Drivers and cyclists may be noticing that mixed in with ice, snow and wet roads, another problem is plaguing local roads: potholes.

Dave Gascho, the owner of Gascho Automotive in Kitchener, is seeing evidence the springtime road gremlins are back with people coming into his shop. He says potholes can wreck havoc on a vehicle.

“Basically it could blow the tire out or it could create a puncture in the tire, depending on how you hit the pothole,” Gascho said.

“It could also damage the road wheel or the rim of the tire as well … It can go further, affect suspension issues, such as it can break up a ball joint, it could break a tie rod end. It could, if the hole is deep enough, it could do some damage to the body of the vehicle.”

The Canadian Automobiles Association (CAA) put out a report in 2021 that looked at the cost of poor roads in Canada.

In that report, it said on average, Canadian drivers pay an extra $126 each year to address concerns to their vehicles brought on by poor quality roads.

“Poor roads cost the nation’s drivers a total of $3 billion per year in higher operating costs,” the report said, calling for road repairs to be done quickly and efficiently.

“When roads deteriorate, Canadians pay twice: first through higher vehicle operating costs, and then through higher government spending on restoring roads,” the report says.

“Spending one dollar on pavement preservation today may eliminate or delay spending $6-$10 dollars on costly rehabilitation or reconstruction in the future.”

What causes that crack in the road?

Potholes happen when water gets into small cracks in the road, freezes and expands, making the cracks bigger. 

When the ice melts, it leaves gaps under the road, making it weak. When vehicles drive over these weak spots, it causes the pavement to break apart and a hole forms.  

Potholes usually appear during thaw-freeze cycles, which are more prevalent in spring.

Road crews in area municipalities are monitoring the areas that need repairs and say they prioritize potholes based on the traffic volume, size and location.

Bob Henderson, director of transportation services for the City of Waterloo, says so far in 2026 they have had just under 50 requests for pothole repairs. In all of 2025, they had 322 requests for service.

The number of calls they get “will depend on snow accumulation and freeze thaw cycles for the remainder of this winter,” Henderson said.

At the City of Kitchener, city staff say road crews can only make temporary repairs in the winter because hot asphalt won’t bond with the road surface. Once the weather warms up, they’ll perform a permanent repair with hot asphalt.

Yogesh Shah, general manager of infrastructure services for the City of Cambridge, says in January and February 2025, they identified 450 potholes. Since the start of this year, there’s been more than 350 potholes.

Shah says potholes are as common as spring flowers.

“With the change in weather and milder temperature, city staff are starting to see potholes popping up in the city,” Shah said.

“Most of them are now repaired or being repaired this week with hot asphalt mix. Crews will continue to make repairs, as weather permits, to help keep everyone’s drive smooth.”

People can report potholes through their city or township’s website.

Signs your vehicles has hit a pothole

Gascho says smaller potholes cause regular wear and tear to a vehicle, but sometimes it’s not a quick bump.

“We’ve all come across the big one that could be submerged in water and you hit that thing and you think, ‘oh my goodness, what just happened?”

If people aren’t sure if a pothole (or several) have damaged their vehicle, he said people should check their steering wheel.

“Over time, you may notice that the steering wheel isn’t quite straight anymore. Or you may find that you start to get a pull to the left or to the right, like we’re talking about damage that’s ongoing and building up to something bigger,” he said.

The fix could be as simple as a wheel alignment or it could mean tire rods or ball joints need to be replaced. He said people want to get their vehicles checked early to fix issues before they become bigger and more expensive problems.

“It could be a slow burn, so to speak and be caught on a regular service that the technician looks at the tire wear and says, ‘Hey, you know what? Things aren’t looking good here,’” he said.