Side Question: Hail Just Destroyed Our Car

[BigFootie]

I feel your pain. My Escape has been hit twice by hail. Looked like someone took a ball peen hammer to it. First time it was just two weeks old. I was devastated. Almost impossible to find a manual in an Escape and I scored one less than two hours away. Anyways.....PDR to the rescue. You’ll not see a trace and no paint work or anything. Looked brand new. 5 years later, same thing. This time they had to replace the aluminum hood. Hail was 1 -2 inches. Thought for sure they were going to total it. Nope! PDR again. Looked great again and still does. One small dent on the side near the top appeared years later. Not sure if it was 1st one or second one or maybe neither. In any case, you should be fine, these guys are artists and follow the hail storms around. I’m sure they make a killing but it was a miracle they got all the dents out perfectly.

Sponsored

 

[Mattwings]

If this vehicle was sitting at your house when this damaged happend home owners insurance would cover it as well cause it was an act of god

That’s not correct. Homeowners Insurance covers the house, out buildings, personal property, every policy I have ever seen excludes coverage for personal auto. Just in case someone decides not to insure their vehicle because it as their house

 

[Bronc-O]

Wife and daughter and two friends are out of town on gulf coast. Bad storm last night, 2021 Kia Telluride, with 13k miles, destroyed. Entire body badly damaged, windows busted out. Standing water inside what was a pristine, gorgeous new car I spent months finding.

I filed a claim online but still trying to get a human being to call back and send adjuster and set up rental car.

My question is has anyone ever had this happen, and, if so, did the insurer declare the car totaled? If they don’t, I know you can’t fix hail damage on a body, and that won’t be acceptable at all.

Any insight from anyone who has had this kind of damage is appreciated. Thanks.

Not only does the prospect of it not being declared a total loss, and continuing to pay the note on a ruined car, sicken me, it could also affect my ability to buy the Bronco.

Wife is in tears. I’m at home trying to contain my frustration with the insurance company not calling me back.

I had some, not as bad as that on a Lincoln MKX. Insurance fixed it and all was well. A few years later, happened again on a Taurus. Was a little worse this time, no broken glass. Insurance looked at it and paid the claim. I didn't get it fixed and traded for another Lincoln.

 

[Wide Open Roads]

Wife and daughter and two friends are out of town on gulf coast. Bad storm last night, 2021 Kia Telluride, with 13k miles, destroyed. Entire body badly damaged, windows busted out. Standing water inside what was a pristine, gorgeous new car I spent months finding.

I filed a claim online but still trying to get a human being to call back and send adjuster and set up rental car.

My question is has anyone ever had this happen, and, if so, did the insurer declare the car totaled? If they don’t, I know you can’t fix hail damage on a body, and that won’t be acceptable at all.

Any insight from anyone who has had this kind of damage is appreciated. Thanks.

Not only does the prospect of it not being declared a total loss, and continuing to pay the note on a ruined car, sicken me, it could also affect my ability to buy the Bronco.

Wife is in tears. I’m at home trying to contain my frustration with the insurance company not calling me back.

Man, I'm sorry this happened to you and your family.

I had a friend in Denver had the same thing happen to his Land Cruiser. It was older than this though, and the insurance company totaled it. It worked out well for him. I hope your insurance people take care of you.

 

[Bronc-O]

Regarding the body panels...they most certainly can repair body panels. Had my wife’s grand cherokee and my truck hit couple years back. Can’t speak on the other part of being flooded or if it’ll be totalled.

Usually, if the dents are under the size of a quarter, they can do paintless dent repair. Bigger areas may depend where the damage is located and access behind the damage.

 

[Bronc-O]

While you're waiting for the insurance, if at all possible, get a heater, fan and dehumidifier, all three if possible, in the car and leave them on until it goes in for repair. Have the fan blow towards the wettest sections of carpet and seats. The more moisture you can get out the less chance of mold and damage you will have.

It would be worth it to buy a high volume air blower:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/B-Air-1...nd-Plumbing-Use-in-Blue-BA-VP-25-BL/207012958

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-speed-portable-blower-61729.html

Starting with a wet/dry vac is faster or even a few towels to soak most of it out will speed things up.

 

[1st4rd]

I’m sorry this happened to your wife- it makes it worse that they aren’t home.

Check your policy- if it covers a rental, which it should, get one for her from enterprise so it will be delivered and do it before they close today. Be zen about more rain because it’s not gonna do a damn thing more to the car tonight. It will need to be dried out ASAP so a rental gets your wife moving again and maybe she can do something tomorrow to start getting it dried out.

