How to Save Your Car and Wallet from Pothole Damage

Key Findings from 2023 AAA Pothole Survey

The 2023 AAA pothole survey found that the number of drivers who sustained vehicle damage from a pothole requiring a repair soared 57% from the previous year. In 2022, an estimated 44 million U.S. drivers were hit with pothole repair bills - up from 28 million in 2021. The average price tag was $406 per repair. And if being victimized by a pothole once isn't enough, drivers often end up with an average of two pothole-related repairs per year. 

ERS Data

In the winter and spring of 2022, AAA responded to 1.9 million tire-related roadside assistance calls. 

While AAA does not identify if a roadside assistance request stems from pothole damage, this number represented 12% of the total calls received in the winter and spring last year.  

How Potholes Form

Cracked and crumbling pavement is the perfect environment for potholes to form. Moisture collects in these roadway crevices, expanding and contracting due to freezing and thawing. The pavement gradually crumbles, and when combined with the weight of passing cars, eventually results in a pothole.

How to Save Your Car and Your Wallet from Pothole Damage 

While potholes are a reality for many drivers, sustaining vehicle damage does not have to be. AAA recommends the following: 

• Check Your Tires, which includes tread depth, tire pressure, suspension, and alignment. 
  • Tread depth—insert a quarter into the tread groove with Washington's head upside down. If you can see the top of Washington's head, shop for new tires.
  • Tire pressure—check this at least once a month using a quality gauge. Do so before driving when the tires are cold. Follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire inflation pressure on the sticker inside the driver's side door.  
  • Suspension and alignment—look for changes in vehicle handling, excessive vibration, or uneven wearing of tires, all indications of a problem with the tires or suspension, like alignment or shocks. If your vehicle pulls to the left or right, have the wheel alignment and tires checked by a trusted mechanic. 
• Keep Your Eyes on the Road, an alert and cautious driver is less likely to hit a pothole.  
  • Scan the road ahead for potholes and drive around any in your path if it's safe. 
  • Standing water or puddles may disguise a deep pothole. Avoid driving through standing water when possible but if you can't, go through slowly and treat them as though potholes may be hiding beneath the water. 
  • There may be times when you cannot avoid hitting a pothole. In that case, safely reduce your speed as much as possible and avoid braking abruptly, particularly as you go over the pothole. This compresses your suspension and adds extra force to the tire. Striking a pothole at higher speeds increases the chance of severe damage, including knocking the wheels out of alignment, affecting the steering, and bending or even breaking suspension components. 
  • Pay attention to new or unusual noises or vibrations if you hit a pothole. If you detect something is off with your vehicle, take it to a trusted repair facility for a complete vehicle inspection as soon as possible. 

Talking Points

The cost of pothole damage varies from year to year and may fluctuate based on the severity of the winter season and the condition of the roadways. Other variability can include differences among regions or states or the type of vehicles survey respondents drive. For example, the average repair cost may skew higher if in a particular year more expensive vehicles were damaged. Therefore, we are choosing to omit the total repair cost number from this year’s findings. We can, however, make direct YOY comparisons for the number of drivers affected (when comparing 2022 and 2023). 

In the time since previous studies (2016, 2017, 2022), vehicles have changed considerably including the addition of advanced driver assistance systems equipped with sensors, cameras and radars that if damaged or even knocked out of alignment can cause repair costs to soar. AAA research found that it can cost almost twice as much to fix these systems. There are also more vehicles on the road today with larger wheels and lower profile tires, which are more susceptible to damage from hitting a pothole and are pricier to repair. 

It is important to note that with consumer surveys there is always a margin of error particularly when asking consumers to recall information from the past. 

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted January 26-30, 2023, using a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population overall. The panel provides sample coverage of approximately 97% of the U.S. household population. Most surveys were completed online. Consumers without Internet access were surveyed over the phone. A total of 1,017 interviews were conducted among U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the study overall is 4.2% at the 95% confidence level.