How to Get Hail Damage on Your Vehicle Fixed
How to Get Hail Damage on Your Vehicle Fixed
When a severe storm hits and you aren’t able to put your vehicle under shelter, you may be stuck with small dents all over the hood, top, and back. When there is hail, there are sure to be multitudes of people who sustain damage to their vehicles.
In fact, from 2008-2016, Texas lost over $5.5 billion dollars to hail and wind damage to homes and vehicles. One of the more severe storms was on April 12, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas. This storm alone accounted for $1.4 billion dollars in damage.
It may seem impossible, but with a skilled auto body repair technician, hail damage can be fixed.
Where Do I Start?
If your vehicle has hail damage, the first thing you should do is contact your insurance provider to determine if your policy covers hail damage repair. If it is covered, your insurance agent can tell you how to proceed with filing a claim.
The next step is finding a reputable auto body repair shop so that you can get an estimate on the damage. Look for a company with positive customer reviews. You will want a company with skilled technicians who can properly assess the damage to your vehicle and provide an accurate quote for repair. Blue Ribbon Auto Collision Center in the San Antonio, Texas area is your best choice!
We recommend giving your vehicle a good cleaning before getting an estimate. This will ensure that the technician can see all the damage and that nothing is obstructed by dirt or debris. You want to get an accurate estimate and avoid any unforeseen extras.
It’s important to understand that if you experienced hail damage to your vehicle from a recent hail storm, thousands of other people probably did too. This can make the process of getting an estimate and any repairs completed take a little longer than normal. While we do our best to complete repairs in a timely manner, we appreciate your patience and understanding during these times.
Hail Damage Repair Process
The extent of the hail damage will determine the method of repair. In cases where the vehicle has sustained extreme hail damage or large dents, it’s likely that it will require a conventional body repair. This involves completely replacing panels and also requires a paint job to match the existing paint.
In circumstances where the hail damage is minimal, mostly determined by the size of the dents, a specialized technician can use the Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) process to fix it. This process allows the technicians to restore the dents to their original shape without having to paint the vehicle. This process involves pushing and massaging each dent from the underside of the metal. There are access points on each panel of the vehicle that allows this process to be performed. The process is often referred to as remove and install (R&I) as many times the technician will need to completely remove the interior panel and parts to access the metal panel. Paintless Dent Repair is a common method of hail damage repair and will leave your vehicle looking like new again.
Sometimes the damage sustained to the vehicle is more than just a million little dents. You may have a cracked windshield or shattered windows and mirrors. Sometimes mirrors are completely knocked off the vehicle. In some cases, the door jambs may be damaged causing the doors to be stuck. This is why an inspection by a skilled technician is important– they know what to look for to make sure nothing is missed!
How Long Will an Estimate and Repair Take?
As previously mentioned, the number of customers who have recently experienced hail damage to their vehicles in a storm can affect the amount of time it will take before your vehicle can be seen. Estimates generally only take between 30 and 45 minutes. The actual repair process can vary in length depending upon the extent of the damage. For light damage, the repair process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days. For large dents and heavier damage, it can take up to three weeks or more to complete the repairs.
Rental Cars
You may be wondering how you will go up to three weeks without a vehicle. Many insurance companies will cover the costs of a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired. However, you will want to check with your insurance provider to confirm. Or you can let us at Blue Ribbon Auto Collision Center handle the details, and we’ll contact your insurance provider for you and arrange a rental car. If you need transportation to your next location, we are more than happy to help you with that too!
If your vehicle has sustained hail damage, first of all– we’re sorry to hear that! However, Blue Ribbon Auto Collision Center will provide you with a free estimate. You can learn more information about getting an estimate by contacting us, or you can also submit photos via our online Request an Estimate tool.
We look forward to hearing from you and making your car look good again– without any hail damage! We know that you will be happy with the service we provide– from our customer service to our efficient repair service, it’s all top-notch!