To Fix or Not to Fix Auto Hail Damage
That is the question.
The first decision you need to make is what are your plans for the vehicle. If you plan on driving the vehicle into the ground and never selling it, it might not be worth getting the hail damage repaired.
What is it worth to you?
Some things to keep in mind when deciding what to do with your hail damaged vehicle.
Keeping the money. If you have filed a hail damage claim with your insurance company and have been issued a check to repair the damage, they will expect you to use the money to get the damage repaired. If you decide to keep the money, you will not be able to file another claim and get another payout.
Resale on a hail damaged vehicle. If you plan on selling the vehicle in the future, expect to get less money. If you are wanting to trade-in your hail damaged vehicle for another vehicle at a dealership, the appraiser will take note of every dent & ding on the vehicle and decrease the value of the vehicle.
To figure out the resale value of your vehicle, visit our ONLINE HAIL DAMAGE ESTIMATION TOOL and subtract that number from the KELLEY BLUE BOOK VALUE.
Salt or no salt. If you live in an area where snow falls and roads get icy, many cities use salt to melt ice on roadways. If the hail damage has damaged the paint in any way on your panels, you run the risk of rust. In other words, if the hail damage has lifted or loosened the paint or if the paint has been cracked or bubbled, you are at a greater risk for rust when salt comes into contact with the area.
Conclusion
If you hate driving a dinged-up, hail damaged car, and/or you think you may want to sell or trade it in the future, you should seriously think about getting it fixed. Especially if it’s a vehicle with a high resale value.
If you plan on never selling the vehicle and driving it to its death, you might not need to get it fixed.
If you have additional questions about the value of getting your hail damage repaired, call us or stop by our shop.