- Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator and do not brake hard.
- If the car can still be driven slowly and safely, leave at the next junction and turn into a side street.
- If you have to stop, get as far from the traffic as you can and switch on the hazard warning lights.
- Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait somewhere safe, behind a barrier if there is one.
- Do not try to change the wheel next to moving traffic. If the car is stuck somewhere dangerous, call 999 or your breakdown cover.
Mobile tyre fitting near the A41
Rescue Tyres is a mobile tyre service with one base, a depot at Brent Cross, NW2, in the London Borough of Barnet. The A41 crosses the North Circular at the Brent Cross flyover, under a mile from it. The van comes to the car once it is parked safely off the road, and we give you an arrival time when you call.
Towns along the road range from about 3 miles from the base to about 45 miles at Bicester, a longer trip for the van, so out there the call confirms whether we can take the job and when.
Tyre help
No hard shoulder on any stretch
None of the road has a hard shoulder, from Finchley Road, Hendon Way and Watford Way in London, through the Watford, Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Aston Clinton bypasses, to the single carriageway from Aylesbury to Bicester. Transport for London runs Finchley Road, Hendon Way and Watford Way as red routes with no stopping on the carriageway, and Edgware Way through Stanmore has clearway restrictions. Outside London the county highway authorities look after the road.
This follows the Highway Code rules on breakdowns (rules 274 to 287). We never work on the carriageway, a slip road or a motorway hard shoulder, including where the road meets the M1, the M25 and the M40.
Where we can work
Where we can meet you once the car is off the road
The car needs to be somewhere safe and legal to work on: a side street off the junction where parking is allowed, your own drive, your workplace, or a car park whose owner gives permission, since retail and station car parks are private ground. We cannot stop to work on a red route.
In London, if the car is in a residents' permit bay, tell us so the fitter can park legally beside it. When you call, say which junction you left at and the street the car is in.
On the road
Junctions from Swiss Cottage to Bicester
The table shows where each junction leads; it is not a list of places to stop.
| Junction | Serves |
|---|---|
| Swiss Cottage | Finchley Road, Avenue Road, A41 towards Regent's Park |
| Brent Cross flyover | A406 North Circular, Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Golders Green |
| Hendon Central | Hendon Central station, Middlesex University, Hendon Way |
| Fiveways Corner | A1 Great North Way, Hendon, Colindale |
| Mill Hill Circus | Mill Hill Broadway, A5109, Mill Hill East |
| Apex Corner | A1 Barnet bypass, A5109 Edgware, Stirling Corner |
| Stanmore and Bushey Heath | Edgware Way, Stanmore, Bushey Heath, A409 |
| M1 J5, Berrygrove | M1, Watford, Bushey, A4008 Stephenson Way |
| Hunton Bridge and M25 J20 | M25, Kings Langley, Abbots Langley |
| Hemel Hempstead (A414 and Two Waters) | A414 St Albans, Hemel town centre, Apsley |
| Berkhamsted (A416) | Berkhamsted, Chesham, Northchurch |
| Tring (A4251) | Tring, Wendover, Aston Clinton |
| Aylesbury (Tring Road and Aston Clinton Road) | Aylesbury town centre, A413, A418, Stoke Mandeville Hospital |
| Waddesdon | Waddesdon Manor, Bicester Road, Quainton |
| Bicester and M40 J9 | Bicester Village, Bicester town, M40, A34 Oxford |
Where we can work
Repair or replace, once you are parked
A puncture in the central part of the tread can be repaired, which covers holes up to 6 mm and needs the tyre checked from the inside. Sidewall damage, a burst or a tyre driven flat for a distance needs a new tyre, fitted and balanced at the car. We can also remove a locking wheel nut when the key is missing.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. The price depends on the tyre and the work, and we confirm it on the call. Evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays are covered when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
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.
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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.
By job
Each job in more detail
What each job involves, with a link to its own page for this road.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Road FAQs
Questions drivers ask about this road
Can you come out to me while the car is still on the road?
No. We never work on the carriageway, a slip road or a motorway hard shoulder. If the car cannot be moved, call your breakdown cover, or 999 if you feel in danger. Once the car is parked safely off the road, the fitter comes to it.
Is it worth calling from the Aylesbury or Bicester end?
Call and ask. Aylesbury is about 30 miles from our base and Bicester about 45. We tell you on the call whether we can take the job and, if so, the arrival time. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
Do I need to replace both tyres on the axle?
Not always. If the other tyre on that axle has good tread and is the same size and pattern, one new tyre can be enough.
Can I bring the car to you instead?
No. Rescue Tyres is fully mobile and works from one base at Brent Cross, NW2, which is not open to walk-in customers. The fitter comes to the car.
Can you work on the street outside my house?
Yes, if it is legal to park there and the car is not blocking traffic. A quiet residential street is usually fine; a busy main road or a red route is not.
Can I mix tyre brands on my car?
Yes, but keep the same brand and pattern across one axle, so the car brakes and corners evenly.
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.
Will locking nut removal damage my alloy wheels?
The method is chosen to avoid that. If an earlier attempt has already marked the wheel, the fitter points it out before starting.
Can a tyre with sealant in it be repaired?
Sometimes, but not always, as some sealants leave the inside of the tyre unfit for a repair.
★★★★★
“Good communication, excellent work and takes the initiative. Happy to go the extra mile, highly recommended if you're in a tyre-related bit of bother!”
DFDavid FordhamGoogle review
★★★★★
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
PNPegah NourmandGoogle review
★★★★★
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
LOLeo OduorGoogle 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
A blowout at speed is frightening but survivable if you react correctly. Here's exactly what to do, why braking is dangerous, and how to prevent the next one.
Broken down on the motorway: staying safe
A motorway is one of the most dangerous places to stop with a tyre problem. Here's how to stay safe while you wait for help, including on smart motorways.
Long motorway journey: tyre and safety checklist
Sustained motorway speed is hard on tyres. A pre-journey checklist: tread, laden pressures, the spare, towing loads and what to do if a tyre fails.
Call to check we can take the job
Tell us where the car is
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.