Hit a Pothole in Winnipeg? How to Claim the Damage Through MPI or the City

How common is this in Winnipeg?

Very. MPI received a record 5,394 pothole claims in 2022, and spring 2024 ran ahead of that pace with 971 claims in March alone. In CAA Manitoba’s January 2026 member survey, 45 per cent of drivers reported vehicle damage from poor roads, potholes caused 86 per cent of it, and the average out-of-pocket repair was $944. Only 12 per cent filed an MPI claim; three quarters simply paid.

That last number is the point of this article. Most people do not claim because they do not know they can, or they do not know what it costs them to try.

Route 1: a claim with MPI

MPI will open a claim for pothole damage. You can start one online at mpi.mb.ca or by phone at 204-985-7000, and an adjuster reviews it individually. What catches people out is how it is classified. Hitting a pothole is generally treated as a single-vehicle collision, not a comprehensive loss. That means:

• You pay your collision deductible. If the repair costs less than the deductible, there is nothing to claim.
• The adjuster decides whether you could reasonably have avoided the hazard. If the finding goes against you, the claim can be recorded as at-fault, which affects your Driver Safety Rating and future premiums, and in some cases demerits have been assessed.
• A claim for a tire alone is often not worth it; a claim for a bent wheel, a blown strut and a damaged control arm usually is.

Ask the adjuster directly how the claim will be classified before you commit. This is not legal or insurance advice; it is what customers tell us they wish they had asked first.

Route 2: a claim against the City of Winnipeg

The City accepts claims for damage you believe it is responsible for. The process is on the City’s claims page and runs through 311. In short:

1. Notify the City as soon as possible after the damage, in writing (email, mail, fax) or by phone to 311.
2. Include the date, time and exact location, photos of the pothole and the damage, an explanation of why you believe the City is responsible, and receipts or a written estimate.
3. Keep the damaged parts available for inspection. Ask the shop to hold the tire, wheel or strut rather than scrap it.
4. You should receive an acknowledgement letter within 20 days, and you can request a status update through 311 after 90 days using your claim number.

Payment is not guaranteed. The City generally has to have known about the pothole and failed to repair it within a reasonable time, which is why reporting potholes matters and why the next section exists.

Report the pothole to 311 either way

Call 311, use the City’s online service request or the 311 app, and give the street, nearest address or intersection, and which lane. Reporting creates a record of when the City knew about the hazard. It also gets it filled, which is what every driver behind you wants.

What to do in the first hour

1. Pull over somewhere safe and check the tire for a bulge, a cut or low pressure. A sidewall bulge means the tire is done; do not drive on it at speed.
2. Photograph the pothole with something for scale, the surrounding road, the nearest sign or address, and the damage.
3. Note the date, time, speed, weather and whether the pothole was hidden by water, slush or darkness.
4. If the steering wheel is off-centre, the car pulls, or there is a new vibration or clunk, drive gently and book an inspection.
5. Keep every receipt, including a tow if you needed one.

What the shop documents for you

An adjuster or a City claims examiner wants to see that the damage matches a pothole strike and that the repair was necessary. At Garage 46, pothole inspections produce a written report with photos: tire and wheel condition, alignment measurements before and after, and any bent or broken suspension and steering parts. We hold damaged parts on request. If the alignment is simply out and nothing is broken, we tell you that too, because that is usually below a deductible and not worth a claim.

Which repairs follow a pothole hit

• Tires: sidewall bulges, cuts and internal belt damage. Not repairable.
• Wheels: bent or cracked alloys. Some bends can be straightened; cracks mean replacement.
• Alignment: the most common result, and the cheapest if caught before the tires wear.
• Suspension: bent control arms, damaged tie rods, blown struts, broken springs.
• Less obvious: exhaust hangers, heat shields and, on lowered cars, the oil pan and front lip.

For the warning signs after a hit, see the companion article on pothole damage symptoms.