Motorists have faced an unexpected surge in pothole-related damage this year, with call-outs for vehicle damage reaching a seven-year high
According to the RAC, a nine per cent rise in associated breakdowns was seen compared to the same period last year.
The motoring organisation revealed that 6,575 call-outs took place between April and June for issues including damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels, which is typically linked to deteriorating road surfaces.
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This represents an increase from 6,050 incidents during the same period in 2024, marking the highest quarterly figure for such breakdowns since spring 2023, excluding the traditionally problematic winter months.
The UK’s pothole crisis has peaked at a seven-year high, with thousands of cases recorded this year already
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GETTY/GB NEWSThe RAC indicated that this spike is particularly concerning given that warmer months usually see fewer road surface-related incidents.
Suspension springs bore the brunt of the damage, with 4,779 failures recorded, marking a 23 per cent jump from the 3,887 cases in 2024. These components, engineered to cushion vehicles from road irregularities, proved especially susceptible to the deteriorating conditions.
The RAC observed a notable shift in repair preferences, with increasing numbers of motorists choosing to have their damaged springs fixed at home through the organisation’s mobile servicing team rather than visiting traditional garages.
Annual figures paint an even grimmer picture, with RAC patrols responding to 24,763 pothole-related incidents in the year ending June 2025, with an average of 68 daily call-outs and exceeding the previous 12-month period by more than 500 cases.
Pothole damage can cause several vehicle defects to occur
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PAThe organisation attributed this “unseasonable high” to harsh weather conditions earlier this year, which proved significantly colder than the previous year’s first quarter.
The group explained that winter temperatures create ideal conditions for pothole formation when water penetrates existing cracks in untreated road surfaces before freezing and expanding, causing further deterioration.
Despite English councils receiving funding for road maintenance at the beginning of the financial year in April, the benefits have yet to materialise for drivers, the RAC claimed.
The proportion of pothole-related incidents among all RAC breakdowns reached 1.2 per cent in the second quarter, the highest level in seven years.
Simon Williams, the RAC’s head of policy, acknowledged that while the increased maintenance funding is welcome, its effects remain invisible to motorists navigating damaged roads.
He said: “We can clearly see the cold winter weather at the start of the year has left its mark and caused an ‘unseasonable high’ in breakdown volumes during a quarter when we’d typically expect a reprieve.”
Mr Williams emphasised the importance of strategic road maintenance, urging authorities to prioritise prevention rather than temporary fixes.
“After filling the most severe potholes as permanently as possible, preventative treatments like surface dressing are by far the most effective because they stop potholes appearing in future,” he added.
Potholes peak during the winter months due to the colder conditions
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PAHe expressed hope that the summer surface dressing season, running from April to September, would offer visible improvements for drivers.
The financial burden extends beyond breakdown recovery, with separate RAC research revealing that 21 per cent of drivers reported unexpected suspension repair expenses, rising to 30 per cent among those with vehicles aged between three and 10 years.
Mike Hansford, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association, stressed the importance of proactive road maintenance strategies.
He advocated for investment in preventative surface treatments that seal roads against water penetration, protecting them from weather damage and traffic wear.
