A tyre has failed somewhere in Croydon
Croydon throws up every kind of tyre emergency. A sudden loss of pressure on the A23 Purley Way with retail park traffic on both sides, a screw that finally empties the tyre on the climb up to Selsdon, or a car that won't move from a residents' bay in Thornton Heath at six in the morning. Ring us whatever the time. The phone is answered day and night, weekends and bank holidays included, and we send the nearest free fitter with a tyre and the tools to fit it where you have stopped.
Our aim is to be with you within 60 minutes in most cases. South London traffic decides a lot of that, so we'll give you a realistic idea of timing on the phone rather than a promise we can't keep.
Staying safe on the A23, the M23 and the M25
The busiest routes out of Croydon are also the ones where a flat is most dangerous. Take a moment to think before you do anything with the car.
- Purley Way and the A23 through Coulsdon: these are fast, heavily used roads. Indicate, slow down gradually and look for a side road, a lay-by or a car park entrance rather than stopping in a running lane. On the Farthing Way relief road, carry on gently to the next safe place if the car is still controllable.
- The M23 from Hooley and the M25 at junctions 6 and 7: pull onto the hard shoulder, or into an emergency area if there isn't one. Put the hazard lights on, get everyone out through the left-hand doors and stand behind the safety barrier. If you have stopped in an emergency area or can't get out of a live lane, phone National Highways on 0300 123 5000. Don't attempt the wheel change yourself. Our step-by-step motorway guide explains why.
- Hills in Sanderstead, Selsdon and Shirley: stop on the flattest bit you can find, apply the handbrake hard, leave it in gear or in park, and turn the front wheels towards the kerb.
Fixing it where the car has stopped
Usually the fitter replaces the tyre at the kerbside, on your drive or in the car park. When the damage is a small, clean puncture in the middle three-quarters of the tread and the tyre hasn't been run flat, a repair to British Standard guidance may be possible instead. If the car is somewhere a fitter can't work safely, such as a narrow stretch of the A23 with no verge, we can arrange breakdown recovery to take it to a better spot.
You can choose premium, mid-range or budget tyres, each with the manufacturer's guarantee, and balancing and disposal of the old tyre cost nothing extra. Prices are competitive, with no hidden fees, and you can pay by card, cash or bank transfer.
Find the wheel lock key now: if your wheels have locking nuts, the fitter needs the adaptor to get the wheel off. Look in the glovebox, the door pockets and under the boot floor while you wait, and tell us when you call if it's missing.
Late finishes, multi-storeys and the morning discovery
Plenty of Croydon emergencies aren't dramatic. A car left in a town-centre multi-storey after a late shift comes back with one corner sitting low. A tyre that was a little soft on Friday is on the rim by Sunday morning outside a flat in South Norwood. If that's you, resist the urge to drive round to a petrol station air line. A few hundred metres on a very low tyre can ruin the sidewall, and a tyre that could have been fixed then needs replacing. If the warning light came on first, our article on the tyre pressure warning light may help you decide how urgent it is.
Districts and roads we come out to
We cover the whole borough: central Croydon, Addiscombe, Waddon, Broad Green, Thornton Heath, Norbury, South Norwood, Shirley, Selsdon, Sanderstead, New Addington, Purley, Kenley and Coulsdon. On the main roads that means the A23, the junction at Purley where it meets the A22, the A232 and the A212 towards Addington. We also reach drivers just over the border in Sutton, Mitcham and Caterham.
The details that help us find you
- The road and the nearest junction, shop or postcode. In a car park, the level and bay number.
- What you can see: a flat, a split, a bulge in the sidewall, or a light on the dashboard.
- The tyre size printed on the sidewall, such as 205/55 R16. If you can't read it, the registration is enough.
- Whether you and any passengers are out of the traffic.
Phone for a fitter in Croydon now
Call 07989 606060 at any hour, or send us a WhatsApp message with your location. If the tyre can wait and you would rather book a time, our page on mobile tyre fitting in Croydon covers planned fittings and repairs.
