Hail is one of the more damaging types of weather for your car. What's more, the onset of hailstorms is often sudden, so you can do little to prevent damage to your car. If your car is damaged in a hailstorm, consider having it fixed as soon as possible for the following reasons.
For the Aesthetics of Your Car
Hail ranges from the size of peas to larger than golf balls. The smaller hailstones are unlikely to cause much damage to your car. Any hailstones that are the size of golf balls or larger can cause dents. In severe cases, the hailstones can even crack or break your car windows.
The surface of a hail-damaged car at minimum shows small pock-marks all over the body. Larger hailstones result in larger dents. The surface is unsightly, so it obviously hurts the aesthetic value of your car.
Add to that an ugly crack in your windows, and suddenly your car doesn't look as great as it used to. When it comes to windows, the crack can become larger if you don't fix it, which will necessitate a full windshield or window replacement.
To Protect Your Paint Job
You may not think the damage from the hailstorm is very noticeable. However, hail isn't usually smooth. The hailstones can feature sharp edges. When they impact your car, they may cause more than a dent. They may have scratched the surface of your paint job, which damages its structural integrity.
Over time, the weakened nature of the paint will become susceptible to ultraviolet rays. UV rays can fade even intact paint jobs - and a compromised one may fade even faster. Additionally, those weaknesses can become more susceptible to the extremes of temperature. The tiny scratches can turn into cracks and even chips.
To Prevent Rust
The metal in your car is a rust conductor because of the nature of the material. When you add water to the mix, you get the chemical reaction that results in rust. Manufacturers usually galvanize exposed metal, but not that covered by paint.
The paint job on your car is for more than aesthetics. Both the primer and paint provide a coating over your car that protects it from rust. Those little scratches that the hailstones cause, though, allow the water to penetrate to the bare metal surface of your car. The metal can start to oxidize and eventually develop rust.
For Your Insurance Coverage
Insurance factors into hail damage repair. Typically, comprehensive coverage will include hail damage. The insurance company may send out a claims adjustor, or they may ask you to get an estimate. Based on that estimate, they could decide to total your car if they determine the cost to fix it exceeds the value of the car, or they may offer a claim minus the deductible.
Sometimes car owners decide to pocket the claim money rather than have the damage repaired. Keep in mind, this action will affect future claims, such as from a car accident. The insurance company will deduct the amount they paid for the repair from the claim amount. They may even decline to pay for certain aspects of the new repair if the hail damage contributed to it.
Additionally, you might not even be able to get comprehensive coverage insurance for a hail-damaged car. You may have to settle for liability coverage.
To Maintain the Car Resale Value
All of the above factors go into the determination of your car's resale value. Indeed, mechanics sometimes recommend against buying a hail damaged car because they worry the car might have unseen damage from the storm. However, they tend to be less worried about cars that have been repaired.
If you do decide to sell your car down the road without having fixed the hail damage, you will command a significantly lower price. If your car is totaled by the insurance company because of the hail damage, that fact will show up on its title. You'll have to sell it as a salvage car.
Have qualified technicians fix hail damage to your car. Contact Jim's Auto Body for all your auto body repair needs.