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Buying a Car With Hail Damage? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t!

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Hail damage is one of the most costly types of car damage that can happen to a vehicle, and it’s not uncommon. Hail storms are fairly common in some parts of the country, and when they strike, they often take out many vehicles with them.

If you’re buying a car with hail damage, there are some things you should know before making your decision. This article will cover why buying hail damaged cars is never a good idea as well as what to do if you find yourself in this situation already.

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Should you buy a car with hail damage?

A hail-damaged vehicle is going to have a number of issues with it. There is no way that you can know for certain if the hail-damaged part will be something major in the future.

While buying a car with hail damage might seem like a good idea and inexpensive option at first, there are some very serious consequences that come along with doing so. It is extremely hard to sell hail-damaged cars, and you will not get nearly what the car is worth after repairs.

The resale value of hail damaged vehicles is the number one reason that people should avoid buying hail damaged cars in general. If you are able to get a cheap car at an affordable price, it is likely because of hail damage, and the average cost to repair is just too big of a burden for most dealerships.

Someone who has already had a hail-damaged vehicle can still pursue certain steps if they want to sell it as is. But, If you’re thinking about buying a hail-damaged car, it’s best to avoid doing so at all costs.

5 Reasons to Avoid Buying a Hail Damaged Car

A dealership selling a car with previous hail damage will not be able to get the same price that a car without damage would receive.

The cost of repairing hail-damaged cars is too expensive for dealerships, so they will have to pass on those costs to consumers by lowering the sale prices. Hail damages also mean more insurance money out-of-pocket because you’ll need to purchase extra comprehensive coverage for hail-damaged cars.

Hard to determine the actual value of the car

Determining the actual value of a car that has suffered hail damage is very challenging. Typically car dealerships will offer resale these types of vehicles at a bargain price because most times, it is not worth the effort for them.

Hail damage repairs are usually not covered by the manufacturer, which means that any hail-damaged car has to be repaired at the owner’s own expense. Dealerships will reduce the repair costs to the trade-in value in order to give car buyers a good deal when they are trying to buy a hail-damaged car.

The resale value of a hail-damaged car is also hard to determine because hail damage could come with a really expensive repair estimate. The exterior of the car will need to go through rigorous and expensive repairs after a hail storm, which may not be worth it for some buyers.

Repair costs and quality cannot be guarantee

Hail damage repair costs will be much higher than a simple dent repair. Severe hail damaged vehicles can be fixed by a paintless dent repair tech, but it is going to take them lots of repair hours, especially if they find cracked paint.

It is important that you ask your car dealer about any previous water damage or hail damage before buying a vehicle. A vehicle with a smashed glass allows water to come into the car, and it can cause bad smells.

If they are not able to answer that question with certainty, then I would highly recommend staying away from buying such used cars to avoid any unwanted surprises.

Buying insurance can be complicated

Insurance companies don’t like hail damage cars because they considered these types of cars as high-risk. Insurers may not offer comprehensive coverage for these cars and could only provide liability coverages instead of accident or collision protection.

In most cases, the vehicle owners will have to repair all hail dents and any broken windows before they can get full coverage on their dream car. The insurance company will try to stay away from providing full insurance coverage to avoid any fraudulent claims.

Finding a good PDR technician is not easy

Before you buy hail damaged cars, it is important to find a good paintless dent repair technician. If you know people who have recently performed any repairs on their used car, then ask them for a recommendation. Examine the technician’s work before hiring him or her because a poor PDR job could cost you more money at the end of the day.

Most of the time, you are getting a good deal on a hail sale because it is not worth it for the dealership to fix hail damage. The cost of hail repairs is usually between $2000 and $2500 per repair job. If there is paint damage, then the cost of the job can go up to $5000.

People who often buy hail-damaged cars have previous experience with buying vehicles that have been hail-damaged. The best way to buy a vehicle with this type of damage is by having the PDR technician inspect it before you make your purchase and signing off on the work if they approve.

It’s important to find out how much money hail-damaged cars will cost for repairs beforehand, so there are no unwanted surprises.

The lender might not want to finance the car

Lenders are unlikely to finance previously declared salvage title vehicles. That is why sometimes it is difficult to sell hail-damaged cars that have a salvage title.

Before buying a hail-damaged car, make sure you do an electronic background check of the vehicle using the vehicle identification number on electronic notification systems like Carfax. Carfax is an online platform that provides information about vehicles and their history in America.

If you are on a tight budget and financing is important for you, then you should avoid buying a hail-damaged car. The financing options for a hail-damaged car are limited, and every buyer should be aware of this before buying a car.

