- Hold the wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator and switch on the hazard lights.
- If the car is still controllable, leave at the next exit or pull into a lay-by or services.
- If you have to stop in a live lane, keep your seat belt on and call 999 straight away.
- If you stop somewhere you can safely get out, leave by the left-hand door and wait well away from the traffic, behind a barrier if there is one.
- On the stretch run by National Highways, from the M40 to M1 junction 15a, you can also call them on 0300 123 5000.
Mobile tyre fitting near the A43
We are a mobile tyre fitter working from one base, at Brent Cross in north west London. The A43 starts at M40 junction 10 at Ardley, about 49 miles from that base in a straight line; Bicester, just off it, is about 45. Northampton is about 54 miles away and Corby about 66, so any job along this route is a longer trip for the van. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
Once the car is safely off the road, call us. 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.
Tyre help
No hard shoulder from Ardley to Kettering
There is no hard shoulder anywhere on the route from M40 junction 10 to Kettering. The dual carriageway between M40 junction 10 and Towcester is a clearway, so stopping is only for a genuine emergency, and through Northampton, around Round Spinney and Moulton, there is no verge to pull onto.
If a tyre fails while you are driving, the Highway Code (rules 274 to 287) and National Highways advise the same steps:
Do not try to change the wheel beside moving traffic. We never work on the carriageway, a slip road or the verge beside a fast road.
Tyre help
Places we can meet you once you are off the road
If the car is in a village rather than one of the towns above, give us the postcode. We work out how far it is from Brent Cross and tell you on the call whether we can come.
- A side road or residential street where the car is legally parked
- A car park, if its owner is happy for the work to be done there
- Your home or workplace, if you can get the car there safely
- Cherwell Valley services, run by Moto at the M40 junction 10 roundabout at Ardley, only if the operator allows work on site, which we cannot promise in advance
On the road
M40 J10 to Kettering, junction by junction
Telling us the junction you left at, and the street or postcode where the car is now, helps the fitter find you.
| Junction | What it serves |
|---|---|
| M40 J10 (Ardley) | M40, B430 Middleton Stoney, Cherwell Valley services |
| Baynards Green | A4421 Bicester, B4100 Banbury, Aynho |
| Brackley (A422) | Brackley town centre, A422 Buckingham and Banbury |
| Silverstone | Silverstone circuit, Dadford Road, Whittlebury |
| Towcester (A5 Tove roundabout) | A5 Watling Street, Towcester town, Milton Keynes |
| M1 J15a (Rothersthorpe) | M1, Northampton west, Sixfields |
| Northampton (Round Spinney and Moulton) | Kettering Road, Round Spinney, Moulton Park |
| Broughton | Broughton village, Pytchley, Kettering south |
| A14 J7 (Kettering) | A14 east and west, Kettering, Corby via the road north |
Repair or replace
Repair or replacement, decided at the car
A puncture can be repaired when it meets BS AU 159: the hole is in the central part of the tread and no wider than 6 mm, and the tyre passes an inspection from the inside once it is off the wheel. Anything else, such as sidewall damage, a cut, a bulge or a tyre that has been driven flat, means a replacement tyre fitted at the car. We also remove locking wheel nuts when the key is lost or damaged, and fit van tyres.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, so read the size from the sidewall before you call (for example 205/55 R16). The price depends on whether the tyre can be repaired and, if not, on the size and brand, and we agree it on the call before anyone sets off. We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
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.
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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
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 I drive on a flat tyre to the next exit?
Only if the car still steers normally, and then slowly. A tyre driven flat is damaged inside and cannot be repaired afterwards, but getting off the road safely matters more than saving the tyre.
Which service areas are on this road?
Cherwell Valley services (Moto) at M40 J10 roundabout at Ardley. A service area is private ground, so we can only work there with the operator's permission; a side street near the next exit is often simpler.
Where is there no hard shoulder?
Whole route, M40 J10 to Kettering. 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?
Dual carriageway between M40 J10 and Towcester (clearway); Northampton urban sections around Round Spinney and Moulton have no verge parking. 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
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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
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.
Tyres for high-mileage and company-car drivers
If you cover serious miles, the right tyre saves real money. Here's how to choose for cost per mile and motorway safety, and keep a company car compliant.
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.
Call to check we can take the job