The largest hailstone in U.S. history measured 8 inches in diameter and weighed 1.94 pounds. While not all hailstones are so large, even small hail can cause serious damage to a vehicle.
If you’ve been in a hailstorm recently, it’s important to check your vehicle for damage. There are several signs of hail damage that you should look for to ensure that you know the state that your car is in.
Here are the signs of hail damage that you should look for.
Exterior Dents
If you’ve experienced a hail storm recently, then one of the most likely signs of vehicle damage that you may find is dents. Hailstones can leave damage on the exterior of your vehicle and can cause small or large dents that will appear on your car.
The depth and size of hail damage dents can vary quite a bit. The storm’s severity and your vehicle’s metal and build will affect how much your vehicle gets damaged during a hailstorm.
Paint Damage and Chips
In addition to discovering dents on your vehicle, you might also find that your vehicle’s paint has been chipped. Be sure to check for this after a hailstorm as well.
Hail can hit your vehicle and chip or scratch the paint. Both large and small hail can potentially cause paint damage, so you should look for this sign of damage regardless of how big the hailstones were.
Be sure to check your vehicle after a hailstorm to find out whether the paint has been damaged or not.
Cracked Glass and Damaged Lights
While paint damage and dents on your car’s exterior are more common after a hailstorm, you may also notice that there’s cracked glass on your vehicle. There could be damage to the windshield glass, the headlights, the taillights, or another part of your car.
After a hailstorm, you’ll want to check these locations carefully to determine whether any damage has been done. If you’ve experienced significant car problems and damage, make sure that you understand how to file a car insurance claim.
Mirror Damage
A final thing that you might want to look for after a hailstorm is problems with your vehicle’s mirrors.
If the hailstones were large enough and the storm was strong enough, there could be cracks and damage to the side mirrors on your vehicle. In some cases, the hail may misalign your mirrors or even break them off of your vehicle completely.
Be sure to inspect your mirrors carefully after a hailstorm. If you notice any damage to them, you might want to visit a repair shop to get your car back to normal.
Checking for Signs of Hail Damage After a Storm
If you think that your car may have experienced hail damage, then you’ll want to look for all of the common signs. Be sure to check for dents, paint damage, cracked glass, and mirror problems to determine whether you need any car repairs.
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