What Happens If Your Car Is Totaled from Hail Damage? A Complete Guide for Killeen, TX Drivers

If you’ve been hit by one of Killeen, Copperas Cove, or Fort Cavazos’s (oops we are back to Fort Hood again) infamous hailstorms, you’re not alone. The April and May 2025 hail events left thousands of vehicles dented, cracked, or completely totaled. But what does that actually mean? What happens when your car is “totaled,” and what are your options?

At Harker Heights Ceramic Coatings, we don’t just provide hail damage repair, we help educate and guide our clients through the process. In fact, one of our own team members had their vehicle totaled in the 2024 Mother’s Day hailstorm, so we’ve been through it ourselves.

This blog is your in-depth, plain-English guide to understanding the total loss process from hail damage in Killeen, TX, your options, how to protect yourself with GAP insurance, and what to do next—whether you're keeping your vehicle or letting it go.

Hail Damage 101: What Does "Totaled" Actually Mean?

Let’s start with the basics. A car being “totaled” doesn’t mean it’s destroyed—it means that the cost of repairs outweighs the value of the vehicle from the insurance company’s perspective.

Here's how it works:

Insurance companies calculate the actual cash value (ACV) of your car—what they believe they could sell it for at auction. If the cost to repair the hail damage exceeds a certain percentage of the ACV (usually around 50–70%, depending on the company), the insurer will declare it a total loss.

Why? Because repairing a car is risky and expensive. They must deal with:

• Repair delays
• Parts availability
• Rental car reimbursements
• Labor costs
• Claim management time

So even if it seems like your car could be repaired, if it's more cost-effective for them to write a check, they’ll total it.

Tip: Always Get GAP Insurance!

If you’re financing your vehicle, GAP insurance (Guaranteed Asset Protection) is crucial. Without it, if your vehicle is totaled and the payout doesn’t cover your remaining loan, you’re stuck paying the difference—even if you no longer have the car!

This happens more than people realize, especially with newer cars that depreciate quickly.

What Are Your Options When Your Car Is Declared a Total Loss?

Once your insurance company makes the decision, you’ll have two main options:

Option 1: Let the Car Go

This is the most common path.

👉 If You Own the Car Outright:

You’ll receive a check for the car’s actual cash value. That amount is supposed to help you replace the vehicle.

🧠 Pro Tip: Search for comparable vehicles for sale in Killeen, Copperas Cove, Temple, and surrounding areas. If your insurance company offers you $15,000 but local equivalents cost $20,000, you can use those listings to negotiate for a higher payout.

👉 If You Have a Loan and You're Even:

If your payout matches what you owe, your loan is paid off and you can walk away clean.

👉 If You Have Positive Equity:

You’ll get your loan paid off and possibly receive a balance check for the equity. That money can be used as a down payment for your next vehicle.

🚨 Worst-Case Scenario: You’re Upside Down

If you owe more than the car is worth and don’t have GAP coverage, you’re stuck with the remainder of the loan—even if the insurance company tows your vehicle away. Yes, that means you’re paying monthly for a car you no longer have.

Option 2: Keep the Vehicle

This option is a little trickier.

You can “buy back” the vehicle at a salvage rate. This might appeal to you if the car is still drivable and you either don’t care about the hail dents or plan to fix it cheaply.

Example (IF YOU OWN IT OUTRIGHT):

Let’s say your 2023 Toyota 4Runner is valued at $30,000. The insurance totals it and offers you:

• $30,000 payout
• Buyback value: $15,000

You now have two options:

• Take the full $30K and walk away to find a new car, and they take the totaled 4Runner
• Pay $15K to keep the vehicle (buying it back) and pocket the remaining $15K, either fixing or trying to fix as much as possible with that $15k.

BUT—here’s where it gets tricky:

1. The car will still be damaged.
2. You WILL NOT receive a salvage title in the state of Texas if it's hail damage, unlike collision damage, which will result in a Blue Title (rebuilt, salvage).
3. If repairs are incomplete, your insurance may deny future comprehensive claims (like future hail or theft) or refuse to cover you altogether for comprehensive claims (most likely).
4. You’ll have to pay out of pocket to fix it—often more than what you keep.

