Hail Damage Questions/Concerns

[b.rock1]

Hey guys,

Daily creeper but rare poster looking for some input. Unfortunately my 2014 Mazda Sport GS took a real beating during the August 4th hailstorm (I live right off 17th ave which got hit quite hard).

The hood, roof, left front fender, both left door panels, left rear fender, spoiler and hatch were all extensively damaged (no paint damage at all, just dime to quarter sized dings). The right front fender also has a few dings. The right door panels and right rear fender are fine. No windows were broken. I would post pics but it is honestly really hard to visualize the damage in natural light.

I have insurance with the Co-Operators, who have been actually quite pleasant and quick to deal with throughout the last couple of weeks. Today I went to A1 Auto body to have the appraiser estimate the damage/cost to repair. Everyone at the shop was also very pleasant, including the appraiser. Appraisal really only took 15 minutes, after which I spoke with the appraiser regarding the necessary repairs.

He estimated the repairs would be between 10-15k, using a combination of PDR and panel replacement (this would also including replacing a number of mouldings/chrome trim pieces that were damaged). I was also surprised to hear they would be replacing the roof by removing it (something to do with drilling out spot welds). He mentioned there was also a reasonable chance the car would be a write-off/total loss.

The official estimate arrived in my email a couple hours ago, stating a total repair cost of $12,254. I was honestly hoping the damage would either be significantly less than that/not involve as extensive a repair (roof replacement, etc.), or that the car would be a write-off. I'm now concerned with the future resale value of car and having such extensive repairs on such a new vehicle. I'm obviously going to take a hit when I sell the car in the future and I am worried that it will never be quite the same again given the large repairs required (paint color, rust concerns with replacing/cutting out roof, rattles, etc.). I feel like I am now pidgeon-holed into having the car fixed, accepting it will have a much lower value, and thus will have to drive it into the ground/hang on to it for a long time.

I know my options are
1) have car repaired at A1 Auto Body
2) have estimate elsewhere/repair elsewhere (insurance said I could pick)
3) take cash payout (not sure how much $$ it would be) and don't get car repaired
4) cancel claim, don't take cash and don't have repair done

I'm looking for input and what I should do going forward. Would it be ridiculous to take cash payout, sell car at hail damage discount and then move on? Alternatively I could have the car repaired and try to sell it immediately?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the lengthy post!

[lilmira]

Take it to another PDR shop with your estimate and see what they say. Replacing the roof sounds kinda crazy unless that's not part of the frame. A-1 is an higher volume shop, it wouldn't be my first choice but I'm picky. If you are so inclined to keeping the cash and you can live with the car, why not? Definitely claim insurance though, that's why you are paying money for. Resell value? PDR doesn't show on the report I'm told so if someone can repair it back to the condition before, you are good. There isn't much to worry about at this point, what's done is done. Just try to get the most out of the situation. The dents on mine are pretty subtle mostly. You have to look twice or more to start noticing and my estimate is just under 6000 so I believe anything worse than mine can easily get above 10k.

[b.rock1]

Originally posted by lilmira
Take it to another PDR shop with your estimate and see what they say. Replacing the roof sounds kinda crazy unless that's not part of the frame. A-1 is an higher volume shop, it wouldn't be my first choice but I'm picky. If you are so inclined to keeping the cash and you can live with the car, why not? Definitely claim insurance though, that's why you are paying money for. Resell value? PDR doesn't show on the report I'm told so if someone can repair it back to the condition before, you are good. There isn't much to worry about at this point, what's done is done. Just try to get the most out of the situation. The dents on mine are pretty subtle mostly. You have to look twice or more to start noticing and my estimate is just under 6000 so I believe anything worse than mine can easily get above 10k.

Would you recommend any other shops to go have the estimate (and potentially also the repair) performed at?

That's great if PDR doesn't show on a report but I would assume a cut out and replaced roof/replaced panels and hatch would. The idea of cutting out the top of the roof and replacing it seems pretty sketchy also.

