Nation's Driver's Pay Record £1.8bn As Pothole Damage Reaches New High
Kevin Thorpe | Tuesday 17th March 2026 8:04am
- Nearly two thirds of drivers think their roads are worse than a year ago
- Kwik Fit advises drivers to make a simple check to help reduce risk of damage
The latest annual report on pothole damage by Kwik Fit today reveals that the cost of repairs has reached a new high, with the nation’s drivers shelling out a total of £1.8bn in the last twelve months.1
Kwik Fit has monitored the cost of pothole repairs for its Pothole Impact Tracker (PIT) report since 2013. The company’s latest research has found that in the last twelve months, 12.8 million drivers have suffered damage to their car after hitting potholes, facing an average repair bill of £137.40.
Previously the highest annual total bill was in 2022, when drivers paid out a total of £1.7bn. The PIT report then found the total cost of damage dropped in 2023-24, only to rise again in 2025 (£1.7bn) and now reach a new high this year.2
The condition of the roads has led to many drivers changing their car buying plans. Kwik Fit’s research found that 2.5 million drivers said their decision to buy a bigger, more robust car or an SUV was influenced by the condition of the roads in their area. In addition, 5% of drivers have changed the size of their wheels/tyres to ones better able to cope with pothole impacts.
The most commonly required repairs were to tyres (56% of instances of damage), wheels (32%) and suspension components (24%). While many drivers were able to limp to a garage or home, one in eight drivers (12%) suffering pothole damage said the impact was so severe that their car had to be recovered by a breakdown vehicle.
In contrast, a third (34%) of drivers whose cars were damaged by potholes say the issue only became apparent a few days after the impact. It’s not only the resulting damage which can be hidden – often the potential danger is obscured in the first place. Over five million drivers said they damaged their car after hitting a pothole they thought was just a puddle.
Dan Joyce, operations director at Kwik Fit, says: “Our annual PIT report shows that the situation is the worst it has been since we started monitoring the cost of damage. The fact that many drivers are changing their decisions on which type of car to buy based on their local road surface shows how important this issue is.
“Drivers don’t necessarily need to change their car or wheels, but one simple thing we urge all drivers to do is to ensure their tyres are at the correct pressure. Tyre and wheels obviously take the brunt of the impact and but it’s easy to forget that the air inside the tyre plays a crucial role in cushioning the force from hitting a pothole. It’s particularly important with the lower profile tyres popular on many modern vehicles as they have a smaller volume of air inside than those with bigger sidewalls.”
Overall, 62% of drivers think the roads in their area are in a worse condition than twelve months ago, with 37% saying they are significantly worse. London drivers are the most positive (or least negative) – 37% of motorists in the capital say the roads are worse than a year ago, while 30% say they are better. East Midlands drivers have a very different view - 80% say their roads are worse, with only 10% feeling they are better than this time last year.
Despite so many motorists suffering the cost and inconvenience of hitting a pothole, only one in five drivers say they have reported a pothole to the relevant council or authority.
Dan Joyce says Kwik Fit encourages drivers who do see – or hit – a pothole to let the local authority know. He says: “We know councils are very stretched, but to be fair to them, if they don’t know about a pothole they can’t do anything about it. We suggest that drivers report potholes they see to give the authority every chance to repair it.”
Joyce also encourages drivers to check what is in their spare wheel well. “Many modern cars come without a spare wheel so drivers should make sure they know what support they will have in an emergency,” he says. “If they do have a full size spare or space saver wheel, they should regularly check the pressure and condition the pressure of that too.”
Any motorist who suspects they have pothole damage but cannot see any obvious sign can visit a Kwik Fit centre. The team will put their car on the ramp to carry out a free safety inspection and identify any issues - or simply give the driver peace of mind.
Note to editors
Sources:
1. Research carried out by Opinium among a nationally representative sample of 2000 UK adults – 20-24 February 2026
2. Research carried out by Opinium among a nationally representative samples of 2000 UK adults – 21-25 February 2025, 2000 UK adults – 23-27 February 2024, 2000 UK adults – 7-9 March 2023, 1-3 March 2022, and 11-16 March 2021 and by Walnut/ICM among nationally representative samples of 2011 GB adults, 13–16 March 2020; 2049 GB adults, 01–04 March 2019; 2,051 GB adults, 4-6 March 2018; 2,051 GB adults; 4-6 March 2016; 2,051 GB adults.
About Kwik Fit
Established in 1971, the Kwik Fit Group is one of the largest independent automotive parts, repair and replacement specialists in the world. Kwik Fit has over 600 service centres across the UK and more than 200 mobile tyre fitting vehicles, making it the UK’s leading tyre, exhaust, brake and MoT specialist. Details of its range of products and services can be found at kwik-fit.com
For further information please contact:
Brandon Stockwell
Gullwing Communications
Tel: 07768 747907
Brandon.stockwell@gullwingpr.com
