Potholes are not just a nuisance. They cost UK drivers real money, cause serious mechanical damage, and send tens of thousands of cars to the roadside every year.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the RAC attended 9,439 pothole-related breakdowns, more than double the number recorded in the final three months of 2024. Call-outs for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs, and distorted wheels rose by 19% compared to the same period in 2024. Over the twelve months ending September 2025, potholes caused 25,758 RAC breakdowns, an 11% rise on the previous twelve-month period.

The AA puts the total cost of pothole damage to UK vehicles in 2025 at approximately £645 million, with drivers paying an average of £350 per repair incident. That is not the cost of a new exhaust or a worn battery. That is the cost of tyres blown out, wheels buckled, and suspension arms bent by road surfaces that have been crumbling for years.

Understanding how pothole damage to your car maintenance happens, what to check after a strike, and what you can do to reduce your risk is worth knowing now, before you hear that thud.

Why UK Roads Cause So Much Damage

Potholes form when water seeps into cracks in the road surface. In cold weather, that water freezes and expands, widening the crack. When vehicles drive over the weakened area, the surface collapses. Winter rainfall and freeze-thaw cycles accelerate the process, which is why pothole breakdowns spike every spring.

The Asphalt Industry Alliance has identified a record £18 billion backlog of road repairs needed across England and Wales. The RAC reports that UK drivers are 1.7 times more likely to break down due to a pothole today than they were in 2006 when data was first collected. Over a quarter of surveyed drivers reported pothole-related vehicle damage within the last twelve months.

The roads are not getting significantly better anytime soon. That makes protecting your vehicle from pothole damage one of the more practical things a UK driver can do.

What Pothole Damage Does to Your Car

Let's break it down. When a wheel drops into a pothole and hits the far edge, the impact travels upward through the tyre and wheel and into the suspension and steering system. The force is sudden and concentrated. Here is what gets hit most often.

Tyre Damage

Tyres absorb the first and heaviest part of any pothole impact. Kwik Fit's Pothole Impact Tracker data shows that tyres are the most commonly damaged component, appearing in 38% to 51% of all pothole repair cases.

What to look for after an impact:

• Sidewall bulges or bubbles. These appear when the internal structure of the tyre breaks down. A bubble on the sidewall means the outer rubber is the only thing holding air in. That tyre must come off the car immediately.

• Cuts or tears in the rubber. Even small cuts can let moisture into the structure and cause progressive weakening.

• Slow pressure loss. If a tyre gradually loses pressure over the days following a strike with no visible puncture, the tyre likely has internal damage. This is worth having checked by a professional.

Under-inflated tyres are particularly vulnerable. A correctly inflated tyre has more air volume to cushion an impact. A soft tyre offers far less protection and is more likely to be pinched between the rim and the road edge.

Wheel and Rim Damage

The wheel takes the impact when the tyre is not enough to absorb it. Kwik Fit data shows wheels feature in around 22% to 34% of pothole repairs.

A pothole can bend or crack an alloy wheel, distort the rim so it no longer seats the tyre correctly, or cause an imbalance that creates vibration at motorway speeds. A cracked rim is a safety risk, not just a cosmetic one.

Modern low-profile tyres, where the sidewall is thin, offer less cushioning between the road and the rim. Drivers of sports cars or vehicles fitted with large alloy wheels on low-profile rubber are particularly exposed to this type of damage.

Suspension Damage

Suspension systems are built to absorb bumps. A deep or sharp pothole can push the suspension beyond what it was designed to handle. Shock absorbers, suspension springs, control arms, and anti-roll bar linkages can all be damaged by a hard strike.

Kwik Fit reports suspension featuring in around 27% to 28% of pothole repair cases. The RAC tracks call-outs for broken suspension springs, damaged shock absorbers, and distorted wheels specifically, as these are the breakdowns most clearly linked to poor road surfaces.

Signs of suspension damage after hitting a pothole include:

• The car sitting lower on one corner than the others

• A clunking or knocking sound when driving over uneven ground

• The ride feeling noticeably harsher or bouncier than before

• The car pulling to one side under braking

Wheel Alignment Issues

Even when tyres, wheels, and suspension components appear undamaged, a pothole can knock your wheels out of alignment. Wheel alignment refers to the angle at which your tyres contact the road. A hard impact can alter these angles without breaking anything visible.

Misaligned wheels cause uneven tyre wear, meaning one side of the tread wears faster than the other. They also increase rolling resistance, which raises fuel consumption. Over time, the additional tyre wear means you buy replacement tyres more frequently than you should.

Almost half (48%) of cars requiring pothole-related repairs also needed wheel alignment correction, according to Kwik Fit's data. A full four-wheel alignment check costs between £50 and £100 at most independent garages.

Signs of wheel alignment issues include:

• The car drifting or pulling to one side on a straight, level road

• The steering wheel sitting off-centre when driving straight

• Uneven or rapid tyre wear on one side

• Steering wheel vibration at certain speeds

Steering System Damage

A sharp pothole impact can affect the steering rack, tie rods, and steering column. Damage here makes the car harder and less predictable to control, particularly when cornering or changing direction at speed. If the steering feels heavier or lighter than normal after a pothole strike, or if there is a delay between turning the wheel and the car responding, get it inspected without delay.

Exhaust and Undercarriage

Deep potholes can scrape the underside of the car, damaging the exhaust pipe, catalytic converter, or heat shields. If you hear a rattling from underneath after a strike or notice unusual smells from the exhaust, have the undercarriage checked. One in eight pothole damage repairs included bodywork or undercarriage components, according to Kwik Fit data.

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