Can Pea-Sized Hail Damage a Car?

260

Think about how a peaceful afternoon spent at home might be unexpectedly disturbed by the menacing rumble of an approaching storm. As the sky grows gloomier, you start to hear your roof being pelted by rain in its regular pattern.

At the same time, you can clearly hear small, hard things hitting your parked automobile outside. Pea-sized hail may be seen falling as you peek out the window. Is it possible for this little hail to harm my car?

This in-depth article will cover the effects of pea-sized hail on cars, how to spot hail damage, and how to fix and avoid it. We’ll also talk about the financial ramifications and how the insurance company plays a part in paying for hail damage.

Understanding Hail and Its Impact

A form of precipitation known as hail happens during powerful thunderstorms. It develops when thunderstorm updrafts lift raindrops into incredibly cold regions of the storm cloud, where they freeze into ice. Hailstones can be as little as pellets or as big as grapefruits.

Also Read: Damage Car Paint: 25 Common Causes You Need to Avoid

Can a pea-sized hail actually damage cars?

Yes, it can. In fact, pea-sized hail, about 1/4 inch in diameter, can damage cars, especially when pushed by high winds or the storm lasts long. The impact of hailstones on cars when a hail storm occurs increases with speed, making the damage worse.

Signs of Hail Damage on Your Car

The first step in undergoing car repair by hail damage is recognizing it. Depending on the size of the hail and the materials used to build your car, hail damage can appear in a number of ways:

Dents and Dings

The most frequent and obvious hail damage to vehicles is dents. The size of the hail and the force of the wind dictate the severity of the dents. Your car’s top, hood, trunk and side panels are frequently affected by dents.

If the wind was blowing hard, the side doors frequently sustained significant hail damage. Sometimes dings cause paint to chip or break. Keep in mind that tiny dents are difficult to spot at first.

You start to see dents in your car that you were unaware of when the sun shines on it. In light of this, you could start to worry about the appearance of your vehicle. That makes sense! Auto hail damage, however, is not your responsibility. Fortunately, you can repair hail damage quite conveniently.

Cracked or Shattered Windshield

Glass cracking is typical in storms with big hail. Your car’s glass might potentially be damaged by a little auto hail. The windshield should be checked first, but don’t overlook any other glass or plastic components. When searching for minor auto hail damage, don’t only check for a cracked windscreen.

Also Read: Stress Cracks in Car Paint: 5 Causes and How to Avoid Them

To stop small fractures and chips in the glass from getting worse, they must be filled right away. In the long run, it will be less expensive to address this problem now.

Damaged Paint

Sometimes it takes a careful inspection to find paint damage. Smaller dents can potentially ruin a paint job, but larger dents frequently damage car paint. Sometimes a clear coat is affected even if the paintwork appears to be unharmed.

After a hail storm, scratches are the most frequent type of paint damage. With the wind, hail is blown in all directions and the ice that is falling scrapes the car’s bodywork. Make sure to additionally look for scuffs on the passenger-side doors. 

Broken Lights

Hail might cause your car’s turn signals, taillights, or headlights to fail. After a hail storm, if you see any of these symptoms, your automobile probably has hail damage.

How Hail Damage Occurs

When hailstones hit your car, your car will sustain hail damage. The density and size of hail, the angle at which it strikes your automobile, and the kind and thickness of your car’s components are just a few of the variables that determine how much hail damage is done.

For instance, a car with a strong metal body may not sustain much damage from pea-sized hail, whereas a car with a thinner, aluminum body may sustain considerable hail damage. The degree of hail damage to your car might also be influenced by the angle at which hail strikes it.

More dents and scrapes can be caused by hail that strikes at an angle than by hail that falls straight down. 

Preventing and Minimizing Hail Damage

There are precautions you can take to prevent hail damage to your automobile even when you can’t control the weather:

Park Indoors

Put your car in a garage or a carport if at all feasible. The best approach to shield your car from a hail storm is to do this.

Use a Car Cover

A professionally made car cover might offer some protection from hail storms if you don’t have access to covered parking. 

Stay Updated on the Weather

Watch the weather prediction closely, particularly during the stormy season. If a hail storm is expected, protect your car by taking the necessary measures.

Remember that therapy is never preferable to prevention. You can prevent later needing to perform high repair costs to repair hail damage to your vehicle by doing these things. 

Repairing Hail Damage

Don’t give up if hail has damaged your car. There are several techniques to repair hail damage, depending on its severity: 

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)

Small dents may be repaired with the Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) without harming the paint of the vehicle. A knowledgeable technician does dent repair by delicately pressing the damaged metal back into place from the inside using special equipment. PDR is an economical and sustainable car repair technique.

Traditional Body Shop Repair

You might need to drive your vehicle to a body shop for more significant damage, such as big dents or broken glass. If required, they can repaint your automobile, do dent repairs and replace broken glass. 

DIY Repair

You can think about employing a dent repair kit as a do-it-yourself solution for small dents. However, you should only undertake this if you are sure of your skills because poor technique might lead to further damage. 

Dealing with Insurance After Hail Damage

Your insurance company could pay for the necessary car repairs if hail has damaged your car. Most of the time, comprehensive insurance will pay for hailstorm damage.

Keep in mind that as soon as you are able to file a claim following the hail damage, get in touch with your insurance company. They’ll probably want pictures of the damage, and they could even send a repairman to look at your car.

The insurance company will pay the car repair costs, less your deductible, if your claim is accepted.

Selling or Buying a Hail-Damaged Car

It’s critical to be open and honest with prospective buyers when selling a car with hail damage. The value of an automobile might be greatly reduced by hail damage, so lower your asking price appropriately.

On the other hand, if you’re thinking about purchasing a car that has been damaged by a hail storm, make sure to properly check the vehicle and factor in the repair cost of prospective car repairs.

Checking with your insurance company to see whether they would cover a car repair cost with prior damage is a smart idea as well. 

Conclusion

So, can pea-sized hail damage a car? Absolutely. Despite the fact that it can seem innocuous, even a pea-sized hail can seriously destroy your car. But never forget that information is power.

Even when Mother Nature has other ideas, you can keep your car looking its best by being aware of the possible effects of a hail storm on it and taking safety precautions to avoid and repair hail damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will pea-sized hail cause damage?

Yes, pea-sized hail can damage your car, particularly if it’s being driven by high winds or the storm lasts for a long time. 

What size hail will damage vehicles?

Even pea-sized hail (1/4 inch) can damage cars if they fall for a long time or are carried by strong winds. 

Can 0.25 hail damage a car?

Yes, pea-sized hail (0.25 inches in diameter) may cause damage to a car. 

Can small hail damage car paint?

Yes, Small hail can scratch and damage car paint, leaving ugly blemishes and perhaps causing corrosion problems if left unattended.

Will hail dents pop out in the heat?

Yes, but if you’re lucky, expanding metal may make the dents pop back out and go away when the metal heats up. Up to 90% of the dents brought on by hail may be removed by leaving your car parked in the hot sun for just one week.

How can I hide hail damage on my car?

Regardless of how the car is currently painted, automotive wraps may be put over hail damage and scratches since they are made to shrink down and make a tight contour around the hull.

How can hail damages on your automobile be repaired at home?

Each dent caused by a hail storm can be warmed using a heat gun on a medium-low setting, followed swiftly by the application of a very cold element, such as dry ice. This is a fascinating car repair method.