On the way home today I hit a rather large pothole . The tyre wall is bulging a bit and the rim looks a bit scuffed. I assume I will have to replace both front tyres and perhaps the wheel.

Anyone know roughly what I'll be looking at for a new wheel if I need one or what sort of price a repair would be? It's a vrs 18 inch. The wheel looks like the rim is just scuffed (I hit the hole about 40mph), but I guess there maybe hidden damage.

I'm gonna try the council for compensation (pigs might fly from what I've read). Anyone successfully got money back before?

Now to read all the those tyre choice threads, getting to be a damn expensive month.

Firstly, go back and photograph the hole and the damage to the wheel ASAP and make a note of time, date, road name/number etc.

I wouldn't use the damaged wheel due to the bulge on the side, it could blow out any time. The wheel may looked scuffed but it may be buckled or fractured at worst.

I know someone who did just that and successfully recovered the cost of a new wheel and tyre.

Take pics and size the hole. Councils will pay out, but generally only if on the normal driving line.

And IIRC there is a certain minimum size before they officially class it as a pothole.

Must have been fairly substantial to damage the sidewall.

Cheers, I best get the spare wheel fitted. I took some photos of the pothole and another one about 30 foot up the road from it. Couldn't believe the state of the road, its a main link road that has a del monte factory and Crown paints off it. Not a tiny C road where you might expect an iffy road. Do you know if the person who claimed for the tyre and wheel was able to claim for both front tyres or just the damaged one?

Why replace both tyres? assuming the other one is little worn, then just leave that on and get another the same. The small difference in wear will make little difference to the cars running.

When you took the photo's did you have anything to help size the hole on all 3 axis?

You will need this.

The tyres have 10000 miles wear on them, there a good few mills off the tredwear indicators. I've been told its best practise to replace tyres in pairs rather than have a new tyre one side and a half worn the other. Hence seeing if its valid to claim for two.

I've got several photos of the hole with street furniture in view so it should be possible to size it. It looks to be about 2-3 tyre widths wide and pretty much unavoidable, unless you want to either hit an on coming car or go in to a more visible pot hole.

Will the council only pay out if they know about the pot hole already, and have done nothing about it. I know of people who have tripped over raised flag stones on footpaths before and tried to sue for compensation, but as the defective pavement had not been reported to them before the incident they did not have to pay out. Was also the case when I wrote my car off. Different scenario I know but its the same principle.

I heard that they would only pay out if they had already been informed and neglected to rectify the situation ... but ... i cracked an alloy on a pothole near my house, took plenty of pics of everything, threatened legal action, and they paid for a new alloy and tyre straight away. So its definately worth a try.

But i suppose it is different with different councils.

I got my wheels balanced after hitting a pothole here. I put the claim into Council but they reakon there are not going to pay out.

Its only 20 Euro but I ain't letting it go, especially as I had to contact them a 2nd time, 3 weeks after I first hit it as they hadn't fixed it.

*******

*******

:finger: that they are

I've got several photos of the hole with street furniture in view so it should be possible to size it. It looks to be about 2-3 tyre widths wide and pretty much unavoidable, unless you want to either hit an on coming car or go in to a more visible pot hole.

I think you would be better to get some pics of the pot hole with a tape or ruler held accross it. And maybe a straight edge across the top with another ruler vertically to indicate the depth.

Close ups with a coin in the bottom may also help.

I think you would be better to get some pics of the pot hole with a tape or ruler held accross it. And maybe a straight edge across the top with another ruler vertically to indicate the depth.

Close ups with a coin in the bottom may also help.

Indeed. Perspective may make actual sizes hard to gauge. Something right next to and in the hole cannot be disputed.

Don't take risks (safety wise) getting the pics though!

I've found it's also worth trying to get the name and department for the person you need to mail the info to, rather than just to the department.

Also, send it recorded (costs about 70p); that way you have proof of receipt for everything you send and it should make them take it more seriously.

You could also try this template, worked for me (not a claim for damage, but it was repaired very quickly).

It's purposefully anal and dwells on crap like 'risk to pedestrians etc'.

Make sure you send it recorded and if you get no response you follow it up again & again (just like matey-boy in the Shawshank Redemption with his library).

Then if someone does get run over you've got proof of letter being sent and nothing being done about it - pass it to the local rag and let the fun start.

Letter template:

[insert your address]

[insert date]

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing to inform you of a pothole that could have serious consequences on the junction of [insert road name(s)/location].

This has the potential to cause damage to vehicles and more importantly is a serious trip hazard for pedestrians crossing the road.

I have enclosed some colour photos taken on [insert date] so that you can see how extensive this is. I was unable to take a picture including a ruler measurement of the depth as this as an extremely busy road and also a bus route; I did not want to take the risk of being involved in an accident.

This is part of my daily route for all journeys and the trench significantly jolts the car entering and exiting the road. I will be asking my garage to assess any damage relating to this during my next car service and will advise you of any related issues and costs.

If a pedestrian were to trip in this trench there could be serious consequences, in terms of injuries to the pedestrian and subsequent vehicle collisions.

I am advising you of this hazard now so that you may help to avoid risk to human life and also so that you do not become liable for damage to multiple cars; the condition of this road will only worsen if nothing is done about it.

If you require further details, please get in touch. Please advise when this repair work will be carried out to avoid me having to raise this issue further.

Yours faithfully

[insert name & sign above]

Cheers for the replies, I spoke to the council who claimed to know nothing about it. Their going to send me a form to fill in for attempting a claim. Unfortunatly where it happend is 70 miles from where I live so I wont be able to go back with a ruler etc til the weekend. By which time they should of fixed it, or at least you would of expected them to. Although going by the state of the road they will have their work cut out for them.

For reference, I spoke to a local dealer and a new 18inch vrs alloy is about 176 quid including VAT. I'll find out tommorow the extent of the damage. Fingers crossed its just a couple of tyres and not a wheel as well.

I have claimed for a wheel and tyre before in my mk 1 octavia vrs. I hit a hot hole causing a large hole in the side wall of tyre but no visible damage to alloy. I got my local dealer to say the alloy wheel could be damaged internally and needed replacing. I got the full cost of the alloy wheel but only 80% the cost of the tyre since I had driven 2000 miles on it (they seem to forget that had it not been for their pothole I would not have had to had bought a new tyre). The method of claiming was easy. I phoned the local conuncil to get the address of the department that deals with road claims. The sent letter and several pics of hole to the address and said how much I was claiming and for what. Went through very quickly. Also the hole was filled by the next day (amasing how quick the council can work when money is involved). If you want to know anymore then let me know.

Cheers for the replies, I spoke to the council who claimed to know nothing about it.

There was something on the telly a little while back where a guy was denied compo because the Council was unaware that the pot hole existed.

He pursued it and was able to prove that Council had be negligent by not checking the road for defects frequently enough and was able to claim that way.

You'd be able to get the road defect checking information by putting an FOI request into the relevant department. It needs to be done in writing.

If you word it well you can squeeze a lot of embarrassing info out of them.

Freedom of Information Act - Access to information - ICO

Has anyone tried to claim for damage to suspension caused by uneven road surfaces...you know where there are large lumps in the middle of the road.

I believe someone once called them 'speed lumps'