Potholes. Bane of the driver’s existence. Sometimes invisible, sometimes avoidable – always a massive pain in the neck.
Hit one just right, and you’ll stand to wreck your car’s tyres, suspension – or worse. They’re a genuine hazard, and their cute little name ought to be changed to something more menacing, like “death dips” or “alloy crackers”. If you’ve hit a deep pothole and heard that dreaded clunk, you’ll know what we’re talking about…
Potholes can arise for a bunch of reasons; weathering, general wear and tear, even from plant and fungal growth. Needless to say, there are a lot of them, and they’re not exactly dealt with swiftly. Some estimates suggest there could be as many as 11.5 million potholes on the UK’s roads.
That’s a lot of potential for damage – and danger.
But there’s at least some good news: you might be able to claim compensation for damage to your car if the pothole was on a public road. Let’s go through the steps to prove your case, get your car fixed, and recover costs.
1. ASSESS THE DAMAGE – WHAT COULD BE WRONG?
Potholes don’t just cause flat tyres—they can wreck critical components. Here’s what to check:
TYRE AND WHEEL DAMAGE
Potholes commonly cause tyre damage. You might get a puncture or notice sidewall bulges after hitting one at speed. They can also take chunks out of the tread pattern, so you’ll need to check your tyres for any damage, and be sure to replace like for like.
Bent or cracked alloy wheels are also a potential problem – and checking they’re still spinning true might need you to jack the car up and give them a spin. Broken alloys aren’t cheap – especially when you need to replace a whole set because you can’t find a match…
SUSPENSION AND ALIGNMENT
If you notice your car pulling to one side after a pothole strike, you might have knocked its wheel alignment out, or bent the suspension linkage. Knocking noises over bumps could mean damaged shock absorbers, or bushing damage from the stress of impact. It’s a good idea to get a garage to check this as soon as possible, if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.
EXHAUST AND BODY DAMAGE (LOW CARS BEWARE!)
If your car’s been lowered or hugs the road, then potholes are a major risk – oil sumps and exhaust parts are exposed, and one roll into a deep pothole can cause oil leaks, exhaust damage, and wreak havoc with your undercarriage.
Frame damage that jams doors and causes cracks in critical areas is also a risk that could write your car off – but you’d have to really do a number on a massive pothole to get that kind of damage!
Now you’ve checked the car, it’s time to gather some proof.
2. GATHER EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM
To claim successfully, you’ll need to prove that:
- The pothole caused the damage
- The council was negligent
This is how you can do it:
PHOTOGRAPH THE POTHOLE
Get a good, clear picture – and be sure to measure it. You can use a ruler or even a shoe for scale (claims often require a certain depth to be valid). Show its location – the road name, nearby landmarks, GPS coordinates, or What3words location.
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ This does NOT apply to motorways! Use your noodle, and DON’T attempt to get a picture of a pothole with your shoe in it on a busy road.
DOCUMENT YOUR CAR’S DAMAGE
Take close-up photos of any damage to your tyres, suspension, or anything else you believe was caused by the pothole strike. Do not edit or adjust the photos digitally.
ANY WITNESSES?
Dashcam footage is best – but so are passenger and nearby witness statements.
KEEP REPAIR RECEIPTS
Get garage invoices – these must detail pothole-related damage, not general wear and tear or any other root causes.
3. REPORT THE POTHOLE (BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT!)
Even if you don’t claim, reporting your pothole strike helps others on the road. Report the pothole to the local council, or if it’s a motorway or major road, to National Highways. If you are claiming, you must report the pothole – councils can reject a claim if it wasn’t reported!
4. MAKE YOUR COMPENSATION CLAIM
- Find the responsible authority (go to GOV.UK)
- Submit a formal claim to the relevant body (local council, TfL, or National Highways)
- Wait for their response… beware, they may deny liability if “inspections were recent”!
YOU COULD CLAIM ON YOUR INSURANCE
There’s a lot of downsides to this; you could lose your no claims bonus, and you’ll typically pay an excess that could make claiming not worthwhile. But check your policy, and if it’s significant enough to warrant a claim – it’s what you pay your premiums for.
CAN YOU FIGHT A REJECTED CLAIM?
You can, but it’s a fair bit of work with no guarantee of success. You can make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for road inspection logs, and provide an independent mechanic’s report linking damage to the pothole.
In our neck of the woods (Hampshire), the success rate for claims on pothole damage was 16% in 2023… But your luck might be better!
CAR REPAIRS IN EASTLEIGH FOR POTHOLE DAMAGE
Hit a pothole? Get your car repairs in Eastleigh with Master Tech Autos. Call 023 8061 1161 or book online today!