***Update 4/19 Hail no... damage to MIC 2.0 hard top in large hail storm

[userdude]

We got some hail here yesterday am around 3:55 am, truck I am about to trade in took a couple good hits...grrr! That's the one thing about the Hill Country of Texas, hail in the Spring. My dealership is 4 miles away, got none, crazy how it comes and goes. Sorry for the damage OP!

When I was living in Flower Mound here north of Dallas, I lived at an apartment complex that was built like a half mile track (with the entrance right in the middle). One day I went for a walk and came around the back side half and started seeing cars that looked literally like someone had done a Lebowski on them, and was like, woh! Wonder what happened. Came around the other side, started noticing ALL the cars were beat up, one car with a big sunroof looked like someone threw large softballs into it, all over. Parked under covered parking...?

Went by the office and was like, hey what's up? "There was a bad hailstorm last night, didn't you hear it?" "No!" "Yeah, all the cars on one side got beat up real bad, the other side barely a scratch! Softball and baseball size." "I guess I slept hard last night?!?"

So I ran out and looked at my Chevy pickup sitting on the line between beat up and barely any: I had two dents I could put my whole thumb into on one fender, otherwise they were so shallow the PDR guy could see them but I couldn't.

But the car next to mine was beat to hell. I walked by it earlier completely oblivious! It was surreal. Most had to be towed away, the windshields were so busted.

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[Doc TOC]

The Bronco skin is aluminum (the fenders, doors, hood and tailgate). I believe the front pillar covers and roof facia are also, but that's not 100% confirmed. This is just like the F-150, Expedition, and F-Series Super Duty lines. It's a proprietary 6000 series AL grade, similar in rigidity to 6111 T3. Tough as steel - yeah. Malleable as steel - not even close. Steel is reformable - this aluminum grade is not.

The fenders, doors, hood and tailgate are treated as replaceable modules.

Repair bills are high (rates and parts) despite what auto manufacturers claim. My insurance just spent $21,857 for my Expedition Max's rear quarter panel and 2nd row door to be replaced. Just the skin panels were damaged. Body shop manager said if it were steel, would have cost about $10,000 less for same parts and work. That's 25% value of the vehicle new.

IMHO, sadly, your Bronc is economically totaled. It's up to you on how to proceed. Fight for parts replacement and have a drivable Bronco, or wait a long time time to get another vehicle.

It would be worth your while to get an auto insurance lawyer's advice. Having an attorney in your pocket tends to keep the insurance people honest and moving. Just because you have a contract clause doesn't mean they will do what you want done.

Keep in mind you may have to drive your dented Bronc around until you get a new one, if your chose vehicle replacement. Don't think the insurance company is going to move fast. Longer you wait, more desperate you become, the less expensive for them. Ergo the attorney.

Like the others, glad no one was hurt and we all wish you success. This will probably take some time, but please come back and update us. Your experience improves our awareness.

 

[HOSSMAN]

When I was living in Flower Mound here north of Dallas, I lived at an apartment complex that was built like a half mile track (with the entrance right in the middle). One day I went for a walk and came around the back side half and started seeing cars that looked literally like someone had done a Lebowski on them, and was like, woh! Wonder what happened. Came around the other side, started noticing ALL the cars were beat up, one car with a big sunroof looked like someone threw large softballs into it, all over. Parked under covered parking...?

Went by the office and was like, hey what's up? "There was a bad hailstorm last night, didn't you hear it?" "No!" "Yeah, all the cars on one side got beat up real bad, the other side barely a scratch! Softball and baseball size." "I guess I slept hard last night?!?"

So I ran out and looked at my Chevy pickup sitting on the line between beat up and barely any: I had two dents I could put my whole thumb into on one fender, otherwise they were so shallow the PDR guy could see them but I couldn't.

But the car next to mine was beat to hell. I walked by it earlier completely oblivious! It was surreal. Most had to be towed away, the windshields were so busted.

That is crazy! We lived in Frisco from 2013 - 2016 and the weather up there in North TX is crazy! My wife is from OK. and laughed when a tornado siren went off in the middle of the night and I woke up like WTH was that! Here in Boerne we get the tail end of what y'all get up there so it's a crap-shoot but hail sucks!

 

[userdude]

That is crazy! We lived in Frisco from 2013 - 2016 and the weather up there in North TX is crazy! My wife is from OK. and laughed when a tornado siren went off in the middle of the night and I woke up like WTH was that! Here in Boerne we get the tail end of what y'all get up there so it's a crap-shoot but hail sucks!

I think people assume Dallas doesn't have that bad a weather (originally from Houston, been through a few hurricanes). They don't really understand we're in tornado alley and hail is fairly common. Although, parts of OK take the cake in that respect. And y'know, a little ice and people around here lose their mind.

