Quick answer: To stop tyres flat-spotting during long-term storage, inflate them a little above the placard cold pressure, move or roll the car every few weeks (or lift it onto stands or tyre cradles), and keep it somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sun. Short flat spots usually drive out once the tyres warm up; long-storage flat spots can become permanent.

What is tyre flat-spotting?

A flat spot is a flattened section of tread where the tyre has been sitting still, pressed against the ground under the weight of the car. When you drive off you feel it as a thump-thump vibration through the wheel or seat that fades as the tyres warm up — or, in the worst case, one that never fully goes away.

There are two kinds. Temporary flat spots form when a parked tyre cools and its contact patch stays deformed; the rubber firms up cold and holds the shape. Permanent flat spots develop when a tyre sits under load for a long time, especially when it is underinflated, carrying a heavy car, or has a stiff low-profile or performance construction. For more on how these look and behave, see our guide to flat spots on tyres.

Why does a parked car flat-spot its tyres?

A rolling tyre flexes hundreds of times a minute, and that constant flexing generates the heat that keeps the rubber supple and evenly shaped. Park the car and the flexing stops, the tyre cools, and the small patch touching the ground is squashed flat while it sets. The heavier the car and the lower the pressure, the deeper that squash goes. Cold weather makes it worse because cold rubber is stiffer and holds the deformation more stubbornly — which is also why your tyre pressure light can come on in cold weather.

How long before flat spots become permanent?

There is no exact deadline — it depends on the tyre, the load, the pressure and the temperature — but a useful rule of thumb is that a few days to a couple of weeks parked usually produces only temporary flat spots that drive out within a few kilometres. Leave a car standing for many weeks or months, particularly on soft or underinflated tyres in a cold shed, and the risk of a permanent flat spot climbs sharply. Performance and low-profile tyres with stiff sidewalls are the most vulnerable.

How do you stop tyres flat-spotting in storage?

The single best fix is to take the weight off the tyres, or keep them moving. Here are the practical options, roughly from easiest to most thorough:

Method	How it helps	Best for
Move the car every 2–4 weeks	Rolls the contact patch to a new spot, warms the tyres	Cars stored where you can still drive them a little
Overinflate for storage	Firmer tyre resists deforming under load	Any car sitting more than a few weeks
Tyre cradles / ramps	Curved supports cushion the contact patch and spread the load	Cars that can't easily be moved
Jack stands under the axles	Removes tyre load entirely — no flat-spotting possible	Long storage (months to years)
Remove the wheels and store them	Zero load; tyres stored flat or upright separately	Very long-term storage or a project car

If you do take the wheels off, store them correctly — see how to store spare tyres and wheels in an Australian garage. Whatever method you choose, keep the car out of direct sunlight and away from heat, because UV damage and dry rot attack standing tyres just as they attack a spare.

Should you overinflate tyres for storage?

Yes, modestly. Many owners add roughly 20–30% above the normal placard cold pressure before a long park so the firmer tyre resists deforming — but never exceed the maximum pressure moulded into the sidewall. The important part is to set it back to the placard figure before you drive again. Check and reset every tyre's pressure (and the spare's pressure) when the car comes out of storage, because tyres lose air slowly even when they are just sitting.

What about the tyres' age while the car sits?

Time is the quiet problem with a stored car. Rubber keeps ageing whether the tyres turn a wheel or not, so a car that sits for years can end up with tyres that look barely used but are chemically old. Check the DOT date code before trusting them again, and read our advice on whether you should replace tyres over five years old and whether tyres expire. If the car is one that sits unused most of the week rather than months at a time, the flat-spot risk is lower but the ageing point still applies.

Frequently asked questions

Will flat spots go away on their own?

Temporary flat spots usually do. Drive gently for the first few kilometres and, as the tyres warm and regain their shape, the vibration fades. A flat spot that is still there after a good warm-up drive is likely permanent and means the tyre should be inspected or replaced.

How often should I move a stored car?

Every two to four weeks is a good target if the car stays on its tyres. Even rolling it forward or back half a turn of the wheel moves the contact patch, though an actual short drive that warms the tyres is better.

Do I need special tyre cradles?

They help but they are not essential. Curved cradles spread the load across a wider, rounded area instead of one flat patch. For very long storage, taking the weight off entirely with jack stands under the axles is more effective and often cheaper.

Is it bad to leave a car on the handbrake in storage?

Long-term, yes — a seized handbrake is a separate risk. For storage, chock the wheels and leave the handbrake off where it is safe to do so. This is unrelated to flat-spotting but worth doing at the same time.

Bottom line

Take the load off the tyres or keep them turning. A short park flat-spots harmlessly and drives out; a car left standing for months on soft, cold tyres can flat-spot for good. Overinflate a little, move the car or lift it onto stands or cradles, store it cool and dark, and reset the pressures before you drive. And whatever the tread looks like afterwards, check the age.

Figures here are general guidance for 2026. Always follow your vehicle's placard cold pressure and the tyre's sidewall maximum, and have any tyre you're unsure about checked by a qualified tyre fitter.