In the majority of cases, flat-spotting is temporary. If a vehicle has been stationary for a few days or weeks – for example, if you’ve been away on holiday and parked the car at the airport – drivers may experience some slight vibrations during the first few miles of their journey. The flat spots will disappear once the tyres have reached their operational temperature and regained their normal shape.
Semi-permanent flat-spotting will occur if the tyres have been standing still under vehicle load for a month or longer. A typical situation where this can happen is if you’re storing your vehicle away for the winter months, or if it’s being transported overseas. The long standing times, especially in tandem with high temperatures and low tyre pressure, can result in more severe flat-spotting that normal driving won’t remedy.
If you suspect that your tyres have semi-permanent flat-spotting, you should contact your local tyre specialist or garage in the first instance, and they’ll guide you through the options on how to fix it.