In today’s video, Jack takes us through a hail damage estimate for a 2015 Honda Fit that came into the Sioux Falls Dent Repair shop. As you can see, the damage is quite severe and even caused the paint in the roof to crack in multiple spots.
For the customer to claim their insurance, we needed to take photographs and even mark off the severely damaged areas. The car itself, as you can see, is covered in “oversized” dents which are indicated with “X” marks. In terms of size, an oversized dent is any dent that is larger than a half dollar coin.
The roof and hood were written as replacement pieces because of the severity of the damage and that is what we used to write up our estimate. The dents are all across the body of the car and has even caused the paint to crack in many spots. In some spots, the glass will also have to be removed and reinstalled once the job is complete.
Unfortunately, once the estimate is made, the car is going to be a complete loss for the customer and they will have the option to either get reimbursed or buy it back and get it fixed afterwards. The customer also has a tow hitch attached to the front of the vehicle which means that it will have to be removed and will be included in the eventual cost. We also came across a hairline dent between the side mirror and the frame of the vehicle which will need work. Also, there are signs of previous PDR work on this car, but it isn’t complete and isn’t a good job either.
So, that is how we at Sioux Falls Dent Repair go about writing up an estimate for hail damaged car. We mark off the larger dents and any extreme damage, we take to a body shop for repair or replacement.
Watch the whole process here:
If you have any hail damage that you want us to take a look at, go ahead and call or text us at 605-250-1023.
Do You Have the Right to Select Your Own Hail Repair Company?
When a hailstorm hits, damages to your vehicle are bound to happen. These damages can leave dents and dings on your car’s body, and you will need to file an insurance claim.
Choose the Best Hail Repair Shop
There are two options available you can select from. Either select an auto body shop from the list your insurance company provides of approved shops or find your own shop to handle the repairs on your vehicle.
To keep yourself away from further headaches, choosing the best repair shop at the beginning will protect your car from future problems.
Types of Hail Repair
There are numerous options body shops provide for hail repair.
When it comes to repairing those dents, you have two choices: Traditional bodywork and Paintless dent removal
Traditional Bodywork
This is for the more severe damage that necessitates filling the dent and repairing the stain. It will typically take some days in the store.
This may include:
Replacing body panels
Using fillers or glazing
Heat repair using an oxyacetylene torch
Paintless Dent Removal
Paintless dent removal can often be the best choice for a vehicle. PDR entails going to the rear of the dent and massaging the body back into place. This choice is fast, simple and less likely to affect the valuation of your vehicle. It is also less expensive, but it isn’t always an option with some dents and losses.
What You Need To Know When Choosing a Company for Dent Repair
Most insurance companies give their customers the option to either choose from their list of approved companies or select the company of their choice to get their vehicles repaired.
When choosing a company to get your vehicle repaired, you need to keep in mind some factors.
Any company you choose must have the necessary tools to remove any dents. Dent repair is not what you can do yourself; it’s a job for professionals. This implies that the company you choose must have all of the necessary equipment to carry out the repair. Before you decide, double-check for all of the appropriate resources available.
To obtain the necessary effects, auto dent repair requires the use of the appropriate technology. Dent removal companies that use cutting-edge technologies should be at the top of the list of companies you should consider. As advanced equipment provides high-quality facilities, dents and dings are easy to remove.
Dent repair requires expertise. Only certified and experienced professionals can do it. When looking for a company to get your vehicle repaired, always look for a company and ask for proof of the necessary certifications.
Why Sioux Falls Dent Repair?
Sioux Falls Dent repair has the best customer services. Sioux Falls gives its customers the privilege to talk to their customers and listen to their problems while offering you recommendations. Sioux Falls gives its customers free estimates and repair facilities from certified technicians, making us a popular choice for most customers.
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Next time a hailstorm damages your car, make sure to look at these factors when you choose a dent repair company. If you live in South Dakota, Sioux Falls Dent Repair has got it covered for you. You can CLICK HERE or call for a quoteCLICK HERE TO CALL
Is your 2014 Acura MDX suffering from dents or dings?
