Pothole damage claims: how to claim for damage to your wheels

6 Oct

Hit a pothole and heard that sickening thud? If it damaged your wheels or tyres, you may be able to claim the cost back from whoever is responsible for the road. This guide covers how a pothole damage claim works, the evidence you need, and what to do about the wheel itself.

It is general guidance, not legal advice. Each council or highways authority runs its own claims process, so always check theirs before you submit.

First, check your wheels

Pothole damage is not always obvious. Before you think about claiming, look for:

a bend or buckle in the rim, often on the inside edge where you cannot easily see it
a crack in the rim or spokes
a bulge in the tyre sidewall
vibration through the steering wheel, or the car pulling to one side
a tyre that keeps losing pressure

A cracked wheel or a bulging tyre is a safety problem. Do not keep driving on it. Our guides to bent or buckled alloy wheels and spotting a cracked alloy wheel explain what to look for.

Who do you claim from?

You claim from the authority responsible for the road where you hit the pothole:

Local roads in England: the local council. GOV.UK has a postcode checker to find the right one.
Motorways and major A roads in England: National Highways.
Wales: Traffic Wales for trunk roads, otherwise the local council.
Scotland: start with mygov.scot to find the right authority.
Northern Ireland: the NI Direct website.

What evidence do you need for a pothole damage claim?

The more evidence you have, the better your chances. Gather it as soon as you safely can:

Photos of the pothole, with something in shot for scale, such as a shoe or a drinks can. Do not stand in the road to take them.
The exact location: road name, town and where on the road. The what3words app helps.
Photos of the damage to the wheel and tyre.
Witness details, if anyone saw it happen.
Notes on the date, time and conditions, written while you remember them.
Repair quotes, invoices and receipts. Keep copies of everything.

How to claim for pothole damage, step by step

Report the pothole. A council cannot fix a pothole it does not know about, and your report puts it on record. Our guide to filing a pothole complaint covers how.
Get the damage assessed and priced. A quote, or an invoice if you need the repair straight away, shows exactly what the pothole cost you.
Check the authority's claims process. Most councils have a claim form on their website.
Submit your claim with all your evidence.
If it is turned down, ask why. You can ask to see the council's inspection and repair records for that road.
Small claims court is the last resort if you still believe the authority is responsible.

There is no set timescale. Pothole claims can take months, so keep your paperwork somewhere safe.

Why some pothole claims are turned down

In England and Wales, councils have a legal defence under Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980. If they can show they took reasonable care to keep the road safe, for example by inspecting it regularly and acting on reports, they may not have to pay. That is also why claims for potholes nobody had reported are harder to win, and why reporting matters.

Should you claim on your car insurance instead?

You can, but weigh it up. You will pay your excess, and a claim may affect your premium or your no-claims discount. You also cannot claim the same damage twice, from your insurer and the council. For damage to a wheel or tyre alone, the AA notes it may not be worth an insurance claim. Check your own policy before you decide.

Getting your wheels checked and repaired

Whether or not you claim, a damaged wheel needs looking at properly. With 20+ branches across the UK, there is a Wheel Specialist near you. Every branch is a fixed workshop, not a mobile van, so your wheels are assessed and repaired in proper conditions.

We can tell you what the damage is and give you a quote for the repair, which you can use as evidence in your claim. Depending on the damage, that might be:

wheel straightening for a bent or buckled rim
crack repair, where the wheel is suitable. Not every crack can be repaired, so we assess the wheel first.
a full refurbishment to restore the finish

Refurbished wheels are covered by our guarantee: 24 months on powder-coat wheels and 12 months on diamond-cut. We have refurbished over 1.5 million wheels and have over 25,000 five-star reviews.

We do nothing but wheels. Find your nearest branch to get yours checked.

Pothole claim FAQs

Can you claim for pothole damage?

Yes. If a pothole damaged your car, you can claim from the authority responsible for the road. Whether you are paid depends on your evidence and on whether the authority took reasonable care to maintain the road.

Who pays for pothole damage to my car?

The highways authority for that road, if your claim succeeds: usually the local council, or National Highways for motorways and major A roads in England. Otherwise you pay for the repair yourself or claim on your insurance.