07473 720871

WhatsApp usBook online

Puncture repair in Lambeth

Lambeth is about 9 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. We give you an arrival time when you call.

07473 720871 Book online
5.0173 Google reviewsPuncture repairs where the damage allows it2,000+ tyres fittedFully insuredSame price at any hourUK registered company
At the car

Punctures repaired properly at the car, or replaced with a straight answer

A puncture can be repaired only when the damage is in the central part of the tread and no wider than 6 mm. The fitter takes the tyre off the wheel and checks the inside, because a tyre that has been driven while flat can be damaged on the inner wall even when the outside looks fine.

A repairable hole is sealed from the inside with a combined plug and patch. If the damage is on the sidewall or shoulder, the hole is too big, or the inside is damaged, the tyre is not safe to repair and we say so before fitting a replacement. Our main puncture repair page, linked below, explains the standard in more detail.

Book now →Ask on WhatsApp

Where we can do this

The tyre comes off the wheel for the inside check, so the fitter needs firm, level ground and room beside the car: a driveway, a legal space on a quiet street, or a car park where the owner allows it.

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.

From our area records and OpenStreetMap.
WhatDetail
Postcode districtsSW2, SW4 and others
Red routes (no stopping)A23 Brixton Road and Streatham High Road; A3 Kennington Park Road, Clapham Road and Clapham High Street; A205 South Circular (on the stretches marked with red lines)
  • If the car is in a controlled parking zone permit bay, tell us so the fitter can park legally beside it.

A repair and a new tyre are priced differently, so we confirm the price on the call before the fitter sets off.

What the job includes

  • The tyre taken off the wheel and checked from the inside
  • A combined plug and patch fitted from the inside when the damage allows a repair
  • A plain answer, with the reason, when the tyre has to be replaced instead
  • The wheel refitted and the nuts tightened to the maker's setting
  • Tyre pressures set before the fitter leaves

Puncture repair: how it works →

Repair or replace

Why some punctures cannot be repaired

The shoulder and the sidewall are never repaired. They flex with every turn of the wheel, and the sidewall has no steel belt behind it for a repair to hold against, so a patch there can let go without warning.

The tyre is replaced rather than repaired when:

  • The damage is in the shoulder or the sidewall
  • It is a cut or a tear rather than a round hole
  • The inner wall shows damage from running flat
  • A new repair would overlap an earlier one
  • The tread is already at or below the legal minimum of 1.6 mm
  • The tyre has a bulge, a split or cords showing

A repair is only as good as the tyre around it. If the tyre is old, cracked or close to the legal limit, a new tyre can be the better buy even when the hole itself could be repaired, and we say so on the day.

What to have ready

Before you call

Have these ready when you call:

  • The tyre size from the sidewall, for example 205/55 R16
  • Where the damage is: the middle of the tread, or near the edge or sidewall
  • Whether the tyre is losing air slowly or is already flat
  • Whether the car has locking wheel nuts, and where the key is
  • A photo of the damage on WhatsApp, if you can send one

Not quite your situation?

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.

Tyre failure on a motorway

  • If the car can still be driven safely, carry on to the next exit or services and stop away from traffic before you call.
  • If you cannot leave, use an emergency area or the hard shoulder, stop well to the left and, if it is safe to, get out on the side away from the traffic.
  • Wait behind the barrier, not in the car. Rule 277 of the Highway Code says not to attempt any repairs on your vehicle on a motorway.
  • Call 999 if you are in danger or stuck in a live lane. Otherwise National Highways can be reached on 0300 123 5000.
Slow punctures

Slow punctures, sealant and run-flat tyres

A tyre that needs air every few days usually has something in the tread, a leaking valve, or a poor seal where the tyre meets the rim, often from corrosion on an alloy wheel. A tyre pressure warning light that keeps coming back after the tyres have been pumped up is a common sign.

Tyre sealant from an emergency kit is meant to get the car to a safe place, not to fix the tyre. The sealant has to be cleaned out before the inside can be checked, and some sealants make a repair impractical, so say on the call if a can has been used.

Run-flat tyres let the car keep moving for a limited distance after a puncture, but that driving can damage the tyre from inside. Some run-flat makers advise against repairing their tyres at all, so the fitter follows the maker's guidance for your tyre.

Step by step

From your call to the finished job

→

Tell us what happened

Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall. A photo of the tread where the damage is helps judge whether a repair is possible.

→

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.

Google reviews

What customers say

Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 173 Google reviews. Read more reviews

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

AMAdam MorrisGoogle review

“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

“From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful.”

KMKian MGoogle 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.

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 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
Around the area

Neighbourhoods, roads and nearby towns

These are the neighbourhoods, postcode districts and main roads on record for this area. Whether we can take a particular job depends on the diary and the distance from our base, so the call always decides.

Neighbourhoods and villages

Postcode districts

  • SW8
  • SW9
  • SW16
  • SE11
  • SE24
  • SE27
  • SE1
  • SE19

Main roads

  • A24 Clapham Common
  • A3036 Wandsworth Road

Landmarks

  • The Oval
  • O2 Academy Brixton
  • Clapham Common

The same service in nearby towns

Questions

Questions and answers

Can the fitter work in a hospital, station or retail park car park?

Yes, if the site allows it. Supermarket, retail park and station car parks are private ground, so the owner's permission comes first. Places of this kind in this area include:

  • St Thomas' Hospital
  • King's College Hospital at Denmark Hill
  • Waterloo station
  • Vauxhall station and bus station
Is a puncture repair permanent?
A repair that meets BS AU 159 is treated as permanent, so the tyre can stay on the car for the rest of its legal tread life.
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.
Do you charge more in the evening or at the weekend?
We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
Do you bring the tyre with you?
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. Send the size from the sidewall when you call so the right tyre can be found.
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 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.
Helpful guides

Tyre advice worth reading

Tyre valve problems and replacement

A faulty valve can leak air just like a puncture. Here's how to spot a bad tyre valve, why to replace it with every new tyre, and how TPMS valves differ.

All tyre help here

Every tyre service, done at the car

Call or WhatsApp us

Tell us where the car is

Send the tyre size if you can read it. The price is given on the call.

Call 07473 720871 WhatsApp us Book online
Call now Chat now