According to the Insurance Information Institute, Missouri ranked third in the country for major hail events in 2024, with 437 recorded storms. If you’ve lived here in Missouri for very long, that’s no surprise.
In the Ozarks, spring storms can roll in pretty fast and do some extensive damage to your vehicle.
If you’ve never dealt with hail damage before, here’s what you need to know before the season hits.
What Hail Does to Your Vehicle
Hail damage makes its mark in a few different ways depending on the size of the stones and how long your vehicle was exposed. The most common result is a pattern of small dents across the hood, roof, trunk, and doors. Sometimes you’ll get dozens of them from a single storm. Larger hail can also crack or shatter glass, damage mirrors, and chip paint.
However, some hail dings are easy to miss. Small dents from hail often don’t show up unless you’re viewing the panel at an angle or in the right light.
PDR Is Usually the Best Option
For most hail damage, paintless dent repair (PDR) is the go-to solution, and there’s a good reason for this. As long as the paint hasn’t been broken or cracked, PDR restores your vehicle to its original condition without the need for body filler, sanding, or repainting. Technicians use specialized tools to carefully massage the metal back into shape from behind the panel, preserving your factory finish.
PDR is also faster and more affordable than traditional bodywork. A vehicle with moderate hail damage can often be completed in a day or two, compared to a week or more with conventional repair methods.
Let’s say the paint has been compromised, there’s glass damage, or the dents are too deep. In these situations, PDR isn’t an option, and traditional collision repair is the right call. A reputable shop will assess the full scope of damage and recommend the right approach.
Check Your Insurance Coverage Now
Hail damage is covered under comprehensive auto insurance, not collision. If you’re not sure whether you have comprehensive coverage, now is a good time to check, before a storm hits and you’re scrambling afterward.
Hail claims are typically considered no-fault. While they usually don’t impact individual rates the way at-fault accidents do, policies and market conditions vary.
Also keep in mind that deductibles apply. If your deductible is $500 or $1,000 and the estimate comes in under that, paying out of pocket may make more sense than filing a claim.
Don’t Wait to Get It Assessed
After a major storm, body shops can fill up fast. Hail events affect a lot of vehicles all at once, and shops with the right PDR equipment can get booked out quickly. It makes sense to get your vehicle in for an assessment sooner rather than later, both for scheduling and to make sure the full scope of damage is captured, including anything that isn’t obvious until a professional looks it over.
If you need paintless dent repair for your car or truck, please get in touch with us today.