Shredded Tire or Bent Wheel? Get It to a Tire Shop

When the spare is missing, flat or damaged; when more than one tire is out; when the wheel is bent badly enough that a spare won't fix the handling; or when the lug nuts will not come off. Cars with run-flat tires and no spare often need a tow as well. Tell the dispatcher what you see, and they will send the right kind of help.

Yes. A deep pothole hits the wheel hard enough to shift adjustment points or bend tie rods and control arms. You may notice the steering wheel sitting crooked or the car drifting right after the hit. Getting the alignment checked early saves tires, because a bad setting can wear the inner edge bald in a few thousand miles.

A bulge means the cords inside the tire have broken, and the tire can blow out without warning. Mount the spare if you can do it safely, or have the car towed. Do not plan a highway drive to the tire store, especially in summer heat when pressures rise. A blowout at speed is far more dangerous than a flat in a parking lot.

We put your spare on as a roadside service, which is a flat-rate call listed on our rates page. We do not sell tires, mount them on wheels or do alignments. For that work, we tow the car to a tire store, your mechanic or an independent partner shop, and that business handles the job and gives you a written estimate first.

Tire prices vary with size, brand and how many need replacing, and alignment charges depend on the shop and the vehicle. We don't quote any of that. The shop looks at the car and gives you its estimate in writing before it starts. Our charge covers only getting the car there, and the dispatcher tells you that amount up front.

Lots of newer models ship with only a sealant-and-compressor kit in the trunk. The kit can seal a small tread puncture, but it will not help with a sidewall cut, a large gash or a blowout. In those cases the car needs to ride to a tire shop on a flatbed. Call the store first to confirm it has your size in stock, and we will deliver the car there.

Yes. The driver winches the car onto the flatbed, so a flat or even a tire torn off the rim does not stop it from being loaded. A badly bent wheel may roll unevenly, which just means loading slowly. Once it is on the deck and strapped down, the damaged wheel never touches the road again until the shop. Let the dispatcher know which corner is damaged and where the car is sitting.