Run-flat warning on? We source the correct run-flat for your car and fit it at your home, work or a safe roadside spot. Price confirmed on the call, and you pay once the job is done.
A run-flat tyre keeps carrying the car for a limited distance after it loses pressure, but it still needs sorting properly afterwards. Rescue Tyres comes to your home, work or a safe roadside spot and fits the correct run-flat for your car.
There is no single industry code. Each tyre maker uses its own marking, so check the sidewall and your handbook.
Look near the size and brand name. Common markings are RFT (used by Bridgestone and others), SSR (Continental's self-supporting run-flat), ROF or RunOnFlat, and the older EMT, on Goodyear tyres, DSST or ROF on Dunlop, and ZP on Michelin. Some run-flats also show an F before the rim size, such as 205/55 RF 16.
BMW run-flats carry RSC inside a circle, short for Run-Flat System Component. Mercedes-Benz uses MOExtended, or MOE, for tyres developed for its cars with limited run-flat ability. Mention either when you call.
A car on run-flats usually has no spare wheel, but many new cars come with an inflation kit instead, so check the tyre section of the handbook. Still not sure? Send us a sidewall photo on WhatsApp.
Reinforced sidewalls let a run-flat support the car with little or no air inside, so the car may feel normal. That is why a working tyre pressure monitoring system is essential: the dashboard warning may be your only sign.
Sometimes, but far less often than a standard tyre. TyreSafe, the UK tyre safety charity, does not recommend repairing run-flats. Driving on one with no pressure puts the structure under high stress, and the stiff sidewall can hide the damage that would normally show on the inside of a tyre. Tyre makers differ. Some advise against repairing run-flats, especially after they have been driven with a puncture. Others, such as Michelin for its ZP tyres, allow a single repair under the same inspection rules as a standard tyre, provided it was not driven too far or too fast while flat.
So we never promise a repair over the phone. The fitter takes the tyre off the rim, inspects the inside, and checks the damage against the maker's guidance and BS AU 159, the British Standard for puncture repairs. If the tyre has been run deflated, the damage is in the shoulder or sidewall, or the maker advises against repair, we recommend a replacement and explain why. Tell us on the call how far you drove after the warning came on.
The simplest and safest choice is usually a like-for-like replacement: the correct run-flat in the same size, load and speed rating, with any car maker marking your car calls for. We source it for your car and confirm the price on the call. New tyres carry the manufacturer's warranty.
Why do car makers use them at all? A run-flat removes the need for a spare wheel and jack, saving space and weight, and lets the driver move away from a dangerous spot instead of changing a wheel beside traffic. BMW is the largest fitter of run-flats as original equipment, and they are also common on MINI and Mercedes-Benz models. The trade-off is a firmer ride from the stiffer sidewalls.
Run-flats are common on BMW and MINI models. Here is what the sidewall markings mean, and what to weigh up before replacing them or switching to standard tyres.
BMW's technical information says its run-flats carry a circular symbol with the letters RSC, for Runflat System Component, on the sidewall. The system pairs self-supporting tyres with special rims, and BMW states RSC tyres may only be used with a tyre pressure monitoring system or flat tyre indicator, because lost pressure is usually hard to see from outside.
A star (★) beside the size marks a tyre tuned and approved for BMW and MINI cars. BMW says these tyres can differ considerably in construction and compound from similarly named tyres, and Michelin advises specifying the tyre the car maker approved when you replace one.
MINI says its original complete wheels are fitted exclusively with star marked tyres, and that its star marked run-flats let you keep driving on a flat tyre at up to 50mph, with heat-resistant sidewalls and a rim shape that stops the tyre slipping off. Check your own sidewall for RSC rather than going by the model name.
If you stay on run-flats, we source the correct run-flat to your size, load index and speed rating, and can look for the star marked version. The price is confirmed on the call, and you pay once the job is done. More detail is in our guide to run-flat tyres explained.
Based on BMW Group, MINI UK, Michelin and TyreSafe guidance. Always check your vehicle handbook.
Run-flats suit a mobile service: rather than driving further on a deflated tyre to find a garage, you stop somewhere safe and we come to you. The van carries tyre-fitting and balancing equipment.
Send the tyre size and any run-flat marking from the sidewall, or just a clear photo, plus where the car is and whether the locking wheel nut key is with it.
We source the correct run-flat for your car, confirm the price before any work, and agree a realistic arrival time. The enquiry is free.
The wheel comes off, the old tyre is removed on the van's equipment, the valve and pressure sensor are checked, and the new tyre is fitted and balanced.
The wheel is refitted and torqued, pressures are set to the car maker's figure, and you pay once the job is done.
New tyres sourced for your car and fitted where it is parked.
View service →Repairs to BS AU 159 where the damage and the tyre maker's guidance allow it.
View service →What to do when a tyre goes down, and help at the car once you are somewhere safe.
View service →Blowout or sidewall damage? A replacement fitted where you stopped safely.
View service →Evening, night and weekend callouts, 7 days a week, with timing agreed on the call.
View service →A damaged tyre replaced at the car when it cannot wait for a booked slot.
View service →Lost the key? The locking nut can be removed on the same visit as your new run-flat.
View service →One base in Brent Cross, with mobile fitting across London, the Home Counties and the Midlands.
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"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!"
"Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!"
"Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service."
Based on TyreSafe, Goodyear and Uniroyal guidance. Always check your vehicle handbook. Updated 15 September 2026.
Stop somewhere safe, send us the sidewall marking, and we confirm the tyre, the price and a realistic arrival time on the call.
