Car hail damage - should I fix it?

[MuirWannabe]

Just got a check from insurance company for $7100 after a hail damage claim for my car. This is after my $1000 deductible. You can see the hail marks if you look closely but not so much with just a casual look. Visually it’s really not that bad.
I’m not much of a car guy. Usually purchase new and then drive them till they’re on the last leg of life. That’s probably what I’ll do with this car. It’s a 2019 Acura RDX with 54,000 miles on it.

I’ve never dealt with this situation before of receiving an insurance check for damage that I’m not sure I care so much about repairing. Any thoughts on how best to proceed? Thanks.

 

[old medic]

Invest the $7100 and will be a nice down payment in 10 years...

 

[Aerides]

How much would the car be worth today via bluebook?

I'd find that out, then swag what I think it might be worth at say 5 more years (or look at the same model now that's from 2015). If it's worth less at 10 years than 7100 for "good" then I'd keep the check. If it's worth more, I'd consider repairing to preserve trade in value in 5 years. But if you plan to keep it for 10 years, then no. as everything drops after about 12.

Also, you might split the difference and find a dent repair place that can do the bulk of the repairs for less (ie, the hood).

Oh, and no matter what any of us say here, ask your wife/partner if you have one. If your car is the primary driver and they'd rather not show up to every family thing or whatever in a hail-beat car, fix it!

 

[street]

If it were me no.

 

[skyking1]

I too would just drive it and enjoy it. At the far end of it's life it will not amount to a 7100 decrease in resale value, not even a fraction of it.
The 7100 on the other hand would make for a nice vacation, but that is how my mind works these days.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I would keep the money and not fix the car.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Maybe a dumb question. But if I pocket the check and do not fix the hail damage what happens if there are future claims resulting from an accident? Guess I would still have coverage but would my level of coverage be affected somehow from not fixing this current damage? Just a little confusing.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[Texas Proud]

I fixed ours but the dents were big ish... but I did not fix the roof...

As for future damage, if someone hits you and causes a lot of damage then the hail has nothing to do with that... if there is some really minor damage (scratch) that might be a problem IMO...

 

[COcheesehead]

We had hail damage years ago to the tune of $9200. Instead of fixing it, we traded it. The dealer gave us $3500 with the damage and we pocketed the $9200. Blue book was $10,000 so we came out ahead.

If the car receives further damage, the prior damage is taken into account when receiving any settlement FYI.

 

[pb4uski]

Maybe a dumb question. But if I pocket the check and do not fix the hail damage what happens if there are future claims resulting from an accident? Guess I would still have coverage but would my level of coverage be affected somehow from not fixing this current damage? Just a little confusing.
Thanks for the replies.

Yes, that is one of the risks of not fixing the damage... your insurer may refuse to cover future hail damage that is more noticeiable or crash damage.

 

[camfused]

Since you run your cars until they are about dead, to me, it is a no-brainer to invest the money and not fix the car, especially since the damage is not that noticeable. It will be worth very little anyway when you try to sell it or trade it.

 

[pb4uski]

Or perhaps a middle ground of fixing the more severe dents and trying to find a less expensive fixer. I would not bother with hail damage to the roof and focus on areas it is more visible like the hood, trunk, etc.

 

[38Chevy454]

Paintless dent repair guys can work amazing repairs. You might look into what they can do.

 

[skyking1]

7100 is about a third of the trade in value.
I think you may be overthinking it there. Take the money and run.

 

[Koolau]

I always thought the perfect car would be one that had been totaled by hail. Use some of the insurance money to replace any broken windows if any, drop your collision coverage and enjoy the ride. You'd never worry about parking lot dings again!

 

[VanWinkle]

If you are carrying collision and comp coverage on the vehicle, the settlement for damage to the same panels that have hail damage will be depreciated according to the hail payment. In the case of a total loss, the value of the vehicle will be reduced by the full hail damage estimate if unrepaired. You have to decide if you will get value out of a depreciated payment in the future, or drop the collision and comp coverage now and keep driving the car until the mechanics of it die. I would probably drive it as is and invest the cash for the next car as noted in the posts above.

