Pothole season arrives in Ottawa, costing some drivers hundreds of dollars

With thousands of potholes popping up throughout the city, it's not uncommon for drivers to experience damage caused by these road hazards.

One driver, Rebecca Routhier, said she hit a massive pothole in the east end. 

"It was very large. It hit my car so bad I had to pull over," she said. "It felt like my car was pulling. When I went to the mechanic they checked my tires and they realized that the same side that I hit the car is where the rim was warped." 

The cost to fix the damage was $800. 

"It actually makes me very upset, because it's super expensive to fix your car," Routhier added.

The City of Ottawa receives many claims for damage caused by potholes. In 2021, there were 141 claims by car owners, and the city paid out 10 of them at a cost of $5,000 in total. 

In 2022, there were 323 claims, 46 of which were deemed valid. That cost the city $26,000.

Already this year, there have been 183 claims, and seven have been settled, costing $4,000.

City crews filled nearly 24,000 potholes between mid-February and this past weekend.

Filling potholes remains a priority for city staff who manage about 6,000 kilometers of roads, but with all the freeze-thaw cycles in Ottawa, it's hard to keep up. This means that garages are extremely busy at this time fixing damaged vehicles. 

 

Norm Haggar, the manager of Frisby Tire in Nepean, says cars have been steadily showing up for weeks already. 

"Last week, we saw an average of two a day with one or two tires damaged on each car."

Fixing pothole damage can cost drivers anywhere from $500 to $1,000, depending on the car.

"You just think it's a puddle of water, then you actually hit down and you're probably dropping three or four inches, and it damages the tire, damages the rim," said Haggar.

Haggar also says if you hit a pothole it might not damage the tire or rim, but could still cause a problem with the alignment. If you feel the car pulling to one side after hitting a pothole, get it checked as soon as possible.

Routhier says that Ottawa's potholes seem to be getting worse every season. 

"I've hit potholes before, but nothing compared to this pothole. It sounded like it swallowed my tire," she said.

Drivers who have had damage to their vehicle due to a pothole can make a claim on the city of Ottawa's website.