The most common surprise auto damages and what you should do to fix and prevent them
When you buy a car, you plan to protect it from damage as much as possible. While no one expects their car to be damaged, sometimes it happens, whether you were prepared for it or not. It’s good practice to understand the basics of what you should do when your car gets damaged just in case it ever happens to you.
In this article, we will discuss four types of unexpected car damage and what you can do about them. We will also provide some helpful tips on how to prevent your car from being damaged in the first place.
Weather Damage
One type of damage that can be unexpected is weather damage. This includes damage from storms, hurricanes, or even hail. If your car is damaged by weather, the first thing you should do is assess the damage. If it is safe to do so, take pictures of the damage for your insurance company. They will likely need this documentation in order to process your claim. If the damage is significant, you will probably need to take your car to a body shop to get repairs done.
If your car has been affected by hail, you will need to get repair services from an auto shop that specializes in it. This must be done to ensure you get the right treatment at the right price. For hail, the most common and cost-efficient repair method is something called paintless dent repair, or PDR. If you want an estimate of how much PDR would cost for your damages, try this hail damage repair cost calculator.
Indirect Car Accident
Most people know the protocol for what to do when you get in a direct one-on-one crash with another vehicle. You collect insurance information, determine who’s at fault (which is usually fairly obvious), and go on your way. But what about indirect accidents, such as multiple-car accidents or pileups?
These types of accidents can be much more confusing and, oftentimes, there’s no clear-cut “at-fault” party.
The best thing you can do if you’re in an indirect accident is to collect as much information as possible. This includes insurance information from all parties involved, as well as contact information, and any eyewitness accounts. It’s also a good idea to take pictures of the scene, if possible. It’s likely that your insurance company will want to see all of this documentation in order to process your claim.
Car Defects or Recall-related Issues
Another type of damage that can be unexpected is damage caused by car defects or recalls. If you think your car might have a defect, the first thing you should do is research the issue. You can start by checking for any recalls on your car’s make and model. If there are none, you can try searching online for reports of similar issues with your car.
If you find that your car does have a defect, you would need to get it fixed as soon as possible. In most cases, the manufacturer will be responsible for the repairs. You can usually take your car to any dealership or authorized repair shop to get it fixed and sort through potential refunds, rebates, or other reimbursement deals that are part of the recall.
If possible, you should go to the dealership where you bought your car, especially if you’re still under warranty. This will help make the entire car hail damage repair process as streamlined as possible.
Second-hand Car Hidden Problems
If you buy a secondhand car, it’s important to be aware that there may be problems that you’re not aware of. This is why it’s always a good idea to have a professional inspection done before you buy a used car. This way, you can be sure that you know about any potential issues before you make the purchase.
If you find that there are problems with the car after you’ve bought it, you may be able to negotiate with the seller to have them take care of the repairs. This is more likely to happen if you buy the car from a private seller than a dealership.
Worst case scenario, you take it into a regular repair shop and pay for the repairs the same way you would in any other situation.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the potential types of unexpected car damage that can occur. While it’s impossible to be prepared for everything, it’s always a good idea to be aware of the potential risks. This way, you can be as prepared as possible if something does happen.
