A man from Leicestershire said he had to spend £400 on repairing his car after it was damaged by driving over a pothole.

Mark, 25, said the pothole was near his home, and that he only noticed the damage when his steering "felt really strange".

He found the pothole had resulted in a "broken coil spring, broken top mount, popped tyre, and slightly bent wheel".

He was then quoted £400 for the new tyre, wheel realignment, new coil spring, and top mount.

However, he "had to call about seven local dealerships to find one that had the part and could fit it the following day", as he urgently needed his car back.

His story was shared by tyre specialist, Blackcircles, which said on average, only one in four pothole claims are successful, with the remaining people expected to pay for the repairs out of their own pocket.

James Harding, a motoring specialist at Blackcircles with over 16 years of industry experience, has commented on the dangers of leaving this damage unfixed.

"This pothole damage can be extremely dangerous if left unfixed," he said.

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"Coil springs are pivotal in a vehicle's stability, handling and braking ability. When damaged, these can also put other parts of the vehicle at risk, such as puncturing tyres, brakes and sensors. Driving on a punctured tyre is also extremely dangerous, with the risk of a tyre blow-out and loss of vehicle control increasing.

"If you suspect your tyre has been punctured, it's crucial that you pull over when safe to do so. If the puncture isn't overly severe, use your car's puncture kit to temporarily repair the damage so you can get your car to the nearest garage for professional repairs.

"However, if the nearest garage is some distance away or the tyre is in no state to be driven on, calling a recovery service is the safest choice. If you are at home and notice the tyre is damaged, a mobile tyre fitter can come to your home and replace the tyre."

Blackcircles also surveyed 2,000 UK motorists about their experiences with pothole-related vehicle damage.

Alongside this survey, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests were sent to local authorities across the UK to reveal the areas reporting and repairing the most potholes.

Key Findings:

• 87% of drivers say potholes are a problem in their area, with 19% saying they are rarely or never fixed.
• One in five drivers surveyed reports paying more than £200 for repairs caused by a pothole.
• Between 2021 and 2025, Aberdeen recorded the highest pothole rate in the UK, with 10,396 reports per 100km, whereas Portsmouth recorded the lowest rate of reported potholes in the dataset, with just 223 reports per 100km of road.

James added: "If a driver hits a pothole, the safest approach is to maintain control of the vehicle, avoid sudden swerving, and check the tyres as soon as it's safe to do so. Look for cuts, bulges, or loss of pressure, and pay attention to any changes in handling. Addressing problems early can prevent more serious (and possibly more expensive) repairs further down the line.

"Reporting potholes can help them get repaired faster, saving other motorists from potential damage and hefty repair bills. Most local councils have a dedicated page on their website for reporting road faults, but because these pages are not uniform across the country, some are easier to find than others."

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