The Acura MDX is a great mid-sized, 3-row luxury crossover from the Japanese automaker. It serves as an excellent family car or daily driver, thanks to its ample space, powerful engine, and good gas economy. It is no surprise that the MDX is one of the best-selling crossovers of all time in the US.
With so many Acura MDXs on the roads of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it is not uncommon for us, at Sioux Falls Dent Repair, to encounter dents and dings on these crossovers. Therefore, we always recommend a Paintless Dent Repair or PDR, for fender benders, bumper dings, or dents to all our customers.
Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) on a 2104 Acura MDX
Paintless Dent Repair or PDR is the best solution to minor to moderate dents and dings on your 2014 Acura MDX because it is the fastest and least invasive way to repair your crossover. Here is how a certified technician performs PDR on your Acura at Sioux Falls Dent Repair.
Your 2014 Acura MDX R is thoroughly cleaned to remove all the elements from its body.
A certified technician uses a special UV light to identify and assess the dents or dings on your Acura MDX.
The certified technician then uses multiple PDR techniques, tools, and their own experienced hands to gently repair the dents and dings to restore your Acura MDX.
This entire process requires the skills and expertise of a Sioux Falls Dent Repair certified technician for the best PDR results.
Why PDR Is a Good Option to Repair Dents & Dings
PDR is not only a good option to repair dents and dings, it is the best option because it saves you time, money and paperwork, while retaining the resale value of your Acura MDX. Unlike traditional dent repair, PDR does not involve scraping, fillers, repainting or part replacement of any kind.
Let’s discuss the main benefits of PDR at Sioux Falls Dent Repair in some detail.
Save Time Since there is no repainting involved, you save a ton of time because you do not have to wait for days for the paint to dry on your Acura MDX R. Our certified technicians often repair dents and dings on the same day you bring your car to Sioux Falls Dent Repair.
Save Money Because PDR is a skill-based dent repair process, you do not have to pay extra for the material costs of fillers, paint, or replacement parts. You only pay for the skills and experience of our certified technicians, which saves you a lot of money compared to traditional dent repair.
Save Paperwork The fact that PDR costs so much less than traditional dent repair, means that you can pay out of pocket and not have to worry about filing insurance claims. This saves you the headache of going through insurance paperwork and gets your Acura MDX R repaired in a breeze.
Save Resale Value When you use PDR for the dents and dings on your Acura MDX R, you avoid any scraping and repainting, which means you preserve your original paint coat. This saves you money in the resale value of your in-demand crossover.
Contact Us
Always opt for a Paintless Dent Repair for your Acura MDX R and if you are in or around Sioux Falls, South Dakota, we highly recommend Sioux Falls Dent Repair for the best PDR services. They have experienced certified technicians, who get the job done right.
Each year, hailstorms cause havoc on dozens of vehicles, leaving people caught up in the dilemma of choosing the best hail damage repair for their car.
This article will guide you regarding the various options you have and help you decide which one will suit your vehicle best.
Know Your Rights and Options
You must know what rights and options your insurance coverage provides. Customers have the right to choose the company they think is the best for their car repair.
Your car can either receive minor superficial damage from hail or may be totally destroyed. The value of your vehicle and the extent of the loss all go into whether or not it’s worth filing a claim with the insurance provider.
If the expense of fixing minimal hail damage does not surpass the insurance, it isn’t worth filing a claim since you would be responsible for the damages. You’ll be better off buying a new car than making a claim if your car is wrecked, your premium is heavy, and your car is old and not worth anything anyway.
Remember, the hail exposure will depreciate the worth of your vehicle. If your insurance is $1,000 and your car is now only worth $2,000 due to hail injury, it’s not worth the money to repair it.
If your vehicle is still relatively new and the hail damage is minor, you can make a claim. You can choose whether to do the repairs or keep the check if you own the car outright.
