Hail-producing weather tends to be volatile and unpredictable, just like the damage it leaves behind. Can small hail damage your car? Cutting Edge Collision Center, your trusted source for dent repair in Tucson, AZ, explores how different hailstone sizes affect vehicle cosmetics.
Understanding the Impact of Different Hail Sizes
Hail manifests as solid pellets of ice that fall to the ground from active storm clouds. It ranges in size from a quarter of an inch to over three inches in diameter. Below, we’ll explore how different sizes can impact your vehicle.
Baseball-Sized
Hailstones the size of baseballs measure three inches or more in diameter. Due to their weight, these can inflict the most significant damage to an uncovered vehicle, including:
- Major dents to paneling all over the body
- Flattened tires and warped wheels
- Fully shattered windows and windshields
Golf Ball-Sized
Golf ball-sized hailstones are between one and two inches. While they aren’t quite as destructive as their baseball-sized counterparts, they can still destroy your windows and windshield or leave large dents in exposed panels.
Quarter-Sized
Quarter-sized hail can grow to one inch in diameter. Although less destructive than its bigger cousins, it can still rack up a pretty penny in cosmetic repairs. It doesn’t usually shatter glass but may strike and create spider web fractures or cause pitting in soft metals and plastics.
Marble-Sized
Can small hail damage your car? Marble-sized stones only reach half an inch in diameter, making them among the smallest pellets. You may notice tiny dents on aluminum or plastic paneling and tiny hairline cracks on windshields, but these stones don’t cause extensive or catastrophic vehicle damage.
Pea-Sized
These hailstones only grow to about a quarter of an inch and do the least damage of all. You may notice tiny pits or mild discoloration where a pea-sized pellet fell. It may also scratch plastic trim and paneling.
Can Small Hail Damage Your Car?
Yes, small hail can damage your car, but in many cases, it goes unnoticed. That being said, you should still take precautions to protect your vehicle’s paint coating and body panels since one small scratch can gradually lead to a sizable area of chipped paint and rust.
Plus, hailstones aren’t the only potential danger to your car or truck’s appearance. Storms can also hurtle falling tree nuts and limbs onto the vehicle’s roof.
Always store your car, truck, or van inside a garage or an outdoor shelter when you aren’t using it. If you can’t access a vehicle shelter, purchase a thick cover designed to soften the impact of falling debris. By shielding your vehicle at home, you can keep it pristine for longer.
Renew Your Vehicle’s Look at Cutting Edge Collision Center
Can small hail damage your car? Even pea-sized hail can create cosmetic imperfections that snowball into something bigger. Cutting Edge Collision Center specializes in dent fixing and other auto body repairs in Tucson, Arizona. Call 520-339-6901 to discuss restoring your vehicle with our technicians.