A deep hole can bend a wheel or crack a spring in one hit. A Glasgow street is reported to the council. The M8, M74, M77 and M80 are not. A garage still needs to see the car.

What to do straight after the hit

Get the car out of the way before you inspect anything.

1. Find a safe place. If the car still steers and brakes, leave the live lane. A side street or a lay-by is better than the hard shoulder. Put the hazard lights on.

2. Stop if something feels wrong. Hard pulling, a steering wheel off-centre, a new vibration, a knock or a low tyre are reasons to stop. On a motorway, follow what to do if your car breaks down in Glasgow. Call 999 if anyone is in danger or the car is blocking a live lane.

3. Look at the tyre and the wheel once you are off the road. Start with the corner that hit the hole, then the others. Look for a flat, a bulge or bubble in the sidewall, a deep cut, and a bent or cracked rim. The MOT inspection manual (opens in a new tab) classes a lump, bulge or tear from the tyre's structure failing as a dangerous defect. Do not drive on it.

4. Note what the car does if the tyre looks intact and you creep forward. Pulling, a shake that changes with speed, or a knock over the next bump is worth telling a garage. Stop if it gets worse.

5. Take photos only from somewhere safe. A picture of the hole and the damage helps a claim. GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) says not to go back onto a motorway to photograph the spot. Write down the road, your direction, the time and a nearby junction.

What the damage often is

  • A damaged tyre. A bulge, a cut or a slow puncture needs a proper repair or a new tyre. Cheap tyres in Glasgow covers tread and fitted prices.
  • A bent or cracked wheel. A badly distorted wheel fails an MOT. A cracked wheel, or one that could come off, is dangerous.
  • A broken spring or a worn joint. The MOT manual classes a fractured or seriously weakened spring as a major defect. A new knock over bumps is the usual clue. Suspension is a common fail group in what an MOT costs in Glasgow, and what fails.
  • Tracking knocked out. The car pulls, or the steering wheel sits off-centre on a straight road. Alignment is not an MOT check on its own. It still scrubs the tyres.

The car problem helper sorts a knock over bumps from a brake noise.

Getting it checked

Give each garage the same facts: which wheel, the noise, and whether the car pulls. Ask for a check of the tyre, wheel, spring, damper, joints and tracking. Tracking alone can miss a cracked spring.

Repair garages are listed from DVSA and OpenStreetMap data. They are not partners and are not rated here, so compare quotes yourself. On an older car, use the free MOT history check first, then is my car worth fixing?.

Who to tell, and how a claim works

Reporting the hole and asking for the repair bill are separate.

  • A Glasgow street is usually the council's. Report it on the road faults page (opens in a new tab). An inspector assesses each report. High-risk defects are done first, within 5 days where required. A lower-risk hole can wait up to 60 working days for a permanent repair. The report records that the council was told.
  • Outside Glasgow, mygov.scot (opens in a new tab) links to the right council.
  • The M8, M74, M77, M80 and other trunk roads are not the council's. The same council page sends those reports to Traffic Scotland. GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) names who maintains that stretch.

For a council road, the compensation page (opens in a new tab) covers vehicle damage from a pothole. Each claim is decided on negligence or a failed statutory duty. The form asks for the date, the exact place, what happened and the damage, and you can attach photos and receipts. The council says you will get an acknowledgement within 21 working days, with a reference number. Keep the garage invoice.

Some comprehensive policies cover this as accidental damage. Check the excess, and any effect on a no-claims discount, before you claim on the policy.

Where we can help

Tell us what the car is doing if you want help with what to ask a garage. It is free to ask. We are not a recovery company, an insurer or the council, and we cannot send the claim for you.

Common questions

Can I claim if I hit a pothole in Glasgow?

You can submit a claim for a council road to the council, and a motorway claim to the trunk-road operator. Payment depends on liability. Keep safe photos and the repair invoice.

Is a tyre bulge after a pothole an MOT fail?

A bulge from the tyre's structure failing is a dangerous defect. Do not drive on that tyre. A badly distorted wheel or a broken spring can fail the test as well.

The car pulls to one side. Can I keep driving?

A slight pull can be tracking. A hard pull, a vibration or a knock needs a garage before a long trip. Do not drive on a bulging or flat tyre. Call 999 if you are stuck somewhere dangerous.