A tyre letting go in the Stokenchurch cutting or on the empty stretch past Banbury is alarming. Control the car, get off the carriageway, and a replacement follows once you are somewhere safe.
The M40 has a hard shoulder all the way from Denham to Warwick, and the steep Stokenchurch section, downhill southbound and uphill northbound, is hard on neglected tyres. Beyond Banbury the exits are widely spaced. When a tyre bursts, keep the steering straight, keep your foot away from the brake and let momentum fade naturally. While steering holds up, continue to the next exit or services; if not, use the hard shoulder and take everyone behind the barrier.
Nobody from Rescue Tyres works beside a car on the hard shoulder. Ring National Highways on 0300 123 5000, or 999 when you feel unsafe, and ask to be recovered to Stokenchurch village off J5, the Handy Cross retail parks at J4 or Oxford services. The new tyre goes on there, the rim is examined for dents from running deflated, and the tyre opposite gets a careful look. Cost is agreed during the call.
Other jobs we do at the car include emergency mobile tyre fitting on the M40 and 24 hour tyre repair on the M40.
Stokenchurch village off J5, the Handy Cross retail parks at J4, Oxford services at J8a or your side's Warwick site. The new tyre never goes on at the hard shoulder or the J5 and J6 slip roads.
| Road | M40 (Denham to Warwick) |
|---|---|
| Operator | National Highways |
What to do after a burst tyre →Burst tyre replacement on the M40 page
Burst tyre close to J1? From Denham, Western Avenue carries the A40 towards Uxbridge and Hillingdon. Once well clear of the main road, a side street near Hillingdon station or The Chimes Car Park in Uxbridge are places worth naming. When you ring, say whether you are on the A40 or Hillingdon Road and which landmark you can see, and whether the wheel itself looks damaged.
When a tyre bursts on the M40 and the car finishes up on the hard shoulder, treat it as somewhere to wait, never somewhere to fix anything. Hazard lights on, then everyone leaves through the nearside doors and clambers across the barrier, standing up the bank rather than beside the car. Never walk along it towards High Wycombe or the next exit. Driving on the rim, even slowly, can crack the alloy. Once recovered, the rim and its axle partner are both checked.
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Blowout on the M40, car now clear of the carriageway? Call with the exit or services.
