‘I spent ₹23,000 on my car service just last week’: Bengaluru pothole nightmare goes viral

A Reddit post written by a Bengaluru man has gone viral after he shared how a single pothole cost him ₹23,000 in repairs just a week after his car was serviced.

« I spent ₹23,000 on servicing my car just last week. The suspension was completely gone so I had to replace it. I did everything the service center recommended to make sure the car was in perfect condition. I finally got it back, all shiny and smooth and thought – ok, peace of mind at last, » he wrote.

The problem started during routine driving via Outer Ring Road (HSR–Marathahalli), Brookfield and Varthuri. « And of course, while passing through Varthur, I hit one of those massive craters they call potholes. Right after that, my car started making strange noises. Turns out the exhaust pipe was damaged, » he said.

When he returned to the service center, he was told that the repairs would cost another ₹5,000. « Honestly, I’m so sick of this nonsense. I’ve already spent so much just to keep my car running and all it takes is one pathetic stretch of road to ruin it all, » he added.

Frustrated with the city’s poor roads, the user opposed the system. « At this point, I’d rather pay someone to fill and tar potholes on my daily route than pay road tax to a government that clearly doesn’t care. It’s exhausting, man. You service your car, you drive carefully, you do everything right, and then one pothole destroys your peace – and your wallet – again. »

The post quickly garnered dozens of comments from others sharing similar experiences. One Redditor wrote: « I drive a Honda City. It’s been almost a year since I moved from Hyderabad. I was told that my suspension is weakened and the A-arm bent due to pothole. This time the maintenance will surely leave a hole in my pocket. »

Another user highlighted the wider frustration of Indian commuters: « Big India’s tax cycle – spend, suffer and spend again. Buy a car or bike? Pay taxes. Bad roads ruin it? Pay for service and more taxes. Use E20 petrol? Damage your car and pay for repairs with taxes. Back pain from a hard drive? Another tax on hospital bills.

A third user summed up the general mood. « Even after almost eight decades of independence, we still want the basics – drinking water, decent roads, clean air. We have such low expectations, and even that seems impossible for these babus to fix. As one noble man said, ‘Only God can save us.' »

The viral post has since become the talk of online forums in Bengaluru, reflecting widespread anger over the city’s worsening pothole problem and the damage it continues to cause to both vehicles and commuters.