Mobile Tyre Fitting for Hire Vehicles and Self-Drive Rentals

A flat tyre in a hire car raises an immediate question: whose problem is this? The answer depends on the hire agreement, but in most cases, the renter is responsible for tyre damage caused by road hazards (potholes, debris, kerbing) during the rental period.

Check Your Hire Agreement

Before making any calls, check the rental agreement. Most major hire companies include basic breakdown cover but specifically exclude tyre damage in their free cover. This means you're paying for the replacement tyre — either through the hire company's arrangements or by sourcing a replacement yourself.

Can You Use a Mobile Tyre Fitting Service?

In most cases, yes — but with some caveats. The hire company will generally prefer you to contact their designated assistance number first. However, if you're waiting for authorisation and your situation is unsafe (e.g., hard shoulder of a motorway), your immediate safety takes priority.

If you do arrange your own mobile tyre fitting for a hire vehicle, keep all receipts. Many hire companies will reimburse tyre replacement costs (minus an excess) if you can show the work was carried out by a professional service.

Our Advice

If you're in a hire vehicle with a tyre problem, call your hire company first, explain the situation, and ask about your options. If you're in an unsafe location and they can't guarantee a fast response, call our emergency tyre fitting line and deal with the reimbursement question afterwards. Your safety comes first.

Short-Term Rental and Commercial Vehicles

For van rentals and commercial vehicle hire, the same principles apply but with slightly different urgency — a broken-down delivery van has a direct cost in missed deliveries. Our emergency tyre fitting service covers vans and light commercial vehicles.