Some pothole repair bills cost nearly twice the average national monthly wage
All motorists hate potholes. But some will loathe them more than others when they see the size of the repair bill for damages they cause.
In the most extreme cases recorded in the last two months, some drivers are having to fork out nearly twice the average national monthly wage to get their cars repaired following an encounter with a crater in the road.
Online car maintenance expert MotorEasy said claims for axle and suspension repairs are increasing, and one case came to a total value of more than £3,800.
Pricey potholes: Some drivers are facing repair bills for pothole damage to their cars that work out at almost twice the national average monthly wage
According to the latest data, the average monthly earning in the UK is £2,060.
And according to MotorEasy, which provides extended vehicle warranties for around 30,000 customers, one owner of a Range Rover Sport who had clattered through a pothole was handed a bill amounting to £3,863.
They weren't the only one being presented with repair invoice for thousands.
An Audi Q7 owner racked up damage worth £3,528 and a Mercedes-Benz E-Class driver had to make a claim for a pothole repair bill totalling £2,729.
These types of warranty claims are becoming more frequent with British roads falling into a state of disrepair, says MotorEasy.
The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey (ALARM), published last month, revealed that more than 24,000 miles of UK roads need repairing within the next year, increasing motorists' risk of suffering suspension and axle-related damage.
While these cases are the most extreme horror stories, the average claim made for pothole related damage is quite a bit lower.
Overall, suspension repair claims came to £297.
MotorEasy said one driver made a claim against their warranty after receiving an invoice for £3,863
The car maintenance firm said pothole-related repair costs were unlikely to go away with roads in such a shocking state
Duncan McClure Fisher, MotorEasy founder, said there was no light at the end of hte tunnel for drivers facing pricey repair bills.
He said: 'With the ALARM report showing that a huge number of roads are still in poor condition, this is a problem that could plague many British drivers for months to come.'
Recent data released by the RAC showed that the breakdown provider is attending 30,000 puncture call-outs a month on average this year, which is predominantly down to an increase in the number of potholes.
And with just 38 per cent of new cars sold with a spare wheel, crumbling routes are not only leaving motorists out of pocket but also stranded by the roadside.
Earlier this month, a survey of 17,500 drivers found that 88 per cent of motorists believe roads are in a sorrier state today than they were a decade ago.
As a result, potholes and poorly maintained roads were named as the second biggest concern - ahead of housing, policing and even Brexit - among voters in England leading up to last month's local elections.