Other guys here are right- after they get it fixed it will drive like new- just need to get a really good body shop so it stays looking like new after they repair it.

 

[DryYourTears]

No contact still from adjuster. Going to rain some more. I may need to call a Kia dealer in that area to tow it to their place and get it under cover.

I know you said you left a message with a certain person, but it might be worth calling the toll-free number back that at least gets you to a living person and explain to them they're stranded and rain is going to cause more damage... especially the latter. Nothing gets an insurance company moving faster than the thought of paying more for something.

 

[bronc'o]

Wife and daughter and two friends are out of town on gulf coast. Bad storm last night, 2021 Kia Telluride, with 13k miles, destroyed. Entire body badly damaged, windows busted out. Standing water inside what was a pristine, gorgeous new car I spent months finding.

I filed a claim online but still trying to get a human being to call back and send adjuster and set up rental car.

My question is has anyone ever had this happen, and, if so, did the insurer declare the car totaled? If they don’t, I know you can’t fix hail damage on a body, and that won’t be acceptable at all.

Any insight from anyone who has had this kind of damage is appreciated. Thanks.

Not only does the prospect of it not being declared a total loss, and continuing to pay the note on a ruined car, sicken me, it could also affect my ability to buy the Bronco.

Wife is in tears. I’m at home trying to contain my frustration with the insurance company not calling me back.

I would take it to your dealer- get their opinion and have their preferred body shop evaluate the situation. A lot also depends on who you're insured by.

 

[MississippiMule]

Updates:

1. Still no contact from insurance company, Safeco. I’ll be switching insurers when this is over.

2. Kia dealership in Pensacola very nice, but they don’t have a body shop and said if I had it towed there just to keep until Monday it would still be outdoors and unprotected from vandals/thieves.

3. My in-laws live on the outskirts of Pensacola but were out of town. I called them to see if there was a way to get into their garage (locked) if I had it towed up there, to keep safe until Safeco finally calls me on Monday. Surprise—they just got home from their trip! I’m having it towed there later tonight (about 15-20 miles away), but it could be up to an hour drive due to traffic and route). Lined up a tow company whose friendly dispatcher called me “Darlin’” five times.

4. Wife and crew will have to wait until Monday morning when rental car places are open.

5. The local agent/friend who wrote me through Safeco did call me back and said he’d make sure to help with Safeco to make sure I get reimbursed not just when they finally tow it to a shop but also this tow.

6. I just opened a beer and recited “Serenity now” three times, to wash myself of this episode of lack of service and soften any remaining hint of hate boner I had for Bronco priority VIPs.

Epilogue: You may be asking why they didn’t stay at her mom’s empty house so close for this cheer competition, in the first place. She said it would take an hour to drive from there to the venue one way, so they had to of course stay at a nice hotel on the beach with no covered parking. Maybe just for the added thrill of angrily complaining to me that the tow wasn’t taken care of yet. See, it’s my fault the adjuster didn’t call me back in the last six hours.

I have done all I can do today.

 

[MississippiMule]

I know you said you left a message with a certain person, but it might be worth calling the toll-free number back that at least gets you to a living person and explain to them they're stranded and rain is going to cause more damage... especially the latter. Nothing gets an insurance company moving faster than the thought of paying more for something.

Oh, I did, three times, and could not reach a living person. It kept sending me to the voicemail of the adjuster assigned to my claim. Left two messages.

 

[MississippiMule]

It’s a little puzzling to me that car rental places aren’t open from noon Saturday until Monday.

 

[Jdbrew]

There were a lot of bad storms in the past 2 days. The biggest insurance company probably got around 10,000 claims in 2 days. (Not including normal everyday claims) You’re in a long line. If you want to talk to an adjuster, you should call them.

 

[MississippiMule]

There were a lot of bad storms in the past 2 days. The biggest insurance company probably got around 10,000 claims in 2 days. (Not including normal everyday claims) You’re in a long line. If you want to talk to an adjuster, you should call them.

I did multiple times. No humans.

 

[DryYourTears]

Oh, I did, three times, and could not reach a living person. It kept sending me to the voicemail of the adjuster assigned to my claim. Left two messages.

Ugh. Sorry to hear. That's an awful and infuriating situation. I have nothing useful to suggest, but I hope things get better for you and the family. Best of luck to you.

Sponsored