Hail Damage Repair in Flint, MI

Formed during thunderstorms from ice clumps, hail can severely damage homes and vehicles and cause injuries. Hailstones can be as small as a pea or as large as a golf ball, and hailstorms often feature stones of many sizes. If your car’s been damaged by hail, it’s important to get it repaired quickly. Some types of hail damage can cause corrosion to your car’s metal parts, which gets worse with time. At Applegate Chevrolet, our full-service body shop can repair all types of hail damage. Here are some common types of hail damage to cars:

Dents

“Hail Storm_Auburn, AL” by Alabama Extension licensed with CC0 1.0

Dents are indentations on your car’s frame that are caused by the impact of a hail pellet hitting the vehicle. While large hailstones might cause larger dents, even small stones can cause damage if the hailstorm includes high-speed winds. There are two types of dents, both which might require unique repair processes:

Minor Dents

Minor dents, also called “dings,” are typically less than an inch in diameter. With a minor dent, there’s often no immediately visible paint damage. Because of this, drivers often delay getting these types of dents fixed. However, even a small dent can cause a crack in your paint or sealant, which can become a larger issue if it’s left untreated. Also, small dents can lessen your car’s value, which means you might get less money for it when you choose to sell it to another buyer or dealership.

For a minor dent, a body shop technician might use a procedure called paintless dent repair, or PDR. This is a set of techniques that repairs the dent without affecting the current body paint. The major benefit of PDR is that it doesn’t take as long as a major dent repair with repainting. You also don’t have to worry about matching the color for a new paint job. The technician might remove the affected body casing and work the dent out using pressure and heat from the reverse side, then put the part back on the vehicle.

Major Dents

Major dents, which are an inch or more in diameter, can be a sign of serious damage to your car. With these larger dents, there’s a much greater chance of corrosion, and you might see visible cracks in your paint. These cracks allow air and moisture past the protective coating, which can harm the metal beneath. Depending on where the dent is, large dents can also potentially cause damage to the electrical systems or suspension in your car. A large enough dent can actually cause your car to be considered “totaled” by your insurance company.

At Applegate Chevrolet, our trained technicians might use a variety of techniques to fix major dents and get you back on the road quickly and easily. They might use stud welders and dent pullers to restore the car to its original form. If the dent caused structural damage, our techs can use frame correction devices to realign the car’s body to other major systems. Typically, large dents require some repainting, either to repair cracks to the paint or to restore the car after using a dent puller or stud welder.

Scrapes

While some hailstones are perfectly round, others have jagged edges because of a process called aggregation, which occurs when different pieces of ice become fused together inside a hailstorm. These spiky hailstones can scratch your car’s paint, particularly if they’re large, and sometimes contain dirt that can get in the scratch. If you experience a hail storm with particularly large stones or high winds, be sure to check your car’s exterior for scratches and chips after the storm is safely over.

Luckily, our body shop experts can help you protect your car from corrosion and make it look good as new at the same time. We use Factory Color Match technology to ensure that our paint matches the original factory color, creating a seamless new coat of paint for your car. A professional repainting job can help you maintain your car’s value and make it more enjoyable to drive.

Glass Damage

When it comes to hailstorms, one of the most vulnerable spots in your car is the windshield. Large hailstones can cause spider cracks, which are thin fissures that can grow larger on your windshield. Even a tiny crack can weaken your windshield’s structural integrity, making it more likely to shatter. If you notice a crack in your windshield after a hailstorm, it’s important to get it to a body shop as quickly as possible. Trained technicians can often repair small cracks without needing to replace the entire windshield, which can save you money.

Our technicians can fix or replace your windshield quickly and easily, getting you back on the road in a snap. They’ll assess the damage and let you know whether your car needs a new windshield or whether they can fix the existing one. If you need a new windshield, we offer competitive pricing to save you money.

Broken Mirrors or External Features

Particularly large hailstones can knock off your car’s emblem badge or even your sideview mirrors. Hailstones can also fall to the ground and bounce back up, hitting your sideview mirror and shattering the glass. Depending on the damage to the mirror’s technology, you might have to replace the entire part.

Here at Applegate Chevrolet, we’re passionate about getting you the right parts for your vehicle. If you’re driving a Chevrolet, we can guarantee you genuine factory parts through our parts department. For cars of other makes, our technicians will work with you to determine the best part for your car and install it. We’ll also handle any repainting you need for the new part.

Fixing hail damage quickly can save you money in the long run. Let the experts at Applegate Chevrolet’s Body Shop fix your car and protect it from further damage with our hail damage services. Have questions about our body shop? Contact us with any questions, and we’ll be happy to help.