Puncture repair
Nail in your tyre? It can often be repaired.
A proper repair from the inside, done at your car. It costs less than a new tyre, so when it is safe to repair, that is what the fitter will do.
Can it be repaired?
The fitter decides when they have the tyre off and can see the inside. This is the rule of thumb they use.
Usually yes
- A nail or screw in the middle three-quarters of the tread
- A hole no more than about 6 mm across
- A tyre that has not been driven on while flat
- Enough tread left to be worth repairing, and no other damage
No, it needs replacing
- Damage to the side of the tyre, including a bulge
- A hole near the edge of the tread, on the shoulder
- A tyre that has been driven on flat, even for a short way
- A cut rather than a clean hole, or a hole bigger than 6 mm
Leave the nail in
A nail or screw usually plugs its own hole. Pull it out and the tyre can go flat in minutes. If the tyre is holding pressure, drive gently to somewhere safe and call. If it is going down, stay where you are and call.
What a proper repair is
The tyre comes off the wheel so the fitter can inspect the inside, where the damage that matters is. A combined plug and patch is then fitted from the inside, and the tyre goes back on and is balanced. That is the method in the British Standard for tyre repairs, BS AU 159.
A string plug pushed in from outside without taking the tyre off is a get-you-home fix, not a repair. We do not sell it as one.
If it can't be repaired
The fitter says so and gives you a price for a replacement there and then, in whatever price bracket you want. You decide. Nobody is going to fit a tyre you have not agreed to.
Repairs and near misses, lately
Real jobs from our own records, with nothing that identifies the customer.
August 2026 · OX11 · Didcot
Slow puncture: repair or replace
VW T-Roc · 225/40 R19
A slow puncture on a VW T-Roc at home. We explained that the fitter would check whether it could be repaired before replacing it, and booked the visit for 10am the same morning.
August 2026 · GL7 · Cirencester
Checked the spare first
Ford Focus · 235/40 R18
A Ford Focus driver had a puncture and wanted to look at his spare wheel before deciding. He came back to us and the tyre was replaced the same morning.
August 2026 · SN1 · Swindon
He only needed air
Citroen van · Tyre inflation
A van driver was stuck in a car park with a soft tyre. We talked through a replacement, but he only wanted the tyre pumped up so he could get going, so we booked a fitter to do exactly that.
Questions people ask about repairs
Can you repair the puncture instead of replacing the tyre?
Often. If the hole is in the middle three-quarters of the tread, under about 6 mm across, and the tyre has not been driven on flat, it can usually be repaired. The fitter checks before deciding. A repair costs less than a tyre, so there is no reason for us to push a new one.
What happens if it can't be repaired?
The fitter says so and gives you a price for a replacement there and then. You decide. A tyre with damage to its side, a hole near the edge, or one that has been driven on flat cannot be repaired safely, and we will not pretend otherwise.
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