Potholes have become an increasingly familiar problem for drivers across Kent, including those travelling around Ashford. The scale of the issue is reflected in Kent County Council’s latest highways data, which records more than 50,000 potholes repaired across the county between April 2025 and March 2026. During the same period, 35,000 potholes were formally reported, with 22,500 of those reports submitted between January and March 2026.
For drivers, the problem is not simply the inconvenience of having to avoid damaged sections of road. Hitting a pothole can damage tyres, wheels, steering, alignment and suspension, and some problems may not be immediately obvious.
If you have hit a pothole in Ashford and your car feels different afterwards, it is worth taking that change seriously.
What Can a Pothole Damage?
Your tyres are one of the first things to check after hitting a pothole. A significant impact can cause a puncture, damage the sidewall or create a bulge where the internal structure of the tyre has been compromised. Importantly, a damaged tyre does not necessarily lose all its pressure immediately, so the absence of a flat tyre does not automatically mean there is no problem.
A pothole can also damage the wheel itself. An impact may distort or crack a wheel, potentially causing vibration or contributing to a gradual loss of tyre pressure. Even if the wheel appears undamaged from the outside, the impact can have affected the way it sits and rotates.
The suspension and steering systems can also be affected. Components designed to absorb impacts can be subjected to a considerable force when a wheel drops into a pothole, particularly where the defect is deep or partly concealed by water. Damage may subsequently show itself through changes in handling, unusual noises, vibration or uneven tyre wear.
Wheel alignment is another potential issue. A pothole impact can alter the vehicle’s alignment, meaning the car may no longer track properly or the steering may feel different from before.
Check Your Tyres After Hitting a Pothole
After hitting a pothole, inspect the affected tyre as soon as it is safe to do so. Look for cuts, splits, bulges or other obvious abnormalities, and check whether the tyre pressure has changed.
A bulge or other visible structural damage is particularly important because it can indicate that the internal construction of the tyre has been damaged. Continuing to drive on a structurally damaged tyre is not something to ignore simply because it still appears inflated.
If a tyre has been damaged, it may need to be replaced rather than repaired. If you are unsure about its condition, RKH Service & Repair can assess the tyre and advise on the appropriate solution. You can find out more about RKH’s tyre replacement service.
Pay Attention to Changes in Handling
Not all pothole damage can be seen by looking at the vehicle. One of the most useful things you can do after an impact is pay attention to whether the car behaves differently afterwards.
Does it pull to one side? Is there vibration through the steering wheel? Does the steering wheel now sit at an unusual angle when the vehicle is travelling straight? Have you noticed a new knocking or clunking noise? Does the car feel less settled over bumps or when cornering?
None of these symptoms proves that a pothole has caused a particular fault, but they are reasons to have the vehicle checked rather than simply getting used to the difference.
Alignment problems can be particularly easy to overlook because the vehicle may remain perfectly driveable. However, RAC guidance on wheel alignment identifies pulling to one side, uneven tyre wear, an off-centre steering wheel and vibration among the signs that alignment may require attention.
Why Ignoring Pothole Damage Can Become a Safety Issue
There is an important distinction between a pothole directly causing a collision and a pothole causing vehicle damage which subsequently affects how the car handles.
There is no reliable current UK-wide statistic that establishes how many road collisions are caused specifically by vehicles suffering mechanical damage after hitting potholes. It would therefore be misleading to claim that potholes are responsible for a particular percentage of accidents.
There is nevertheless evidence of the scale of vehicle damage associated with poor road surfaces. A February 2026 RAC report recorded 26,048 breakdowns attended by RAC patrols during 2025 involving damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels, which the RAC identifies as the types of breakdown most likely to be caused by wear and tear from poor road surfaces.
The problem continued into 2026. RAC data published in March 2026 recorded 11,396 mentions of potholes from drivers logging breakdowns during January and February, including 6,290 in February alone.
Separate research also shows how commonly pothole impacts are associated with specific vehicle problems. Confused.com’s March 2026 pothole research found that 28% of surveyed drivers had experienced a flat tyre or puncture after hitting a pothole, while 21% had experienced tracking or alignment problems. The research also found that 43% were concerned that potholes could cause a crash or injury.
Those figures do not establish that pothole damage caused those drivers to have collisions. They do, however, demonstrate why a change in the vehicle’s condition following an impact should not be dismissed.
A damaged tyre can affect grip, while problems with alignment, steering or suspension can alter how the vehicle responds when braking, cornering or travelling over another uneven section of road. In a more serious case, this could contribute to a loss of control.
What Should You Do After Hitting a Pothole?
If you hit a pothole and notice something unusual afterwards, find somewhere safe to stop and inspect the vehicle when it is practical to do so.
Check the tyres and wheels for obvious damage and look for any signs that a tyre may have lost pressure. If you can see a bulge, split or significant damage to a tyre, do not simply continue driving and hope that it will be fine.
If there is no obvious visual damage but the vehicle is pulling, vibrating, making an unfamiliar noise or handling differently, arrange for it to be inspected. Problems with alignment, suspension or steering are not necessarily visible from outside the vehicle.
It is also worth remembering that a fault may not become apparent immediately. A vehicle can initially feel normal after an impact and develop symptoms later, so pay attention to any changes in the days that follow.
Report the Pothole to Kent County Council
Checking your vehicle is only part of the process. If you have encountered a pothole on a road maintained by Kent County Council, reporting it can help ensure the defect is assessed and reduce the likelihood of other road users encountering the same problem.
Kent County Council’s road and pavement reporting service allows drivers to report non-urgent potholes online. Give the location as accurately as possible so that the defect can be identified. If the problem is considered an immediate danger that could cause an accident, KCC provides telephone numbers for urgent highway problems.
KCC assesses reported highway defects according to their risk and determines the appropriate response. This means reporting a pothole is useful even if you have already managed to avoid it, particularly where it presents a continuing hazard to other road users.
Get Your Car Checked If It Feels Different
You cannot always identify pothole damage by looking at the car. A tyre can suffer internal damage, a wheel can become distorted, or an impact can affect alignment or suspension without leaving an obvious mark.
If your car feels different after hitting a pothole in Ashford, having it checked is better than simply adapting to the change. Identifying a problem early can also help prevent a damaged component from causing additional wear elsewhere.
RKH Service & Repair can inspect your vehicle following pothole damage, including checking the tyres and identifying signs that the impact may have affected other components. If your tyres have been damaged and require replacement, you can also arrange this through the RKH tyre replacement service.
With potholes continuing to be a significant issue across Kent, knowing what to look for after hitting one can help you identify vehicle damage before it develops into a more serious problem.