I am toying with the idea of taking the cash payout (can I even do that if the car isn't a total loss) and then trying to live with a badly dinged car - good chance it would drive me nuts though.

[Crazyjoker77]

Originally posted by b.rock1


Would you recommend any other shops to go have the estimate (and potentially also the repair) performed at?

That's great if PDR doesn't show on a report but I would assume a cut out and replaced roof/replaced panels and hatch would. The idea of cutting out the top of the roof and replacing it seems pretty sketchy also.

I am toying with the idea of taking the cash payout (can I even do that if the car isn't a total loss) and then trying to live with a badly dinged car - good chance it would drive me nuts though.

I know smaller PDR jobs won't show up but I would guess that the thousand(s) dollar repairs will.

You can always take a payout but its pretty standard that it will only be 80% -deductible and you won't ever be able to claim hail damage on the car again.

[lilmira]

I'm told that any repair that requires new paint will show up on the report. I already booked my repair at DNT. I had some door dings removed by them before. It's a smaller shop so hopefully they retain a good team of techs. Eco dentworks has good reviews too. Good luck.

[TomcoPDR]

Having a hail CLAIMED, does show in reports. It doesn't matter if it's 100% conventional (bodyshop), 100% Pdr, a combo of both. I've bought brand new dealership hail sale vehicle (dealership took a payout from their commercial insurance, some were nice enough to discount the entire payout against msrp, just cause I'm me; even that, brand new hail damaged not fixed will show in carproof; which I have proof of 5 I've had direct experience with between me and co workers and friends buying those)

If u take a payout (retail payout)... Say repairs are estimated at $12,000. You're not going to get that full amount. Therefore, should u decide to fix it at a later date, you most likely won't find any professionals who'll fix it for that lessened amount.. There's no reason for them to, when insurance already approved a proper $12k amount for them to fix it properly. Down side with taking a payout too is, pending on specific insurance co. You might not be able to get further comphensive coverage, not just hail coverage. The bases of that is (again pending on insurance)... At a $12,000 estimate, I probably know all your top panels (hood, roof, trunk) are replacement. So by signing off on taking a payout, there are insurance I've heard, you won't cover those panels should you be in future front/rear collisions, or prorape/prorate it. (So say u took hail payout; with estimated replace hood, roof, trunk), if u get rear ended in future. I know some insurance claims adjusters telling me this directly, they've already gave u money for the trunk... So they'll repair/replace ur rear bumper, tail lamps, frame work, etc.

If u take a payout and sell it... It'd have to be a really decent deal for someone picking it up. Again which is from what I've noticed off Kijiji "hail damaged vehicles" really hard to do, again since ur payout won't be $12,000 actual repair cost. So the percentage of ur payout, even if u apply it to market value of the condition if ur vehicle, IMHO, might not entice much buyers who'll be willing to just pay the extra $5,000-8,000 for a non hail damaged of your vehicle.


Def an annoying choice, no doubt about it.

[Zhao Kan]

A roof is designed to be replaced by reskinning it. It is labour intensive, but not a hard job for a bodyman. You're looking at something like 15 hours labour to do a job like that on an average Japanese car. You'll also get a new windshield in the process most likely. That is because the back glass and the front glass must be removed to do the job, and unless your front glass is mint, odds are it'll break coming out from one of the many rockchips you likely have in it. if your windshield has a crack, guaranteed windshield replacement by having the roof reskinned. Insurance should be paying for the windshield regardless if you have a 13D (glass coverage delete) on your policy or not.

There is nothing sketchy about that job either unless you take it to a sketchy shop. On new cars you're seeing more and more panel replacements rather then fixes because more and more manufacturers are getting away from basic metals and are using more exotic materials.

Honda for example uses high strength steel on every single panel of all their cars (and a lot of other Japanese manufacturers rely heavily on HSS), so gone are the days of repairing Honda panels with even minor damage. The Germans use a mix of aluminum and high strength steel and there doesn't seem to be any consistency from the manufacturer. Audi who used to be married to aluminum seems to have gone back to using mostly mild steel, especially on their lower end vehicles like the A4. Some mercs are almost entirely aluminum on the outside, while others are almost entirely HSS. BMW even likes to use plastic for the fenders on a lot of their vehicles.