Do you get a discount for buying a car with hail damage?

Yes, buying a hail-damaged car comes with a discount. However, the amount of discount varies depending on the number of dents that need to be repaired. Buyer beware of a few things before making any final decisions:

Are you getting a money-back guarantee from the PDR technician?
Most insurance companies will not provide full coverage on cars with severe hail damages.
A car that requires paint work will take longer to repair.
The more dents, the higher the estimated repair cost.

A hail-damaged vehicle purchase has its advantages and disadvantages, but the two main factors when buying are the cost to repair and the financing options available. There are so many factors to consider before you buy a car that has hail damage.

What should you do if your car gets hail damage?

The first thing you should do is call your insurance agent to see if they are going to cover the cost of repairs. If your insurance company does not have a policy that covers hail damage, it is up to you as the owner of the car to figure out the repair costs.

Doing research on how much it will cost for a PDR technician to remove dents or paint work can be helpful. If your car only suffers from a few dents, they can be removed with just a few steps. A hail-damaged car that has more severe damages will need to have the entire exterior of the vehicle repainted, which is going to cost much more money than PDR work would.

If you do not want to spend any additional money on your car, then it may be best for you to sell your car at a fair price. However, if the car only has a few small dents, then you can try buying a dent repair kit to fix them yourself.

Is it worth fixing hail damage on a car?

Fixing a car that has suffered damages from a hail storm is going to cost you a lot of money, but is it worth the expense? In some cases, it might be better for the seller if they take their loss and let go of their vehicle.

This is a decision that you are going to have to depend on the type of damages that your car is facing. A car that has suffered from huge damages on the roof will typically require the exterior to be repainted due to the large damages. This can cost more money and time compared to PDR.

How much does hail damage reduce the value of a car?

Every time a car has passed through severe hailstorms, you can expect the car to depreciate at least over $2000 dollars. The bigger the hailstorm, the more it will cost for you to repair your car.

Selling your car may be the best option if you don’t want to repair it or buy a new one. You can probably sell your damaged old car for around 20% less than its market value on average, and many car dealer hail sales offer up to 40% off on vehicles with major damages.

What do dealers do with hail-damaged cars?

Sometimes the damages caused by hailstorms are devastating to any vehicle. Dealers tend to sell vehicles with hail damages without any reasonable warranty and at a really low price.

Dealerships will often sell the cars that have suffered from hailstorm damages and write off the losses. This type of damages can reduce the value by a lot depending on how severe it is to the vehicle.

For most dealers, these major repairs will cost more because of the amount of labor and parts involved with this type of service. Keep in mind that it is not a simple fender bender fix or replacement. The car will have to undergo a complete bodywork repair.

Where can you find hail damaged cars?

Usually, the only way to find cars with hail damage is in auction sites like Manheim or Copart. These sites have auctions for hail damaged cars all year long, and you can find low-price deals.

Buying a car on this type of site is not recommended if you do not have experience. You will be buying a car that might have been badly damaged, won’t come with any warranty, and you don’t know how many problems the car has.

Also, keep in mind that the hail-damaged cars that are sold for a fraction of their original price often come with problems such as smelly interiors, bad A/C, or even transmission issues.

Can you fix hail damage yourself?

Yes, small dents can be fixed with a dent repair kit. However, if the car has a huge dent, then you might want to get help from a professional. If it is your first car, it is recommended that you buy a car in good condition.

A car with severe hail damage will end up needing a good deal of repairs, and the chances that you will have to spend more money on repairs in the future are very high.

How do I know if my insurance company covers hail damage?

Usually, if you have comprehensive insurance, then it will cover most hail damage. Depending on where you live, it might be smart to add this type of policy to your new car to avoid future big expenses.

Unfortunately, if you do not have this type of coverage or if you are not covered for hail damage, then your car will need to be repaired out of pocket, and it can get expensive.

Summary

A damaged car that comes with the paint cracked caused by hail storms will take a lot of time to repair. Overall, a hail-damaged car purchase is not worth it because you cannot guarantee the quality or cost of repairs.

Buying a hail damaged car is not such a good idea because there are many risks involved in this kind of purchase-including low-quality cars and limited financing options for buyers who need it most.

Last Updated on: October 22, 2024

Hi, my name is John Snow and I am a car lover. With two decades under my belt fixing and driving cars, I'm always on the hunt for fresh, cutting-edge methods to give my ride a performance boost. Driven by my zeal to decode car problems, I'm on a mission to equip vehicle owners with accurate and handy tips. By doing so, they can fix their rides while saving both time and cash.

By John Snow