The state of the Northern Motorway was "absolutely disgraceful", AA Otago district council chairman Malcolm Budd said.
Large gaps in the tarseal were a safety issue and had resulted in some cars having their wheels damaged.
The roads in general needed serious work, not "Band-Aid repairs".
If nothing was done roads would need to be almost completely rebuilt in five-10 years.
"If it’s done properly it will last," but there did not seem to any maintenance done at all, he said.
Mechanics and tyre service workers contacted by the Otago Daily Times were mixed on the issue.
One said there were "a hell of a lot of potholes", while another said he knew of a few "nasty ones" that had caused issues.
However, others were indifferent, saying there were no more than usual.
One said there was almost no way to tell which vehicles had damage from potholes specifically or how long ago that damage occurred.
Waka Kotahi coastal Otago maintenance contract manager Jennifer McLean Maintenance said crews had been busy in recent days smoothing out potholes on the Northern Motorway.
There had not been a noticeable increase in complaints or notifications of potholes from the public or through checks of the highways.
Once it was notified of a hole it did its best to remedy the situation within 24 hours.