This is basically what your roof consists of:





Also any repair that goes through insurance should show up on carfax. Insurance in Alberta is who reports to those guys, and from my understanding they report claims period, and do not omit stuff because it was fixed X way instead of Y way.


If they write it off, imo, bonus. You can hopefully buy it back from insurance for pennies on the dollar, or if they refuse you that option, you are allowed to bid on your car, and your car only at Adesa or wherever it ends up for salvage auction in Calgary. They will give you a one time account to do so.

[schocker]

ehhh, not too excited now to take my car tomorrow to country hills for my assessment for my first insurance claim

[b.rock1]

Thanks for the constructive replies guys. I'm at least a little more at ease now knowing that roof repairs are more commonplace than I thought. It definitely sounds like taking the payout is not the wisest option at this point, particularly if I can't get reimbursed for damage to the same panels again in the future. At this point I'm not interested enough in the payout to bother calling them to find out the stipulations.

I think at this point I'll just let A1 Auto Body do the repairs, but I will definitely talk to them and get the low-down on the entire procedure. They did say that my front windshield will be getting replaced along with the roof (presumably not the rear glass since it is a hatch and separate from the roof). Fingers crossed that everything works out in terms of pain matching and repairs.

Sigh, if only they could have written it off and allowed me to get a GTI a couple years earlier than planned

[TomcoPDR]

What year/car is it?

[b.rock1]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR
What year/car is it?

It's a 2014 Mazda Sport GS ('Sport' = hatchback), 16,500 km on the odometer

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by b.rock1


It's a 2014 Mazda Sport GS ('Sport' = hatchback), 16,500 km on the odometer

Kinda close to total loss... Sometimes the trick to it, if you find a bodyshop that's on a Direct Repair Program DRP with the same insurance. Maybe they'll have an estimate that'll make it to meet the total loss criteria.

[b.rock1]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR


Kinda close to total loss... Sometimes the trick to it, if you find a bodyshop that's on a Direct Repair Program DRP with the same insurance. Maybe they'll have an estimate that'll make it to meet the total loss criteria.

Hmm. If another shop provides a second estimate that says it is a total loss, how does the insurance company pick which estimate is most accurate? I would assume they just ignore the total loss estimate and make me repair at at A1?

[lilmira]

The adjuster will have to compare the two estimates and find out the reason for the difference then decide whether to approve for repair or write off. I don't think it will be far off.

[Cos]

.

[b.rock1]

Originally posted by lilmira
The adjuster will have to compare the two estimates and find out the reason for the difference then decide whether to approve for repair or write off. I don't think it will be far off.

Ok cool. Googling revealed that Contemporary Coachworks is also a Direct Repair Program member for Co-Operators, so I'll set up an estimate there.

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by Cos
Another option here, $12k paid out would probably net you a decent amount owing off the car.

If the repair estimate is $12k... I really can't see insurance will give a $12k payout.

[b.rock1]

Originally posted by Cos
Another option here, $12k paid out would probably net you a decent amount owing off the car. Take it in cash, drive a golf ball, and be debt free with a mechanically brand new car. We did that with my wifes albeit older cavalier for a few years.

This definitely crossed my mind but I would have to find out the constraints/stipulations from insurance before doing that. Don't want to hoop myself for future damage, etc. I think it would still be prudent to at least get one more estimate and then go from there.

Curious how much the actual cash payout would be...

[lasimmon]

Further to this: I haven't got my official estimate of the damage yet, but the thought it was about $13,000.

My vehicle isn't worth that much. Chances are it will be write off correct?

[Mitsu3000gt]

A1 has more horror stories than probably any other big body shop in Calgary, I would avoid them at all costs. Sorry about your luck, the "not quite a write off" situation is the worst because you lose so much resale unless you just take the payout, don't fix it, and drive it into the ground. I would be doing everything I could to get it declared a total loss. Maybe go buy a ball-peen hammer? Just kidding