When you encounter a major malfunction with your car, you need to get the car to a mechanic immediately. Some issues might allow you to drive your car to the mechanic without any major complications. However, there are issues where you should avoid driving your car at all costs and instead call a towing service to take your car to the mechanic. Some issues can actually cause your car to sustain further damages if you continue driving it, and other issues make your car unsafe to drive for even a very short distance. In order to be safe on the road, you need to know what these issues are.

Overheating

If you suspect that the engine in your car has become overheated, you need to stop your car immediately and call for a towing service. You can notice that your engine has become overheated by looking at the temperature metre on your dashboard or by noticing if there is any smoke coming from the hood of your car. An overheated car doesn't need to be a major issue in its initial state. It might just be a small problem that has caused your car to overheat. However, if you keep driving as your engine is overheating, you can cause your entire engine to malfunction, which will lead to a much larger and more expensive repair.

Flat tyre

If your tyre has punctured, you might need to call for a tow. If you get a flat tyre as you're driving, the best solution is to drive the car to the side of the road and change the flat tyre for a spare. However, if you don't have a spare, you shouldn't drive even for a short distance on the flat tyre, as this can damage your wheels. You should also avoid changing your flat tyre to a spare that has already been used, as the spare then has become worn and can cause further issues if driven on. In this case, you also need to get your car towed.

Brakes

Another malfunction that requires you to call a towing service rather than drive the car to the mechanic is if there's a problem with your brakes. If there are funny noises coming from your brakes, you should seek help from a mechanic promptly, but you should be able to drive there. However, if your brakes are starting to lose grip, meaning that the braking function isn't working all the time, then you need to stop your car and call for a tow right away. Driving without brakes is highly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.