Car Trouble at a MetLife Stadium Event? What to Do
5 min read · November 1, 2026
Game days and concerts at MetLife Stadium bring tens of thousands of cars into East Rutherford. Most people get home without a problem, but every event ends with a few drivers staring at a car that won't start, a flat tire or keys locked inside. Here's how to deal with it calmly.
Before you go: a 2-minute check
- Tire pressure and the spare. Make sure you have a spare and know where the jack and the lug wrench are.
- Battery age. Tailgating with the radio, lights or a phone charger running for hours can drain a tired battery.
- Fuel. Post-event traffic out of the lots can be slow. Don't arrive running on fumes.
- A spare key plan. Know who has your spare key and whether they can reach you.
Remember where you parked
It sounds obvious until you walk out with 80,000 people in the dark. Take a photo of the nearest lot sign or row marker and drop a pin in your maps app. If you need help later, the exact lot and row is the first thing anyone will ask for.
Common problems and what to do
### The car won't start
Usually a battery drained by tailgating: lights, radio, a phone or a cooler plugged in for hours. Turn everything off, wait a minute, try once more. If it only clicks, you need a jump start. Ask the people parked next to you first; if no one has cables, call for help.
### A flat tire
Lots are full of debris on event days. If you have a spare and the space to work safely, you can change it yourself. If the car is boxed in, the spare is flat too, or you don't have a lug nut key, call for a flat tire change.
### Keys locked inside
Check every door and the trunk release first, and ask whether anyone in your group has a spare. If not, call for lockout help. Have your ID and registration ready to show the car is yours (the registration is often inside the car, which is fine; we'll check it once the door is open).
### The car really won't run
If it's not a battery, tire or key problem, the car will need a tow to a shop or home. Tell the dispatcher it's in a stadium lot and which one.
Expect to wait for traffic to clear
After a big event, the roads around the stadium are packed and some routes are controlled by police and event staff. Any tow truck or roadside helper may have to wait until traffic thins out to get to you. If you need help after an event:
- Call and give the lot, row and your car's color and model.
- Tell event staff or security that you're waiting for roadside help. They know the lot rules and may direct the truck.
- Stay with your car, keep your phone charged, and keep warm in winter.
- If you feel unsafe or someone is hurt, call 911.
Don't leave it overnight
Stadium lots have their own rules, and a car left behind after an event may be moved at the owner's expense. If your car can't be fixed on the spot, arrange a tow to your mechanic or home that night instead of leaving it.
Heading to the Meadowlands soon?
Save Itowza Towing's number before you go: (866) 292-2564. We're based right next door in Lyndhurst and work the towns around the Meadowlands. If something goes wrong in the lot, request help with your lot and row and we'll talk you through the next step.
Questions about this
A healthy battery can handle some radio use, but hours of audio, lights and charging phones with the engine off can drain it. Start the engine for 10-15 minutes every hour or so, or use a portable speaker instead of the car stereo.
Give the dispatcher a callback number of someone in your group, and tell event staff you're waiting for help. A small power bank in the car avoids this problem entirely.
Access depends on the event and on traffic control at the time. Trucks often have to wait until the post-event traffic clears, which is why it helps to tell event staff you're waiting for help.