Rust can creep in pretty quickly if the paint's chipped or cracked, especially in wet climates or winter salt conditions. Sealing dents early definitely helps—my cousin used touch-up paint and clear coat on his hail damage, and it's held up fine for years now.
That's a good point about sealing dents early—I've seen plenty of cases where minor hail damage turned into bigger headaches down the line because rust set in unnoticed. Touch-up paint and clear coat can definitely be effective if applied properly, especially if the damage is minor. Glad your cousin's approach has held up well; it's reassuring to hear real-life examples where simple preventative measures pay off.
As for the insurance issue, it's always tough seeing situations like that Kansas story. Policies can vary widely, and unfortunately, many folks don't realize hail coverage isn't automatically included under basic plans. Checking your policy details carefully and chatting with your agent about what's covered can save a lot of stress later on. I've had a few clients who learned this the hard way too, and now they're extra cautious when reviewing their renewals each year.
"Checking your policy details carefully and chatting with your agent about what's covered can save a lot of stress later on."
Yep, learned that the hard way myself. A couple years back, my pride and joy got caught in a freak hailstorm while parked outside my favorite restaurant (great pasta, terrible parking luck). Thought my insurance had me covered, but turns out I skimmed over the hail exclusion. Ouch.
Now I'm that guy who triple-checks every renewal letter...lesson painfully learned. Also totally agree on sealing up those little dents early. I joke that my car’s paint job gets better medical care than I do—every tiny ding gets immediate attention. It's funny how owning a nice car turns you into some kind of amateur meteorologist too; if there's even a hint of hail, I'm racing home like a storm chaser in reverse.
Anyway, insurance fine print is no joke—definitely worth the headache of reading through carefully, even if it feels like homework.
Been there myself... had a windshield cracked by hail once and assumed it was covered under comprehensive. Turns out I had a higher deductible than I remembered, so ended up paying out of pocket anyway. Definitely pays to double-check those details ahead of time.
Had a close call myself last summer—storm rolled through and dropped golf-ball-sized hail all over town. Luckily, I'd double-checked my deductible a few months earlier and adjusted it down, just in case. Ended up with a few dents but nothing serious enough to claim. Makes me wonder though, do most folks here regularly review their deductibles and coverage limits, or only after something happens? Seems like something we all overlook until it's too late...
