The roller coaster weather this season is creating what some drivers -- and mechanics -- are calling the worst cycle of pothole they've seen in years.
Chicago officials say crews filled 4,500 potholes on Tuesday along, but it's too little too late for people already dealing with blown-out tires.
Hitting a pothole could damage your car beyond just your tire and rim. A pothole can cause internal damage if you keep driving, pushing repair bills into the thousands.
"The potholes are a result of the freeze and thaw, so as it warms up, the problem is only going to get worse unless the city is able to keep up with it, which is a major challenge," mechanic Matt Tefka of Fulton Desplaines Garage said.
Tefka says the mechanics at his garage have been fixing two to three cars a day with pothole damage.
Jim Schwartz was one of those victims.
"Some words I'm not allowed to say on television, so let's just say I was upset," Schwartz said. "I try to avoid potholes generally, and I didn't even hit this one hard. I guess I just hit it in a right way and it did in my tire."
Tefka says the key is to check your car immediately.
"If there's any thought whatsoever that you did some damage, pull over instantly," Tefka said.
