Your place · Car ownership

How to change a flat tire

Get somewhere safe and level, block a wheel so the car can't roll, loosen the lug nuts before you jack the car up, and tighten them in a star pattern. Then check the spare's pressure and get to a tire shop.

Moderate30 min to doFree with your spareChecked October 3, 2026

Do it like this

Loosen before you lift. Tighten after you lower.

Pull over somewhere flat, as far from traffic as you can. A parking lot or side street is safest; on a highway, take the next exit if you can. Source: AAA Hazards on, park, parking brake on.
Set reflective triangles behind the car, about 100 feet back on fast roads. Source: Consumer Reports
Block the wheel on the opposite corner from the flat with a wheel wedge. A large rock works if you don't have one. Source: AAA
Loosen each lug nut, turning counterclockwise, while the tire is still on the ground. Don't take them off yet. Source: Consumer Reports
Put the jack at the exact spot your owner's manual shows, and raise the car until the flat is a few inches off the ground. Source: Consumer Reports
Remove the nuts and the flat, and put the spare on. Snug the nuts in a star pattern, going to the nut across from the one you just did instead of the one next to it. Source: AAA
Lower the car and tighten the nuts firmly in the same pattern. Source: Consumer Reports
Check the spare's pressure with your gauge. Spares sit unused and often lose air, and most compact spares take about 60 psi, much more than your other tires. Source: AAA
Drive a few miles, then tighten the lug nuts one more time. Source: Consumer Reports At the tire shop, ask them to tighten the nuts to your car's torque spec (it's in the owner's manual). AAA says the final tightening should be done with a calibrated torque wrench, not an impact wrench. Source: AAA

Watch out Compact spares are only meant to get you to a shop. They aren't meant for speeds above 50 mph, so replace the tire that day or the next. Source: Consumer Reports AAA

See it done

How to Change a Tire AAA (Auto Club Group) · Length 1:04 · 2024 · Checked October 2, 2026

Video blocked on this network? You don't need it. The written steps are the whole lesson, and the video is extra. Watch it on YouTube later.

If it doesn't work

Lug nut won't budge? Make sure you're turning counterclockwise. Some alloy wheels have a locking nut that needs a special key, usually stored with the spare or in the glovebox. Source: Consumer Reports
No spare, only an inflation kit? Those are designed for temporary fixes of small tread punctures. Otherwise call roadside assistance. Source: Consumer Reports
On a narrow road or bridge? Hazards on and roll slowly to a safer spot. Driving on the flat for a short distance beats changing it in traffic. Source: Consumer Reports

Good to know

The tire pressure warning light

The tire pressure light is a tire cross-section with an exclamation mark inside, or a top view of a car showing all four tires. When it comes on, at least one tire is significantly underinflated. Check your tires with a gauge as soon as you can. If it flashes for 60 to 90 seconds and then stays on, the system itself isn't working right. Source: NHTSA

Waiting for help

Don't sit in the car or stand in front of it. Stay off the road, behind the vehicle. Source: Consumer Reports

Prevent the next one

Check pressure in all tires, including the spare, at least once a month when the tires are cold. Source: NHTSA The warning light only comes on once a tire is already very low.

The right pressure

Use the number on the label on the driver's door edge or in the manual, not the number on the tire. Source: NHTSA

Sources

Consumer Reports How to change a car tire
AAA How to change a tire in 11 easy steps
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Tires
AAA Wheel installation and inspection tips

Lesson H5.4 · Last checked October 3, 2026 against the sources listed.

See a mistake? Tell us

Next in Your placeChecking for recalls