Surrey has taken the unwanted crown as Britain's worst hotspot for pothole-induced wheel damage, according to new research from RDM Engineering
LONDON, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- RDM Engineering's UK Alloy Wheel Damage Index analysed Department for Transport road condition data, council defect logs, and the availability of local repair garages across 30 regions. The findings paint a grim picture for drivers navigating a crumbling road network backed by a record £16.81 billion council repair backlog.
Surrey topped the table with an overall score of 92.2 out of 100, driven by 31,400 logged defects and nearly 9% of its roads classed as needing urgent structural work. Lancashire followed in second with 91.1 points, recording England's highest raw tally at 38,500 pothole reports. Devon took third with 36,200 defects, while Hampshire and Manchester rounded out the top five.
Scotland also featured heavily: the Highland Council logged the single worst road surface quality in the entire study, with 9.2% of its network in critical condition, while Glasgow City placed eighth.
The data reveals a stark rural-urban divide. City drivers in hubs like Manchester and Birmingham have quick access to alloy repair specialists when disaster strikes. By contrast, motorists navigating sprawling rural routes across Devon or Lancashire often hit deep craters miles away from the nearest workshop.
For drivers, the toll adds up fast. Striking a crater at speed frequently causes cracked alloys, buckled rims, popped sidewalls, and ruined wheel alignment. Minor refurbishments cost between £80 and £150 per wheel, but replacing a modern diamond-cut or high-spec alloy regularly tops £400.
Breakdown services report double-digit spikes in callouts, while national defect reports comfortably exceed one million a year. Although the government announced an extra £500 million to bring annual road maintenance funding to £1.6 billion, councils are simply struggling to keep pace.
Modern cars don't help matters. With carmakers fitting larger rims and razor-thin, low-profile tyres as standard, wheels have little cushioning against sharp tarmac edges. As deferred maintenance leaves craters open for months, motorists are ultimately left footing the bill for roads that should have been resurfaced years ago.
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