Repair the puncture, or fit a new tyre?

Choose a repair when all of this is true

The hole is in the central tread, the tyre has legal tread elsewhere, there is no bulge, and the inside of the tyre is clean enough to patch. That is the cheap, correct outcome. It is also faster, because no tyre has to be sourced.

Choose a new tyre when any of this is true

The sidewall is cut, the puncture is too wide, the tread is at or below 1.6 mm, or the tyre has been run flat long enough to grind the lining apart. Tell us the speed and load code on the other side of the axle. Mixing very different tread depths across an axle upsets braking, especially on a wet road. On some cars we will recommend doing the pair. We will explain that before anyone pays.

Run-flat tyres often cannot be repaired after they have been driven flat, even for a short distance. If you have a run-flat and a pressure warning, say so at the start of the call.

Price before tools come out

You get a figure for the repair, or a figure for the tyre we can fit, before the wheel comes off. Brands we regularly fit include Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Dunlop, plus budget tyres when that is what the car needs. The tyre has to match the load and speed codes on the sidewall.