Darned Potholes - Anyone else been a victim?

[Squeeguk]

On the way to go pick up the brand new second hand car this morning and lo and behold come around a blind corner into this mahoosive pothole. Thought I had got away with it, but nope, I could feel the car squirming around and new I was in trouble. Stopped thinking I had a flat and could change it over to discover both tyres on the right hand side are trashed. Rims amazingly seem fine, the strength of OEM rims I guess.

What a mission trying to get someone to pick me up to get some new rubber on the rims. On top of it all, the stupid jack VW supply slipped on me damaging the bottom section of the car where the protective stonechip paint is. Managed to get sorted in the end, but missed an important meeting in Putney I was supposed to attend before picking the other car up.

Anybody else had this? I can't believe this has happened to me again. Last time was a few years ago in the wife's Fiesta, but that trashed the alloy too. Big question is, where the hell is all my council tax money that is supposed to pay for the repairs????

[Baz300]

I think you can put a claim into the council for the damage it has caused, probably a guide online somewhere.

I managed to blow a tyre on my 330ci in the snow with hitting a pothole that I couldn't see, also hut one in a focus on a back road the tyre survived but the wheel got a flat spot and it bent the lower arm.

[Tamiyoman]

You can try to put a claim in if you have endless hours of leter writing skills.

I had a massive pothole damage a rim and burst a tyre on my MK 1.8T and wrote to the council who passed me to another council who passed me to another council (you can see where this is going), i managed to speak to someone eventually and reported the pothole (Which I had photographed and measured) it was a behemoth at 57cm across x 33cm wide x 14.2cm deep!!!!.

Anyhow after getting passed fomr pillar to post i got sick of it and went to local council offices and asked which council was in charge of that particular road (Kirklees), so got that in writing and sent the invoice to them for a new (2nd hand) wheel and brand new tyre (The tyre was only fitted 500 miles beforehand), they (after 9 months) re-imbursed me for the tyre but NOT the wheel.

Its not worth the aggro mate!

[Squeeguk]

Yeah, will be putting a claim in with Surrey County Council. My previous experience with them was perfect, no issues at all. They did it all over the phone and paid out within 2 weeks. Seems like it varies between the various councils. Sounds like you got a real run around.

[Greeners]

Not good at all Luis! 

[Hedge]

My mate on his new(ish) 530d Touring that he's only had for 4 months has done 4 runflats due to potholes.  

The last 2 were on Thursday just after he had bought 2 part worns from ebay.  

[Tamiyoman]

My mate on his new(ish) 530d Touring that he's only had for 4 months has done 4 runflats due to potholes.  

The last 2 were on Thursday just after he had bought 2 part worns from ebay.  

The run flats are getting ditched on my new 330D as soon as they wear out, will be getting a space saver set from BMW and doing the boot floor mod, not only do std tyres ride better they are about 35-40% cheaper with a much larger choice.

[Raffe]

Make sure you get pictures of the pothole and have something in the picture to scale the size.

As mentioned it will take a fair bit of correspondence and you will need to keep at it to get your compensation.

Good luck 

[Squeeguk]

Went back there this morning on the way up to my brother's in London to take some pics.

As I got out the car, a little car, not sure what it was, hits the pothole and I heard both tyres go out. She stopped around the corner. Further on up the road was a Touareg parked up changing a left front tyre, a little further along was a another car also changing the left front.

Council is going to be coughing up big time thanks to this pothole. Didn't realise how deep and big it was until I actually saw it close up this morning, at least a metre and a half long.

[Leesey]

Wrote a wheel off on my Polo last year. Council weren't having any of it. A mate was a bit more lucky but it took him months to get some money out of them.   Check out potholes.co.uk/

[mad_pete]

Council are liable and have pot hole insurance accordingly. You should claim and report. Pot holes suck for cars but are dangerous for bikes.

[Squeeguk]

They will be getting a call from me first thing in the morning trust me. They were very good about it a few years back when I smashed the wheel on the Fiesta.

[gman1986]

The word pot hole instills a sense of fury. I 50p'd one my immaculate, 3 month old R alloys last month thanks to one. Ongoing fight with the council!

[phil1975]

I ruined a tyre back in 2010 after all the snow that winter in my mk5, hit a pot hole and bang nice big bulge in the side wall.

It really concerns me the current state of our roads and the councils lack of doing even basic repairs  , I love my gti but if the roads continue to deteriorate over the next few years  I will seriously have to consider the merits of having a car with sports suspension and 18 inch alloy wheels.

I'm fed up driving down the road like a drunk having an epileptic fit!! swerving to avoid all the pot holes and ruts (no offence intended to anyone who suffers from epilepsy)