Hailstorms can leave their mark on your vehicle, and sometimes, the damage can be significant. If you’re looking to repair auto hail damage and wondering how long it takes, you’re on the right page. Before we get into that, what is auto hail damage repair?
Auto Hail Damage Repair
Dents are common hail damage, but it can also scrape the body panels that may cause chips or scratches. In the event of a major hail, it can crack glass, mirrors, or even your lights.
An auto hail damage repair comes in two types:
- Traditional: This takes much longer but is an effective way to repair vehicle damage due to hail. It addresses dents that need to be pounded out of the car’s body to reduce the damage or its depth. Once the dents are pounded out, the area is grinned and sanded as preparation for fillers. The area will then be painted that matches the vehicle’s color.
- Paintless: Compared to traditional dent repair, this takes less time as it uses specializes tools to fix the damaged metal of the vehicle and reshape it. It doesn’t require bonding, sanding, or repainting. However, not all dents can be repaired through this method.
Today, most vehicle owners prefer a Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) because it’s faster and more cost-effective. However, the auto hail damage repair will still depend on the condition of the vehicle and your technician’s recommendation. In some cases, a traditional dent repair may be the best option for your vehicle.
Why You Need to Have Your Car Repaired After a Hailstorm
For some vehicle owners, hail damage isn’t too bothersome because of the minor damage their vehicle sustained. Therefore, some choose not to have it repaired. However, this is not the right way to go about it. Here are the reasons you need to have your car repaired after a hailstorm:
- It can attract rust and cracks: Small dents may seem harmless, but leaving them there for too long may attract rust and cracks if you don’t get them repaired as soon as possible. Additionally, if another hailstorm hits your car, the old dents may crease because of your vehicle’s already weakened body panel.
- It can exceed your insurance’s claim time limit: Having comprehensive auto insurance coverage means your insurer will pay for dent repair costs. The thing is, insurers set their limits for when you can file claims for hail damage. In case the claim time expires before you file your claim, you’ll likely get denied. Thus, you would end up paying for the repair out of your own pocket.
- It may cost you more money: If you think you’re saving more now by not having your auto hail damage repaired, think again. As mentioned, small dents can attract cracks and rust, which can turn into a bigger problem down the line. As a result, you could end up spending more money to have your vehicle repaired because you didn’t address the hail damage right away.
- It reduces your car’s value: In the event that you want to sell or trade in your vehicle, expect a lower price for it than you expect. This is because the dents will show that the vehicle isn’t maintained properly; hence, the lower value of your vehicle.
How Long Does Auto Hail Damage Repair Take?
When it comes to how long the repair process takes, the answer is—it depends.
Generally, your technician will give you a good estimate, but it will still vary based on the circumstances. This is because after a hail storm, it’s likely that it’s not only your car that is damaged. Perhaps, the auto body shop will already have a line-up of cars to fix due to the hail.
The surge of vehicles at an auto body shop may increase the time it takes for your repairs to get done.
Another thing is that it will depend on the severity of the damage. Small dents and other damaged parts on the vehicle will take longer, while light hail damage can have your vehicle out there within a day or two.
Still, it’s best to be aware that some auto hail damaged vehicles may be in the shop for as long as ten days.
How Can You Protect your Vehicle from Hail Damage?
Fortunately, there are ways you can protect your car from hail damage. What can you do?
Stay Up-to-Date with the Weather
The first step to protect your vehicle from hail damage is awareness. Watch out the weather weekly forecasts to get an idea when hail may potentially come down on you. Although weather forecasts are not 100% accurate, they remain helpful as they give you an idea of what to expect in the coming days.
You can also download weather apps to get real-time updates, alerts, and warnings.
Consider Your Hail History
Is your area prone to major hail storms? If you’re new, it’s worth looking into historical weather data to determine how frequent and severe the hail storms can be.
Build or Rent a Carport
Suppose you don’t have a garage and a hail storm is coming—what can you do? You can build or rent a carport. You can build these easily and even in areas where a garage is not possible. If you are in an apartment, ask your building administrator for a parking slot you can rent while you’re there.
Get a Car Cover
If you can’t build your own garage or carport, you’re better off with a car cover. You can throw it on your vehicle as soon as you see hail in the weather forecast. Additionally, car covers have gone a long way today; thanks to technology, they now offer higher protection for vehicles. There are even some that are inflatable that comes with an app. You can activate it remotely and it will also alert you when a hail storm is on the way. Isn’t that cool?
Reliable Auto Hail Damage Goes a Long Way
If you have auto hail damage, have it seen right away by professionals, regardless of how tiny the dents or damages are. Find a reliable auto body shop you can trust today!
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