Could potholes in the road cause my car to break down?
Yes, and increasingly often. Pothole strikes damage tyres (sidewall bulges and blowouts), wheels (buckled rims), suspension (broken springs, damaged wishbones) and, less often, steering and exhaust components. Tyre and wheel damage is the common one and can leave you at the roadside with a flat and no usable spare.
Breakdown cover will attend a pothole-induced breakdown as it would any other: the operator will fit your spare, or recover the car to a garage if there is no spare or the damage is structural. What cover will not do is pay for the new tyre, wheel or spring. Some providers sell a tyre-replacement add-on that covers the cost of a tyre damaged by road hazards, which is worth considering if you drive on poorly maintained roads.
You can claim the repair cost from the highway authority responsible for the road, but they will defend the claim if they can show the pothole was inspected and repaired on a reasonable schedule. Photograph the pothole with something for scale, note the exact location and date, keep the repair invoice, and report the pothole online. Claims succeed more often than people expect, particularly where the defect had already been reported.
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