Is Tyre Insurance Worth It? The Truth About Protecting Your Tyres

 

 

Tyre Insurance is often considered by car buyers in the UK because it can protect you from the costs of having to replace your tyres when you least expect it. Seemingly the UK roads are becoming more and more hazardous for vehicle tyres with debris and pot holes becoming more and more to the fore.

 

Here we explain what tyre insurance protection does and how it can save you money.

 

What Is Tyre Insurance and What Does It Cover?

 

Tyre Insurance can cover the costs of repair to, or a replacement of a tyre on your vehicle following malicious or accidental damage.

 

This damage can occur from a blow out, running over a pot hole or a nail, accidental sidewall damage from kerbing the wheel or where someone inflicts criminal damage to your car's wheels.

 

Having a tyre protection plan in place means you can avoid expensive replacement or repair costs when an unexpected event happens.

 

What tyre insurance does not cover 

 

Like any insurance, there are terms, conditions and exclusions. In considering is a tyre policy is for you, it is important to understand what is not covered as well.

 

The most common exclusion would be general wear and tear. Tyres wearing out and needing changing are just part of owning a car and not an unexpected event. As such, this would not be covered.

 

Another key area that is not covered is pre-existing damage. This would be where you have already got damage to the tyre and then buy a policy to make a claim for the same damage. This would not be covered.

 

The Cost of Tyre Repairs vs. Tyre Insurance

 

The question of 'tyre insurance is it worth it?' needs several factors considering really. The first one is how much does it cost for a replacement tyre on your car in comparison with the cost of a tyre insurance policy?

 

The average cost of replacing a tyre varies depending on the vehicle type and tyre brand.

 

Some typical prices for tyres may be:

• Standard tyre replacement: £80–£300 per tyre

• Run-flat tyres: £150–£400 per tyre

• Premium performance tyres: £200–£500 per tyre

 

The cost of cover differs between tyre insurance providers but, at the time of writing, the cost of tyre protection starts at just £99.99 for a two year policy. We offer between 2 and 4 year cover, and the option of either £150 or £350 maximum per new tyre claim.

 

By way of an example, we looked at the UK's best selling new car in 2024, the Ford Puma.

 

The Puma Titanium has a tyre size of 215/55/17 fitted when new.

 

We did a search on one of the most popular national tyre providers on line. When we put the details in for this tyre into their search engine (the date of this test was 21/2/25) we found that a premium tyre replacement started at £134.99 fitted.

 

At Total Loss GAP we can provide a quote for a maximum of £150 per claim for 2 claims a year starts at £99.99 for two year cover. If you want up to 4 claims a year then that would currently be £149.99 for a two year term.

 

What if my tyres are more expensive and I want longer cover?

 

If you have more expensive tyres on your vehicle, run flat tyres for example, then these can be covered up to £350 per replacement tyre.  

 

The maximum term we can currently provide cover for is 4 years and a maximum of up to 4 claims per annum.

 

A 20 inch tyre at a maximum of £350 per replacement tyre, a maximum of 4 claims per annum and the maximum 4 year cover would currently be £449.99 as a total premium cost.

 

Perhaps the key takeaway is that two claims over a 4 year term could easily cover the outlay of the most expensive policy. At the cheaper end, less than the cost of one replacement tyre could cover the cost of a 2 year policy.

 

Who Should Consider Tyre Insurance?

 

High-Risk Drivers Who Benefit the Most

• Drivers who frequently encounter potholes or poorly maintained roads - council budget cuts has seen a rise reports of roads in poor conditions. How easy is it to encounter a pothole or alike these days?

• Motorists with expensive tyres - including run-flat and high-performance tyres. The costs of rubber is on the rise and a rise in tyre technology can all impact the cost of tyres. If you have to replace a tyre have you looked how much it may cost?

• Long-distance drivers - the more miles you cover then the change of encountering tyre damage, or a blow out, may increase.

 

Who Might Not Need Tyre Insurance?

• If you drive very few miles per year, drive on good roads and may experience minimal tyre damage - whilst this may not eliminate the chances of picking up tyre damage entirely, it may lower the risk to the point where tyre protection is not the best value for you.

