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Mobile service · we come to you
Burst tyre replacement
Burst tyre replacement
after a blowout, once you are safely stopped.
A blowout is not a slow puncture. Your safety comes first. Once the car is stopped somewhere safe, we bring a new tyre to it, check the wheel it came off and fit the replacement there, so you are not waiting on a tow.
5.0 on Google·One base at Brent Cross, NW2: the arrival time is given on the call
Burst tyre replacement
What does burst tyre replacement include?
A burst tyre cannot be repaired, so this is a straight replacement where the car is parked: at home, at work, in a car park that allows it or on a safe side street. We fit and balance the new tyre, then look at the rim and the tyre across the axle before you drive on.
- Replacement, never a patch: a blown tyre is finished, so a new one goes on
- Rim and opposite tyre checked: a blowout can damage more than the tyre
- Budget and premium options: the price is agreed on the call before any work
- Same price at any hour: no extra charge for evenings, nights, weekends or bank holidays
Safety firstWhat does a burst tyre feel like,
What does a burst tyre feel like,
and how do you control the car?
A blowout is not a slow puncture that finally gave up. It is the structure of the tyre letting go in an instant, and the car tells you at once.
You usually hear it before you feel it: a bang, then a loud flapping or rumbling as the loose tread slaps the inside of the wheel arch. If a front tyre has gone, the steering pulls hard towards that corner and the wheel feels heavy in your hands. If it is a rear tyre, the back of the car feels loose, as though it wants to step out or wallow through a bend. Either way the car sits lower on that side, and at speed you may feel a violent shudder through the seat. A tyre pressure warning light, if your car has one, often comes on only after the event, so do not wait for it to tell you something is wrong.
How do you keep control after a blowout?
- 1Do not brake hard. Braking throws weight onto the damaged corner and makes the pull worse.
- 2Grip the wheel and steer straight. Small corrections only. The car wants to swerve towards the burst tyre and your job is to refuse it.
- 3Hold the accelerator steady for a moment, then ease off. Letting the speed bleed away gradually keeps the car balanced.
- 4Once you are slow, indicate, move left and put your hazard lights on. Pick somewhere well clear of traffic: a lay-by, a side street, a car park entrance.
- 5Get out on the side away from traffic. Then call us with the location and what you can see of the tyre.
What do the Highway Code motorway rules say?
On a motorway the Highway Code is clear (rules 274 to 287, breakdowns and incidents). If you can still control the car safely, leave at the next exit or pull into a service area. If you cannot, stop on the hard shoulder as far to the left as possible with the wheels turned to the left, hazard lights on, then leave the car by the left-hand door and get everyone behind the safety barrier and up the bank if there is one. Leave animals inside. Use an emergency telephone or your mobile, and give your location from the driver location signs or the marker posts. On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, aim for an emergency area; if you are stuck in a live lane and cannot get out, stay belted in with the hazards on and dial 999.
We never fit a tyre on a hard shoulder or in an emergency area: it is not safe, and we are not a motorway recovery service. Ask your breakdown cover or a recovery service to move the car off the motorway to the nearest services or another safe place. Once it is there, call us and we can come to it. Our hard shoulder safety guide covers what to do while you wait.
After the bang
What do we check after a burst tyre?
A blowout rarely damages only the tyre. Before the new one goes on, and before you drive off, we look at everything the failure could have touched.
The rim first. Running even a few metres on a flat can bend the lip of an alloy or crack it where the bead seats, and a cracked wheel will not hold air whatever tyre is on it. We look at both faces of the rim, the bead seat and the valve, and if the wheel is damaged beyond safe use we tell you rather than fit a tyre onto it.
Then the tyre on the other side of the same axle. If it is the same age and has done the same miles, whatever caused the first failure may be waiting in the second, so we check its tread, its pressure, its sidewalls and its date code. Tyres on one axle should be the same size and construction, and ideally the same pattern, so we tell you if the new tyre and the survivor make a poor pair and let you decide whether to do both.
We also look behind the wheel. Loose tread thrashing round the arch can tear the arch liner, damage the brake line or the ABS sensor wiring and knock off the wheel weights. We would rather you knew about that before you set off than found it out on the motorway.
