It’s always a hassle when you step out of the car and find your back tire has gone flat. Here are some of the most likely causes ;

Bad air pressure.

Your pump loses air rather than the tire itself, and then the deflation sets in from there. It can happen when the air has been running out of the tire for some time (some cars will tell you when you reach about 30kms/hour) and not when there is still plenty of pressure left (some cars will tell you just before your tire blows).

Uneven roads.

The unevenness of the road causes your car to pick up a certain amount of weight from each corner, which is then passed on to the other side. This often leads to low or dipping tires, so check that your tires are at a good height as this can also cause you problems. Tires can also get lower in hot weather, especially if they are sitting in the garage over summer. Most modern cars have sensors that will inform you if you have a flat while driving and are easily fixed by tightening the wheel nuts and just changing one tire.

Wheel nuts are not tight.

There are a few possible problems with this: One is if your car has been parked on sideways slopes, which can cause the weight to be “relieved” by the road and the tire to bend slightly. This makes it impossible for the wheel nuts to stay tight enough and leads to that familiar ‘tighten the wheel nuts’ warning from your dash. Another problem could be the actual nut itself – if it is loose enough, it will not provide much support for your tire and could be a hazard when driving.

The wheel doesn’t match your balance point.

If your car has an electronic system, such as anti-lock brakes, it will know how much weight you’re placing on the back wheels and calculate how far you have to twist them to give you the right braking. If the wheel doesn’t match the balance point, you’ll soon find out when to replace a tire or axle.

The wheel is worn around the inner rim

This is quite common – wheels are made from tough plastic, and they tend to get worn away slowly around their edges as they rub against other wheels. The result is that they no longer grip well enough when cornering. It can also cause extreme unevenness in driving conditions.

Wheel damaged by rocks.

If you drive over a rock, it can knock your wheel out of true – which means that it no longer feels like the rim is straight and therefore has a tendency to skid when cornering or driving on poor roads. The result is that your tire or wheel could go flat in a hurry.

Tire punctured by gravel.

If your tire gets punctured by gravel, the metal itself could put an enormous load on that inner rim of your wheel, lifting it off the ground, and causing all sorts of problems for the car and its suspension.

It is best to check the condition of your tires regularly, and you can find out if it is faulty by the way it handles, for example, if you get vibrations from the car or steering wheel when making turns. This can be a sign that one of your tires is worn. Also, always check the tire pressure in your car’s tires regularly.