it goes back on

Burst and damaged tyre replacement →

Out-of-hours tyre fitting

We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.

Out of normal working hours, where the car waits matters more: somewhere lit, legally parked and away from passing traffic.

  • The same repair-or-replace check as at any other time
  • A new tyre fitted when the damage rules out a repair
  • A lit, legal spot to work in, agreed on the call

Out-of-hours tyre fitting →

Removing locking wheel nuts

Lost, broken or rounded key? The nuts are removed at the car with extraction sockets made for locking nuts.

Plain nuts or a new locking set go back on, and the tyre can be sorted on the same visit.

  • Removal without the key, using sockets made for locking nuts
  • Replacement nuts matched to the wheel's seat type and thread
  • Tyre repaired or replaced on the same visit if needed

Removing locking wheel nuts →

Step by step

Calling us once the car is safe

→

Tell us what happened

Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall.

→

Agree what happens next

You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.

→

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.

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
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
Where we can work

Good spots for the job, and places to avoid

Good places for the job

  • A driveway or private parking space
  • A residential street where it is legal to park
  • A workplace or business car park, with the site's agreement
  • Firm, level ground with room to work around the wheel

Places we cannot work

  • Motorways and fast main roads, including their hard shoulders and slip roads
  • Anywhere the car or the van would block traffic or put people at risk
  • Soft ground, steep slopes or loose gravel where a jack cannot sit safely

Supermarket, retail park and station car parks are private ground, so the owner's permission comes first.

Road FAQs

Questions drivers ask about this road

Where is there no hard shoulder?
Oxfordshire trunk section, M40 J9 to Chieveley (M4 J13), throughout; Birmingham Stratford Road and Walsall Road (urban single and dual carriageway). On a stretch like that, keep going until you can leave the road or reach a lay-by, if the car can still be driven safely; call 999 if you are stuck in a live lane.
Where can a car not stop?
Oxford ring road sections between Peartree and Hinksey Hill (clearway); Birmingham Stratford Road and Birchfield Road have bus lanes and loading restrictions through Sparkhill, Sparkbrook and Perry Barr. If a tyre fails there, keep going until you are clear of it and off the road, if the car can still be driven safely.
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.
Should new tyres go on the front or the rear?
When only two are replaced, the newer pair generally goes on the rear axle, which helps keep the car stable in the wet.
Can a tyre be repaired more than once?
Sometimes. Two repairs must not overlap or sit too close together, so where the earlier repair is matters.
My tyre keeps losing air slowly. Is it a puncture?
It may be, or it may be the valve or the seal between the tyre and the rim; the tyre has to come off to tell which.
Should I pull the nail out?
No. Leave it in, as it is often partly sealing the hole. Send a photo of where it sits instead.
Can I replace run-flats with standard tyres?
On some cars, but never mix the two types, and remember a standard tyre cannot be driven on after a puncture.
Can a run-flat be repaired?
Sometimes, but less often than a standard tyre. It is inspected off the rim against the maker's guidance first.
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.
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

“A pleasure having them come down and save me. Big shout out to Hiwad, really responsive, recommend him to anybody.”

AMAdam MorrisGoogle review

“Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service.”

BCBen CorrieGoogle 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.

Helpful guides

Tyre advice worth reading

Call to check we can take the job

Tell us where the car is

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