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UK
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USA
What to do if…
your tyre is losing air slowly and you need to find help
Short answer
Get to a safer place, inflate the tire only to the pressure on your driver-door label or owner’s manual, and treat it as temporary until a tire shop or roadside service checks the leak. If the tire looks very low, damaged, bulging, or loses air again quickly, do not keep driving; request roadside help or a tow.
Do not do these things
- Don’t keep driving at highway speed if the steering feels off, the car pulls, or the tire looks visibly low.
- Don’t inflate to the PSI printed on the tire sidewall; that is not your vehicle’s recommended tire pressure.
- Don’t rely only on the TPMS light; it may warn only after a tire is significantly underinflated.
- Don’t use a sealant kit as a permanent repair, and tell the tire shop if you used sealant.
- Don’t stop in a travel lane or stand next to traffic to inspect the tire.
What to do now
-
Make a safe pause.
Ease off the accelerator, avoid sharp steering or braking, turn on your hazard lights, and move to the nearest safer place you can reach, such as a parking lot, rest area, gas station, or wide shoulder. Keep yourself away from moving traffic. -
Check whether it is safe to drive only to help.
From a safe position, look for a tire that is very low, sidewall bulging, shredding, cracking, smoke, or an object stuck in the tire. If you see any of these, do not keep driving; request roadside help or a tow. -
Inflate it correctly, only as a temporary step.
Use the recommended cold PSI on the Tire and Loading Information label, usually inside the driver’s door jamb, or in your owner’s manual. If the tire drops again within a few minutes, stop and request help instead of trying to keep topping it up. -
Ask for a leak check, not a guess.
Go to the closest tire shop or auto service center you can reach safely and ask them to check for a puncture, valve-stem leak, bead leak, rim issue, and tire damage. The shop can tell you whether repair is possible. -
If you don’t know who to call, use available systems.
- Check your auto insurance app, automaker app, credit-card benefits, or roadside-assistance membership for a roadside help button.
- If you are an AAA member, request roadside assistance online, through the AAA app, or by calling AAA; benefits and towing limits can vary by local club and membership level.
- Search for a nearby tire shop, mobile tire service, or tow service if you are off the roadway and not in immediate danger.
- In some areas, state or metro highway service patrols may help with minor roadside problems or move a disabled vehicle to safety. 511 is a nationwide travel-information number, but it is not guaranteed roadside assistance everywhere.
- In California, Freeway Service Patrol may assist on designated congested urban freeways and can be contacted through 511 where available.
- In Florida, Road Rangers may assist on covered roadways; FDOT says motorists on the roadway can call *347.
- If you are stuck in a live lane, near a crash, unable to get away from traffic, or in immediate danger, call 911.
-
Give the key facts clearly.
Say: “I have a slow tire leak. It loses air over about this much time. I inflated it today. The TPMS light is on or off. I have or do not have a spare. I used or did not use sealant.” -
Wait in the safest available place.
Keep hazards on, stay away from traffic, keep your phone charged, and share your location with someone you trust if that helps.
What can wait
- You don’t need to decide right now whether you need a new tire.
- You don’t need to identify the exact cause yourself.
- You don’t need to compare every shop or tow option; choose the safest reachable help first.
- You don’t need to clear the TPMS warning yourself before the tire is checked.
Important reassurance
A slow tire leak is common and tire shops deal with it routinely. The immediate goal is not to solve everything at the roadside; it is to avoid a sudden loss of air while driving and get the tire checked safely.
Scope note
These are first steps only. Tire repairability, towing options, and roadside-assistance benefits may depend on your vehicle, tire condition, location, membership, insurance, and local services.
Important note
This is general information, not mechanical, legal, insurance, or professional advice. If you cannot stay safe where you are, prioritize getting away from traffic and calling professional help.
Additional Resources
About this guide
This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.