There’s one thing worse than a pothole: damaging your car because of one. The UK roads are plagued with potholes, especially after winter. What seems like a simple jolt can actually cause a lot of damage to your car, even a single impact.

Tyres, wheels, and suspension all take a hit when a car drops into a pothole. Subtle changes to your wheel alignment or balance may not appear suddenly, but they change how your tyres wear. That’s why it’s important to get your car checked over to look for pothole tyre damage.

How Potholes Damage Tyres

Imagine running along, and your foot slams into a hole. It can wreck your entire body. The same is true for your car. Even a small pothole can cause big issues at speed. The faster you go, the more damage can occur.

Here’s how potholes affect tyres:

• Sidewall bulges – impact forces push the internal structure outwards.
• Cuts or splits – especially when hitting sharp edges.
• Bead damage – where the tyre meets the wheel.
• Internal damage – invisible but dangerous if the tyre is compressed hard.
• Slow punctures – caused by hidden tears or pinched rubber.

Damage to Wheels and Suspension

It’s not just your tyres that take a pummelling. The impact can ricochet through the rest of your vehicle, damaging the wheels and suspension.

Common examples of pothole damage include:

• Bent or cracked alloys
• Misaligned wheels
• Damaged shock absorbers
• Steering vibration

You might not notice the changes at first. But, over time, these problems lead to uneven wear, poor handling, and unsafe driving. Driving on damaged wheels can worsen tyre issues quickly. For example, wheel misalignment or unbalanced wheels can shred one tyre’s rubber in a few months (sometimes less).

Signs Your Tyre Has Been Damaged

How do you know if your tyre has been damaged by a pothole? The first thing to consider is the incident itself. How fast were you moving? How deep and wide was the pothole? Moving over a pothole at low speed is unlikely to cause considerable damage. Nevertheless, it’s important to check.

Vehicle and tyre damage signs include:

• Bulges on the sidewall
• Cuts, tears, or missing chunks
• Vibration at speed
• Pulling to one side
• Sudden pressure loss
• Uneven or rapid tyre wear

Internal damage (or damage to your wheel and suspension) isn’t always visible. Think about any handling changes after hitting a pothole. Did it get worse? It’s worth checking.

What You Should Do Immediately After a Pothole Hit

Most people ignore a pothole even if they hit it. That’s a mistake. You should always pull over to check your vehicle.

Follow these pothole safety tips: Pull over safely and visually inspect the tyre. If you can, check the pressure; extreme drops mean you cannot keep driving. Most cars today are fitted with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Listen for hissing, rubbing, or thumping sounds. It’s best to drive slowly initially and avoid the motorway if something feels off. You’ll also want to feel the steering for a strangeness. Remember, driving can worsen damage within a few miles.

When a Garage Visit Is Essential

So, when to replace a tyre after a pothole? We recommend visiting us if you see or feel:

• Any sidewall bulge
• A cut deep enough to show casing
• Persistent pressure loss
• Vibration or pulling
• A wheel that looks bent
  Strange noises after the
• impact

If there is any sidewall damage to the tyre, it cannot be repaired. We’ll always try to fix the tyre if possible. Internal damage to the rest of your vehicle can only be diagnosed by a technician.

If you’ve hit a pothole and something feels off, come and see us. We’ll inspect your tyres and wheels and keep you safe on the road.