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Winter pothole surge: should you claim on your car insurance for damage?
The average cost of repairing pothole vehicle damage is now a record £300
Freezing and wet weather can crack and crater roads, and new data from Admiral shows almost half of pothole-related claims in 2025 were made between January and April.
Despite the insurer seeing a 20% fall in pothole claims in 2025, its customer survey found 48% of drivers have hit a pothole at least once in the past 12 months. Of those who have hit one, 49% have damaged their car as a result.
Here, Which? looks at the cost of pothole damage, whether car insurance will cover repairs and how to claim compensation.
Why winter is peak pothole season
Potholes are a particular problem in winter when water in small cracks in the road freezes and expands in the cold. When the weather heats back up, the water evaporates, leaving gaps in the road surface, which can be worsened by vehicles driving over them.
January to April mark the peak months for pothole-related damage, with Admiral insurance data showing 46% of claims happen during this period.
According to separate figures from insurer Allianz, there has been a 33% increase in pothole-related claims between November and December across the past five years, with another spike of 79% between December and January.
- Find out more: best car insurance providers 2026
How much do repairs cost?
Last week, the AA published its latest figures on pothole-related breakdowns – and there was good news and bad news for drivers.
The number of pothole-related incidents appears to be falling. The breakdown provider attended 643,318 incidents in 2024, compared to 647,690 in 2023.
But any light at the end of the pothole tunnel is dimmed by the AA's repair cost numbers that show the average price of fixing a damaged vehicle surged by 20% year on year, from £250 to £300.
The most common problems caused by hitting a pothole are:
- Bust shock absorbers
- Broken suspension springs
- Damaged wheels – alloy and tyres
Will car insurance cover the costs?
The short answer is, yes. You should be able to claim the money spent on repairs from your insurer, but you'll need to carefully weigh up the pros and cons of doing so.
It may not feel fair, but car insurance companies regard pothole claims as 'at fault', meaning you'll have to pay any excess charge. So if the cost of the repairs is lower than your excess, it may not be worth the hassle of making a claim. Remember as well that doing so may also impact the future price of your policy and no-claims discount.
It's particularly important to have breakdown cover in case a pothole stops you in your tracks.
There are lots of types of this insurance and varying levels of cover, so do plenty of research first to make sure you're buying the right cover for your needs.
- Find out more: our guide on the best breakdown providers reveals how the companies we've rated stack up against each other. As you'll see, the best breakdown providers aren't always the most expensive.
Can you claim compensation instead?
If claiming on your insurance doesn’t make financial sense, you may be able to seek compensation from the organisation responsible for maintaining the road.
To give yourself the best chance of success, make sure you gather as much evidence as possible. So take lots of photos of the pothole and any damage it caused to your car, note where it is exactly, and keep all receipts for repair work.
Not all roads are maintained by councils. Responsibility depends on the type of road and where the damage happened. If you’re unsure who maintains the road, you can search by road name, town or postcode on the government website before submitting a claim.
The authority may agree to cover all, some or none, of your repair costs. If your claim is rejected, you can appeal the decision. As a last resort, you can take the case to the small claims court, although it’s sensible to seek legal advice first.
- Find out more: read our guide on how to report a pothole and claim compensation
Which areas have the worst potholes?
The government pledged £7.3bn in the Autumn Budget to fix roads over the next four years. Drivers can now see how their council is tackling the problem via a new mapping tool and traffic light system.
The Department for Transport rated 154 local highway authorities as red, amber or green based on road conditions and how well they were using government funds to make repairs.
The table shows each authority’s overall rating for 2025-26, alongside separate score cards for road condition, spending and maintenance practices. You can search the table to find your local highway authority and see how it compares.
In the latest ratings, 13 authorities were graded red, 16 were rated green, and the remaining 125 received an amber rating, meaning improvements are under way, but further work is needed.
Source: Gov.uk
* The overall rating and best practice scorecard for Barking and Dagenham are based on incomplete carriageway treatment data, which has affected these ratings.
** A spend rating has not been produced for local highway authorities that have separate highway maintenance funding arrangements.
*** The overall rating and best practice and condition scorecards for this local highway authority are based on incomplete road condition data, which has affected these ratings and how their best-practice scorecard was calculated.
What can you do to help?
Reporting potholes can make a real difference, both for road safety and your chances of compensation.
Under Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980, councils and highway authorities can defend claims if they can show they took reasonable care to inspect and maintain the road. If a pothole appeared after the last inspection and had not been reported, a claim may be harder to win.
However, if an authority was already aware of the pothole and failed to repair it, or did not follow its own maintenance procedures, your case is stronger.
If you spot one while you're out and about, you can report it with the government's report a pothole webpage. You can also use the charity Cycling UK's Fill That Hole tool to report potholes.