• If your vehicle’s tyres are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace - if you gave cheaper tyres in the first place then having to replace one after getting damaged may not be too much of a financial burden.

• If your car finance or lease agreement already includes tyre coverage - some lease agreements may include service elements that include the replacement cost of tyres.

 

Real-Life Example – How Tyre Insurance Can Save You Money

• Case Study: James hit a deep pothole on a motorway, causing damage to two tyres. They were deemed unsafe and needed to be replaced.

• The repair cost was £520 (£260 each, fitted), but his tyre insurance policy covered the full amount.

• Without insurance, he would have had to pay out-of-pocket.

   

Common Myths About Tyre Insurance (And The Truth!)

 

Myth 1 – "My Comprehensive Car Insurance Covers Tyre Damage"

• Most standard car insurance policies do not cover tyre damage unless it results from an accident. Even if you do claim on your motor insurance for such damage, it may impact your claims history and subsequent premium at renewal.

 

Myth 2 – "Breakdown Cover Will Pay for My Tyre Repairs"

• While breakdown services may help replace a damaged tyre, they do not pay for the cost of a new one. This could leave you with a bill to pay even where you have been recovered.

 

Myth 3 – "Tyres Are Cheap, So I Don't Need Insurance"

• Premium tyres and run-flats can cost hundreds of pounds each, making insurance a cost-effective safety net. - 2025 has also seen a number of reports stating that the cost of tyres could be on the increase also. The increased costs of raw materials and supply chain issues have been cited as reasons for the increases.

 

Conclusion – Is Tyre Insurance Worth It for You?

• Tyre insurance is worth it if:

  • You drive frequently on roads with potholes or rough terrain.  

  • You own a vehicle with expensive or high-performance tyres.

  • You want to avoid unexpected repair costs and keep your vehicle roadworthy.

• If your tyres are cheap to replace or rarely get damaged, you may not need it.

 

Can you combine Tyre Insurance with other products?

 

Yes, at Total Loss GAP we offer a range of combined and stand alone products. We see our customers often buy tyre insurance as part of a combined policy or alongside another policy.

 

Examples of this include:

 

Complete Wheel Insurance - combined tyre and alloy insurance insurance

 

As the name suggests, this policy combined tyre and alloy insurance policies in one product. We can provide cover like the standard tyre cover provides, but with additional cover for alloy wheel damage.

 

Total Loss GAP Complete Wheel insurance can provide either 2 or 4 claims per year for both tyre and alloy wheel elements for between 2 and 4 years.

 

SMARTCare 3-in-1 Cosmetic Insurance

 

SMARTCare Cosmetic Insurance from Total Loss GAP is possibly the most comprehensive minor repair insurance available in the UK today. This policy can cover the cost of a repair to your car bodywork alloy wheel and interior trim.

 

The repair must be done by a SMART (Small and Medium Area Repair Technique) and not a bodyshop repair.

 

This, when combined with tyre insurance, can provide a wide range of protection for cosmetic damage and tyre damage.

 

Currently, SmartCare can offer either up to 3 or 6 claims per year, to split between the three elements of cover, and between 2 and 4 year of cover.

 

Scratch & Dent Insurance

 

Scratch & Dent Insurance is another cosmetic repair style insurance that is specialised just in the bodywork element of your vehicle protection.

 

This can cover the cost of a cosmetic repair to your vehicle bodywork that can be repaired by the SMART mobile repairer. Total Loss GAP Scratch & Dent Insurance can provide a choice of 3 or 6 claims per year of cover currently, with between 2 and 4 year cover available.

 

Combined with tyre insurance, Scratch & Dent cover means you can protect both the costs of replacing damaged tyres but also the costs of repairing scuffs, scrapes, dents and chips to your car bodywork.

 

You may ask why you would buy Scratch and Dent Insurance instead of SMARTCare that seems to cover more. Well, not all cars have alloy wheels (some Tesla's have plastic discs instead) so the question of the alloy insurance worth is disregarded in this case.

 

Get a Quote for Tyre Insurance Today

• If your car is less than 8 years old, with less than 80,000 miles, and has been purchased within the last 90 days from a VAT registered dealer, we may be able to help with Tyre Insurance.