 

[userdude]

If they do total it (here in Dallas, I've known two or three times this has happened due to hail damage), ask them if you can keep it. It's worthless to the insurance company and you might get to keep it.

 

[Doc TOC]

What are you talking about?!?

When the insurance company takes it, his old Bronco will show up at a car auction in Detroit, be bought for $20k - $24k by a reconditioner, and show up all fixed and shiny at a CarMax lot in Oklahoma. Your talking about a business whose job is making money. Economically totaled does not mean junk.

 

[CUZICAN]

I feel your pain, mine went through a hail storm 3 days after signing papers. My hail stones weren't to the size of yours, nor was the damage. I had 108 total dents, approx 80 of them were in the hood, every panel was dented except the passenger rear door. PDR repair took a week and the bill was almost $4000, but can't find a sign that there was ever any damage. Here is a pic of what got mine and a pic of the repaired hood. You'll be suprised what a good PDR guy can do.

 

[Grayeti]

I feel your pain, mine went through a hail storm 3 days after signing papers. My hail stones weren't to the size of yours, nor was the damage. I had 108 total dents, approx 80 of them were in the hood, every panel was dented except the passenger rear door. PDR repair took a week and the bill was almost $4000, but can't find a sign that there was ever any damage. Here is a pic of what got mine and a pic of the repaired hood. You'll be suprised what a good PDR guy can do.

That's encouraging, thanks!

 

[vzqhsg]

Here's a positive for the MIC 2.0 hard top.

Recently, our area got slammed with nasty storms and 2"+ hail. Both my Badlands and my daughters took approximately 20 minutes of heavy rain and hail. Both have MIC 2.0 hard tops, and neither top shows any visible damage, nor did our windshields. Unfortunately, both of the bodies sustained considerable damage. Luckily no one was hurt, and thus far, insurance has been great to work with.

I'll keep a close watch on the tops and report if anything undetected shows up at a later date.

Cheers!

Can this be fixed with one of those dent suck tools?

 

[Petey]

I got hail damage during a storm last spring. Luckily a PDR expert pulled them all out with no issues, and I have a soft top so no damage there! That sucks though, those are some big dents but I bet PDR could take them out.

 

[murphtron]

Ufda, sorry to hear about the hail damage. That’s rough. My old Tacoma got fully worked by hail so I understand the pain. Good luck.

ufda. You from Minnesota?

 

[murphtron]

Good thing it wasn’t 3 inch hail. This is what that did to my skylight in Texas.

Wow. I’ve got 19 skylights on my house. Yes it’s extreme. And when it hails (rarely) I freak out

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

ufda. You from Minnesota?

Yes, born & raised in MN. Been out in n CO since mid 90’s.

 

[murphtron]

Yes, born & raised in MN. Been out in n CO since mid 90’s.

Heh. That was my guess. Also born in MN. Left in middle school as my parents moved overseas. Returned to MN for college. Then followed a girl to her hometown, San Francisco before it was the tech capital. When it was cheap and a very different place than today.

 

[BigFootie]

The Bronco skin is aluminum (the fenders, doors, hood and tailgate). I believe the front pillar covers and roof facia are also, but that's not 100% confirmed. This is just like the F-150, Expedition, and F-Series Super Duty lines. It's a proprietary 6000 series AL grade, similar in rigidity to 6111 T3. Tough as steel - yeah. Malleable as steel - not even close. Steel is reformable - this aluminum grade is not.

The fenders, doors, hood and tailgate are treated as replaceable modules.

Repair bills are high (rates and parts) despite what auto manufacturers claim. My insurance just spent $21,857 for my Expedition Max's rear quarter panel and 2nd row door to be replaced. Just the skin panels were damaged. Body shop manager said if it were steel, would have cost about $10,000 less for same parts and work. That's 25% value of the vehicle new.

IMHO, sadly, your Bronc is economically totaled. It's up to you on how to proceed. Fight for parts replacement and have a drivable Bronco, or wait a long time time to get another vehicle.

It would be worth your while to get an auto insurance lawyer's advice. Having an attorney in your pocket tends to keep the insurance people honest and moving. Just because you have a contract clause doesn't mean they will do what you want done.

Keep in mind you may have to drive your dented Bronc around until you get a new one, if your chose vehicle replacement. Don't think the insurance company is going to move fast. Longer you wait, more desperate you become, the less expensive for them. Ergo the attorney.

Like the others, glad no one was hurt and we all wish you success. This will probably take some time, but please come back and update us. Your experience improves our awareness.

They can PDR 6000 series aluminum. My aluminum hood on the Escape looked like somebody took a ball peen hammer to it. Even on the creases where technically it’s stronger. They got every dent out and you never knew it happened. I’ve only had one ever return and that was on the roof/side and I can’t say for sure it wasn’t something else that hit it.

The PDR guys are awesome.

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