Pothole-related breakdown reports more than triple as drivers warned not to write off repair bills they may be able to challenge

Pothole-related breakdown reports surged in the opening months of 2026, as drivers faced rising repair bills from damaged tyres, wheels, suspension and steering components.

Self-service pothole claims platform Fixtyer is urging drivers not to treat pothole damage as an unavoidable private cost, and to check whether they have the evidence needed to claim from the authority responsible for maintaining the road.

According to the RAC, 11,396 drivers mentioned potholes when logging breakdowns in January and February 2026, an average of 193 a day. February alone saw 6,290 reports, compared with 1,842 in the same month in 2025. Reports peaked at 336 drivers on Friday 6 February, more than 2.5 times the highest daily figure recorded during the whole of 2025.

The financial impact can be significant. The RAC estimates that pothole damage worse than a puncture can cost up to £590 to repair, with common issues including damaged suspension springs, shock absorbers and distorted wheels.

The wider road maintenance picture remains severe. The Asphalt Industry Alliance's ALARM 2026 survey reports a record £18.62 billion backlog of carriageway repairs across England and Wales, which would take 12 years to clear. Roads are now resurfaced, on average, only once every 97 years.

The Department for Transport's 2025/26 local road maintenance ratings also show that only 16 local highway authorities in England are rated green, compared with 125 rated amber and 13 rated red.

Fixtyer says the figures should prompt drivers to think differently about pothole damage.

Most people hit a pothole, pay the garage bill, complain about the state of the roads, and move on. But if the damage happened on a road that should have been properly maintained, that cost may be recoverable. The key question is not just whether there was a pothole. It is whether the driver can show where it was, what damage it caused, what the repair cost, and whether the authority had or should have had enough information to deal with the defect.

Fixtyer spokesperson

Fixtyer helps drivers prepare their own pothole damage claim packs, including evidence checklists, professional claim documents, authority-specific guidance and checks for previous public reports of the same defect.

The company says prior reports can be especially important because councils and highway authorities may reject claims by arguing they had a reasonable inspection and repair system in place, or that they were not aware of the defect before the incident.

Pothole claims are evidence-led. A driver with a clear location, good photographs, repair evidence and a prior report of the same pothole is in a much stronger position than someone relying on a short description after the event. Fixtyer exists to help ordinary drivers organise that evidence properly and submit their own claim without giving away a percentage of any compensation.

Fixtyer spokesperson

Elliot Wheeler, an independent qualified mechanic with more than 15 years of experience, says the national figures match what he sees in day-to-day repair work.

It's never been this bad in all the time I've been doing this. Pothole jobs have easily doubled in the last few years. And the part that frustrates me is how many people have no idea they could even ask for that money back. They just pay up. It's their money, and most of them never even check.

Elliot Wheeler, Your Local Mechanic

Fixtyer's advice to any driver who has hit a pothole is straightforward: stop only where it is safe, photograph the pothole and vehicle damage, record the exact location, get the damage professionally assessed, keep all receipts, and check whether the defect had already been reported to the council or highway authority.

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