Claiming pothole damage
In most cases, car insurance does not cover pothole damage to tyres. However, other damage may be covered.
We checked the product disclosure statement (PDS) for 10 different comprehensive car insurance policies, none cover pothole damage to tyres. Our research looked specifically at pothole damage and tyre damage. In all cases, tyre damage was listed as an exclusion. In some cases, pothole damage to other parts of the car (excluding tyres) could be covered under loss or damage.
Keep in mind, given that no one else can be held accountable for the damage, it's likely that you'd have to pay an excess if the insurer did decide to approve your claim.
Will car insurance cover pothole damage?
Our insurance experts went through the product disclosure statement for 10 different providers and looked at how each insurer treats damage as the result of a pothole. Our findings are summarised below.
| Provider | Is pothole damage covered? |
|---|---|
| Budget Direct | Tyre damage as the result of a pothole will not be covered, however more extensive damage to the car may be eligible for cover under loss or damage. |
| Youi | Tyre damage is not covered. |
| Rollin | Tyre damage is not covered. |
| Qantas | Tyre damage is not covered. |
| Bingle | Tyre damage is not covered. |
| Australia Post | Tyre damage is not covered unless it's caused by an incident which they've agreed to cover. |
| QBE | Tyre damage is not covered unless it's caused by an incident which they've agreed to cover. |
| Kogan | Tyre damage is not covered unless it's caused by an incident which they've agreed to cover. |
| AAMI | Tyre damage is not covered. |
| NRMA | Tyre damage as the result of a pothole will not be covered, however more extensive damage to the car may be eligible for cover under loss or damage. |
This research is accurate as of December 2023. Our sources include product disclosure statements, information on provider website pages and online chats used on provider websites.
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