Although it is nice to have the ice and snow out of the way, spring and summer can bring storms with strong winds and hail. A hailstorm can wreak havoc on the finish of your car. Is it worth it to have your car’s hail damage professionally repaired? The short answer is yes. In this article, we outline why it makes sense to repair all storm damage to your car.
Is It Worth Fixing Storm Damage on a Car?
What Are the Odds Your Car Will Be Damaged in a Hailstorm?
Weather can be quite unpredictable in the Midwest. The chances of getting through the summer without seeing any hail are slim. If you park your car outside, at home, or at work, your car has a reasonable chance of getting pelted with hail leaving it dented and damaged.
Is It Worth the Expense To Fix Hail Damage?
A lot of people figure the hassle and the cost of repairing minor hail damage just isn’t worth it. After all, what is a dent or two on a used car, right? If your vehicle has been around the block for a few decades and it is just a means of getting you from point A to point B, your answer could be no.
On the other hand, if you have a new car and you want to keep its value, you need to get the hail damage repaired sooner than later. Failing to repair hail damage immediately will decrease the value of the car by more than the repair costs. In other words, if you try to save money by avoiding taking your car to an auto body repair shop, you are likely costing yourself more money.
Car Insurance Claims
Bear in mind that hail damage is considered an “act of God” by most insurance companies. Therefore, filing a claim with your insurance provider won’t increase your rates if you have comprehensive coverage. Taking into account your car’s value, that value will influence future insurance claims too.
For example, let’s say you have hail damage that has reduced your car’s value by $10,000. If you get into an accident and your car is totaled, you get $10,000 less than you would have received. This also applies if there is a future claim that doesn’t total your vehicle, such as a minor accident.
The car insurance company can claim that they don’t know what damage was caused by the accident and what damage already existed. At best, this means a more complex process. At worst, the auto insurance company doesn’t pay for all the new damage and you lose thousands of dollars.
Lease Requirements
Prospective car buyers should always consider the pros and cons of leasing a vehicle compared to buying one. One disadvantage of leasing you may not have considered yet is that you don’t have a choice about fixing damages. More often than not, your lease will require that you repair all damage to the vehicle. This includes hail and other storm damage. The same applies to rental cars.
Avoiding Additional Damage
Hail damage doesn’t end when the storm is over. In certain circumstances, unrepaired hail damage can lead to further damage to the vehicle. When hail scrapes or chips your vehicle’s paint it can expose the metal below the paint. In turn, this leaves the metal susceptible to rust. As you might imagine, a rusted hole through your car’s body isn’t cheap to fix. However, if you repair the hail damage sooner rather than later, you save yourself the expense.
It’s Not Just Cosmetic
Hail storms are more common in some parts of the country than others. Some people might say, “What’s the point of fixing it now? Soon another hail storm will come, so I will fix my car after that one.” The problem is that not all hail damage is simply cosmetic.
Hail can weaken the metal of your car’s body. If you don’t repair your car’s body, in this example, the weakened metal will endure even more damage from the second hail storm. A better strategy is to repair your damage after every hail storm.
Selling a car with hail damage is very difficult. If you find a buyer at all, you will end up with much less money than you should. The better solution is to repair hail damage soon after it happens. That way your car is in a condition to sell at the drop of a hat.
Additional Reading: Weather Related Damage: 5 Things to Tell Your Car Insurance Company
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