Which tyre goes on?
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. Tell us the size from the sidewall of the surviving tyre, or send a photo of it on WhatsApp, and we tell you on the call whether your size has to be sourced and agree the price before any work.
We work from one base at Brent Cross, NW2, so the arrival time depends on how far away the car is and is given on the call.
Not sure this is the right page? If the tyre is damaged but still holding air and you want to know whether it is safe, start with damaged tyre replacement. If you already know the tyre needs replacing and want the right one fitted urgently, see emergency tyre replacement. For a nail or a slow leak, it is puncture repair.
Reviews
What drivers say.
"Excellent service from start to finish. He came out quickly to help my mum change her tyre and was extremely friendly."
EHEllie-Mai HalesGoogle review
"Fast and efficient, really good service, sociable guy."
AAAdam AntarGoogle review
Word for word from Google. Read them all on our reviews page or on Google.
FAQs
Burst tyre replacement, answered.
Worth knowing: a burst tyre cannot be repaired under BS AU 159 (TyreSafe), so it is always replaced; if it happens on a motorway, follow the Highway Code, rules 253 to 273 before you call anyone.
What should I do if my tyre bursts while I'm driving?
Don't brake hard. Hold the wheel firmly, keep the car pointing straight and let the speed fall away gradually, because a blowout pulls the car towards the failed tyre and a sudden swerve or a hard stop makes that worse. Once you are slow, indicate, move left, put your hazard lights on and stop well clear of traffic. On a motorway follow the Highway Code: leave at the next exit if you can still control the car safely, otherwise stop as far left as possible, get everyone out by the left-hand door and behind the barrier, and phone from there. Once the car is somewhere safe, call us with the location and we can come to it.
Can a burst tyre be repaired instead of replaced?
No. A blowout destroys the structure of the tyre, usually through the sidewall or the bead, and the British Standard for tyre repairs, BS AU 159, only allows repairs to small punctures in the central three-quarters of the tread. Even where the hole looks small, a tyre that has burst or been driven on flat has hidden damage to the inner liner and the cords, so the only safe answer is a new tyre. We will tell you plainly if a tyre has to be replaced and why.
How long will it take you to get to me after a blowout?
It depends on how far the car is from our base at Brent Cross, NW2, and on what is already in the diary, so we give you the arrival time on the call rather than promise one. Urgent jobs are fitted in if the diary allows. Common sizes are often on the van; if yours has to be sourced, we say so on the call.
Will you replace a burst tyre on the motorway hard shoulder?
No. We never work on a motorway hard shoulder, in a smart motorway emergency area or on a slip road, because it is not safe for you or for us. Ask your breakdown cover or a recovery service to move the car off the motorway, to the nearest services or another safe place. Once it is there, call us and we can come to it.
Will I need a new wheel as well as a tyre?
Sometimes. Running on a flat, even briefly, can bend or crack the rim, and a cracked alloy will not seal however good the tyre is. We inspect the rim before fitting and tell you honestly if it is not safe to use. A lightly kerbed or scuffed rim is usually fine; a crack at the bead seat or a visibly bent lip is not, and we will not fit a tyre to a wheel that cannot hold it.
Should I replace the tyre on the other side too?
Not always, but often it is wise. Tyres on the same axle must be the same size and construction, and they grip best when they are the same pattern and similar in wear. If the surviving tyre is worn, old or a different make, a new tyre on one side and a tired one on the other can make the car feel uneven under braking. We check the opposite tyre after a blowout and give you the option; the decision is yours.
How do I book burst tyre replacement?
Call or WhatsApp 07473 720871 with where the car is and what happened, or book online. Making an enquiry is free, and we agree the price on the call before any work.
We work from one base at Brent Cross, NW2; the areas we cover are listed below. The arrival time is given on the call.
Tyre burst or blown out
Get a burst tyre replaced
Get a burst tyre replaced
where the car is parked.
Tell us the tyre size if you can read it, or send a photo of the sidewall. We agree the price before we fit, and give you the arrival time on the call.