'Appalling': Motorists forced to 'memorise' potholes to avoid expensive car repairs

A Melbourne tyre specialist says car damage from poor road surfaces is currently the worst he's seen in his 25-year career, as motorists are forced to spend thousands on damage caused by potholes.

Adam Cheers from Bob Jane T-Marts Moorabbin says every time a vehicle drives over a pothole, more damage is done to the tires, rims and suspension.

"The roads are very dangerous," he said.

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"We're getting at least three to four customers a day with damaged wheels and tyres from hitting impacts on the roads, because of the road conditions."

A Current Affair went on pothole patrol, finding holes, dips and trenches as deep at 74cm on roads across Victoria.

On one of Melbourne's busiest roads, the speed limit outside of school hours is 70km/h, but motorists are forced to brake almost to a complete stop to pass over the potholes.

Authorities recently repaired the road in question, but just nine days later cracks and dips appeared again.

RACV general manager of automotive services Makarla Cole called on the government to make sure road repairs were long-lasting.

"We certainly don't want any patch repairs where a truck or, you know, significant rainfall could reopen that pothole and continue to cause damage to vehicles," Cole said.

North of the city, in Wallan, motorist Amber said repairs are "only a Band-Aid fix".

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"They're terrible, like I leave to go to work early in the morning and I have to memorise where the potholes are so I don't hit them," she said.

Harry Commins said he hit a pothole on a Victorian country road, leaving him to foot a $2600 bill for damage to his car.

"I just went to the lefthand side of the road and hit a massive pot hole at speed," Commins said.

Commins made a claim for compensation, which he says was rejected by Transport Victoria because they claim the road was compliant.

"I think it's appalling," Commins said.

'I've paid all my registrations for over 40 years, I've never lost my licence and I keep my car in roadworthy condition, but the roads aren't roadworthy."

Commins has decided to take his fight further, requesting road maintenance records from Freedom of Information, before he decides whether to refer it to the Ombudsman.

In a statement, the Department of Transport and Planning told A Current Affair it was undertaking the "largest single-year investment in road maintenance in the state's history".

"We're rebuilding, repairing and resurfacing hundreds of kilometres of Victorian roads thanks to our $964 million road maintenance blitz," the spokesperson said.

Watch the full video in the player above.