Hailstorms can wreak havoc on your car’s exterior and devalue its worth. Hail damage repairs can be expensive if you don’t have a comprehensive insurance policy. According to insurance.com, the average claim for hail damage repair is around $3,000 on average in 2020. Compare that to the $305 average vehicle repair cost for other forms of damage. There are steps you can take to minimize the effects of car hail damage on your wallet and protect your car’s value. Here’s a quick guide to what you need to know about to prepare for and deal with auto hail damage.
How Hail Damage Devalues Your Car
If a hailstorm leaves behind auto hail damage and you choose not to repair it, the value of your car will go down by the amount it would cost to fix each dent. This is typically around $3,000 for average damages. However, the value of your car won’t decrease at all if you file a claim under comprehensive coverage and take your vehicle in for paintless dent repair. Since comprehensive insurance policies cover not at-fault incidents or damage from weather, filing a claim will not drive up your insurance costs.
Yet if the cost of the damage is less than your deductible, it may not make sense to file a claim because you’ll have to pay for the repairs. If your vehicle is old and not worth much, your insurance company may deem the total value of the vehicle lesser than the cost of repairs, in which case they will determine the car as totaled. You’ll have to weigh the value of your car, the repair costs and your deductible amount to determine whether or not to file a claim.
Another crucial consideration regarding vehicle hail damage is that your car will be significantly devalued until it’s fixed. This is important to remember because if you get into an accident, your insurance company will weigh the vehicle value against the costs of collision repairs and hail damage repairs, which can sometimes cause your vehicle to be prematurely totaled. Driving around with hail damage in a now devalued car is a risk to your investment in your vehicle, which is why you should seek repairs as soon as you’re able.
How to Prevent Hail Damage
The best way to protect your car is to prevent hail damage in the first place. Watch for local weather alerts and park your car in a garage whenever possible. Check your insurance policy to make sure it includes comprehensive coverage, since a policy change after a hailstorm will not apply to hail damage incurred before. Your vehicle is not only your mode of transportation, but a big investment that should be protected as much as possible; taking necessary precautions to mitigate hail damage is well worth your time and effort.
How to Fix Hail Damage
The best way to repair auto hail damage is with paintless dent repair. Paintless dent repair is not only more cost-effective for repairing hail damage, but it’s also less harmful to your car. With traditional dent repair, you end up with a Carfax report that devalues your vehicle, since it documents repairs made that lower the worth of the vehicle. Conventional repairs fall under that category because it’s a cosmetic repair method that fixes the appearance of the vehicle by filling in and repainting over dents, meaning the damage is still there, but now it’s covered with a coat of paint that may not last or match the rest the vehicle after some time has passed. Instead, choose paintless dent repair to fix your car’s hail damage for a faster and more cost-effective solution that protects your investment in your vehicle.
Dealing with auto hail damage can be frustrating. Hail not only dents your car, but your wallet as well. If you need help fixing hail damage on your vehicle, call Dent Shop today to get a free evaluation.