 

[freedomatlast]

I had a hail damage claim back in the 90's. The insurance company paid me $5200 to get it fixed. They paid out based on the body shop quote to replace the roof skin, hood, trunk and front fenders.

I paid the PDR (Paintless Dent Removal) guy $1000 to fix it all and he did a perfect job. Doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition.

 

[TripleLindy]

In the end, it comes down to whether or not you can accept the damaged appearance. Like you, we drive our cars until they wear out, which means our current rides will probably outlast us, even the they are 25 and 15 years old. Having said that, they are incredibly well maintained, clean and comfortable, with no damage outside of minor door dings.

If the damage isn’t all that noticeable, pocket the cash and enjoy it, but if it will bother you every time you drive the car, get it fixed.

Last, you might want to drop full coverage on an almost 7 year old car. That’s one of the great things about driving older vehicles - liability only insurance.

 

[Car-Guy]

Just got a check from insurance company for $7100 after a hail damage claim for my car. This is after my $1000 deductible. You can see the hail marks if you look closely but not so much with just a casual look. Visually it’s really not that bad.
I’m not much of a car guy. Usually purchase new and then drive them till they’re on the last leg of life. That’s probably what I’ll do with this car. It’s a 2019 Acura RDX with 54,000 miles on it.

I’ve never dealt with this situation before of receiving an insurance check for damage that I’m not sure I care so much about repairing. Any thoughts on how best to proceed? Thanks.

If the dents/dings aren't bad, get one of the these. They work reasonably well even for a novice. Really easy to use and cheap. Don't let all the parts scare you. You only need a few. I have had a set for years and still use it occasionally. Oh, and the sooner you remove the dents the better. Something call metal memory.

 

[FlaMariner]

I would not fix it.

Why? The car is old. The trade in/resale value will not be much more/less with/without the damage.

We had a "run in" with a parking lot column and the door of our 2014 Acura MDX and chose not to have it repaired. Yea, it is a an ugly dent but for us, the trade in/resale value would not recover the amount of the repair......

Also, (as referenced above) I'd drop collision.......

 

[skyking1]

I always thought the perfect car would be one that had been totaled by hail. Use some of the insurance money to replace any broken windows if any, drop your collision coverage and enjoy the ride. You'd never worry about parking lot dings again!

that is exactly what I plan to do for our travel pickup. Get one with either hail or rear end damage from Copart.
Put a custom flatbed on it and tour the country towing the travel trailer.
I do like the functionality of the big diesel but it lacks creature comforts.

 

[Texas Proud]

I always thought the perfect car would be one that had been totaled by hail. Use some of the insurance money to replace any broken windows if any, drop your collision coverage and enjoy the ride. You'd never worry about parking lot dings again!

One of my sisters bought a bad hail damaged small pickup... brand new... got it for half price... she loved it for the reason you mentioned...

 

[ncbill]

Not hail, but I got my daily driver (sedan) from a relative who got it cheap from an older couple after it was side-swiped on the passenger side.

Cosmetic damage only, doors work fine, so why bother fixing?

Since I'm retired & not out to impress anyone.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I fixed ours but the dents were big ish... but I did not fix the roof...

As for future damage, if someone hits you and causes a lot of damage then the hail has nothing to do with that... if there is some really minor damage (scratch) that might be a problem IMO...

#1 Yes your insurer will devalue your next claim due to pre existing damage. That is if they let you keep physical damage coverage (comprehensive and collision) without proof of fixing your car. Many companies will ask for proof of repairs after a loss to let you continue physical damage coverage on your car.

#2 If you're in an accident and another insurer has to pay for your damage. Yes, they will deduct for pre existing damage. Because a simple CLUE report will show it and, a simple inspection by a good old adjuster will find it. I used to work in auto insurance, now a body shop. Believe me, a company with a name that rimes with regressive will find it and not pay for pre existing damage.

And, they will be right.