Councils aren't paying up for millions of £££s in pothole car damage claims

Drivers seeking compensation for damage to their vehicles caused by potholes have received almost no money from county councils across the country, new research by the car insurance platform Quotezone has found, with huge numbers of claims proving fruitless. 

Using Freedom of Information data from 13 county councils across England, Quotezone found that between March 2024 and April 2025 nearly 10,000 drivers applied for £10.2million worth of compensation to help fix pothole-related damage to their cars. 

However, only £666,712 was given out to motorists who made those claims, which represents less than seven per cent. So it’s not surprising that Quotezone also found 92 per cent of drivers say the process for receiving council compensation needs to be made easier. 

Of those 13 councils Quotezone received data from, £5,393,788 worth of claims were made to Hampshire County Council alone, however, less than £76,000 was paid out, which represents less than one per cent of claims made. Oxfordshire County Council saw the highest proportion of successful claims, but that was only 20 per cent of all those made, with motorists receiving £156,744 of the £763,715 they were seeking.

The insurance experts did note that the total number of reported potholes in the councils’ jurisdictions has decreased – with 233,047 reports made in the same period in 2024/25, compared with a reported 276,932 in the 12 months before – and the Government has pledged a record £1.6billion investment to improve the UK’s roads. 

However, Quotezone still found recently that 73 per cent of drivers believed potholes in their area had got worse over the past 12 months, and 95 per cent believing they should be able to claim compensation from their local council for damages, suggesting not everyone is aware they are able to make these types of claims.

If motorists hit a pothole and damage their vehicle, they have two main options for compensation: they can either claim off their car insurance or they can claim against their local council or other authority.

But Quotezone says to successfully receive compensation from councils, drivers must provide detailed evidence to support their claim, such as the specific location, date and time of the incident, photographs of the pothole and the damage to the vehicle, preferably time stamped and receipts or several quotations for repairs to be made.

Drivers should also keep any broken parts from the vehicle in case further inspection is required. Additional information can also be helpful, such as a witness to the incident. On top of all that, some councils may say the pothole needs to be a certain width or depth before compensation is considered.

Quotezone CEO Greg Wilson said these findings “shows the public feel more needs to be done. Potholes can be a double-edged sword for motorists; claiming for vehicle repairs off the car insurance policy will likely risk the driver’s no-claims bonus, potentially making future premiums more expensive, and our research suggests it can be a challenge to get compensation from local councils and road authorities”.  

He added: “Councils are under immense pressure, but that doesn’t change the reality for drivers with costly damage. A clearer, more transparent claims process would go a long way in restoring trust and ensuring motorists aren’t unfairly left out of pocket.”

Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.