Hail Repair Options
We can repair hail damage in several different ways.
Paintless Dent Removal
Paintless dent removal is a simple, low-cost, and easy way to repair dents without repainting the car.
This method is often employed when a significant-sized hail damages the exterior of your car, leaving dents and dings all over. It’s utilized when repairing outer panel strikes and indentations that don’t spoil your car’s original paint. This technique, also called PDR, will save a sufficient amount of your time and money, retain your car’s original factory paint, and preserve the look of your vehicle.
Traditional Dent Repair
PDR could not be possible with sharper dents or dings that have cracked the vehicle’s surface. In these circumstances, traditional dent repair is performed, including filling and repainting the dent or removing the broken portion or panel.
Auto Body Repairs
Hail can cause damage to windshields, walls, and sunroofs, necessitating auto glass repairs. Cracks in your windshield should be fixed as soon as possible because they can hinder your visibility when driving and even adversely affect your vehicle’s structure.
Get Professional Hail Damage Services From Sioux Falls Today
Certified Technicians at Sioux Falls provide premium services that save a sufficient amount of your time and money, retain your car’s original factory paint, and preserve the look of your car.
Today, we are answering one of the common questions we get asked and that is; “Should I Buy a Vehicle with Hail Damage?” We have actually had two cars come in on consecutive days where the customer purchased the vehicle with hail damage already on it.
We here at Sioux Falls Dent Repair, get calls from across the country on a regular basis with customers wanting to get an estimate of how much it would cost to get out hail damage on a vehicle they are thinking about purchasing. Also, we get calls from customers who have already purchased a hail damaged vehicle and are looking to get the damage out.
Our advice to anyone looking to buy a hail damaged car is to not do it because it doesn’t matter how big a discount you got on the car, it will never cover the cost to repair the hail damage. Out of the two cars that came in with hail damage, one was a 15-year-old Chevrolet Equinox and the customer got an $800 discount on it from the car lot where they purchased it. However, when the customer brought the car in, it turned out that there was several thousand dollars’ worth of damage. Even when the customer requested that we look at a specific part of the car, our estimates were higher than the $800 that they received as a “discount” from the car lot.
These kind of cases are deemed total losses by the insurance companies and car dealerships therefore have no other option but to sell them at a lower price. Nevertheless, the sellers never run at a loss and entice customers with “unbelievable” price cuts and discounts. We have come across cases where the cost of repair supersedes the price of vehicle. So, any hail damaged vehicle should be avoided at all costs unless you get the car for free or the damage is very minor.
This brings us to the follow-up question we get asked. “What is the vehicle has very minimal or medium amount of damage?” Again, with us being in this business for so long, we have seen a lot of hail damaged cars and generally the estimates for those vehicles end up being anywhere between $3,000 – $5,000. That number goes up with heavier damage and drops when the damage is not as severe. When it comes to $800 – $1,000 in hail damage repair, a regular car owner won’t even recognize the damage because the damage would have to be that minimal.
Another common mistake customers make is think they have a couple of dents on their car and ask for an estimate based on that and here is when we ask them to bring the car into the shop because we know that there cannot just be a few dents after the vehicle was caught in a hail storm. It is only under the PDR lights that the true extent of the damage is visible.
There is a lot of work before we can actually start getting the hail damage out and we inform the customer of that in our estimate. On a bigger job where hail damage is throughout the body of the car, without actually touching any of the damage, we first have to remove the hood, take off any kind of assemble (if there is any), remove the trunk lid, take off the headlights and taillights, both the front and/or rear bumper, and other panels. The cost only to have these panels removed and installed (R and I), is about $500 – $800. So, as you can see, buying a hail damaged car and then looking to repair it just does not make sense.
Eventually, the decision is the customer’s and it all depends on the situation. If a customer is looking to buy a cheap car just to drive it, a relatively new hail damaged one can save them a pocket full of cash. However, if the customer is buying a hail damaged car to fix it and then resell it, it is definitely not worth it.
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