Keeping the Car with a Loan Still Owed?

This is the WORST scenario for a positive outcome, in my opinion.

If you still owe money on the loan, the situation is harder.

Here’s what happens:

• Insurance gives you $30,000 (retail value of the vehicle) and you pay off your $15,000 loan
• They offer you a buyback of $10,000, and you buy back the car for $10,000
• Now you only have $5,000 left in your pocket
• But your vehicle still needs $15,000+ in repairs
  
  

So now you have a damaged car, a rebuilt title (only if it's from a collision, NOT from hail), and not enough money to fix it correctly.

💡 In our experience, only consider this route if you work at or with a body or  hail repair shop, or you’re OK driving a hail-damaged vehicle long term.

REMEMBER: if you owe more on the car than it's worth, buying the car back at that point is not going to make sense in almost any scenario. It's VERY important to have GAP coverage.

Local Example: Copperas Cove, Killeen, and the April 2025 Hailstorm

The April 30, 2025 storm devastated Copperas Cove and Killeen. We've seen hundreds of vehicles—especially trucks and SUVs—declared total losses from severe hail damage.

It’s not just about dents. It’s broken windshields, compromised hoods and roofs, damaged belt moldings, and expensive aluminum body panels. Many clients came to us unsure of what to do next. That’s where our experience, connections, and transparency helped.

Here’s what one of our clients said:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“These guys helped me not just with the hail repair but also walked me through the insurance total loss process. I had no idea how it worked until they explained everything step-by-step.”
— Jeremy M., Killeen TX

FAQ: Total Loss Hail Damage in Killeen TX

Can I still drive a totaled car?

Yes, but only if it’s deemed safe (not typically an issue for hail damage cars, mainly if the windshield was severely damaged). Once totaled, the title will usually be branded as salvage or rebuilt (only if it's in an accident, it WILL NOT have a rebuilt title for hail damage only in the State of Texas), and your comprehensive insurance coverage may be limited or denied.

Can I fix it myself?

You can, but unless you’re in the industry or don’t mind a flawed finish, most people can’t fix hail damage correctly with limited funds. Especially with aluminum panels (like on many Ford trucks and Teslas), repairs are trickier and costlier. Learn why aluminum repairs are more expensive here. There are rumors that you can leave it out in the sun here (I've seen it in Killeen TX Facebook groups) and the dents will just pop themselves out in the heat. FALSE. If that were true, do you think we would have a job or a hail damage repair shop? Heck no!

Will my insurance cover hail damage again in the future?

Only if the vehicle is fully repaired and documented. If your adjuster sees unrepaired hail damage, they may deny future hail claims. That’s why professional repairs and documentation matter.

What Should You Do Next?

Here are the immediate steps if your vehicle was damaged in a hailstorm:

1. File a claim with your insurance provider ASAP.
2. Get a repair estimate if you have USAA, you will need to take it to an inspection location for the initial claim. For any other company, we can handle everything for you.
3. Ask your adjuster if the car will be totaled based on preliminary damage. (we will talk to the adjuster for you and guide you through the process)
4. Research comparable vehicles in Central Texas to compare against your payout.
5. Decide if you want to keep or release the vehicle based on the numbers and your priorities.
6. Ask about a hail damage insurance supplement if additional damage is discovered during repairs. Learn more here. We handle all of that for you.

FAQ: Total Loss Hail Damage in Killeen TX

Can I still drive a totaled car?

Yes, but only if it’s deemed safe (not typically an issue for hail damage cars, mainly if the windshield was severely damaged). Once totaled, the title will usually be branded as salvage or rebuilt (only if it's in an accident, it WILL NOT have a rebuilt title for hail damage only in the State of Texas), and your comprehensive insurance coverage may be limited or denied.

Can I fix it myself?

You can, but unless you’re in the industry or don’t mind a flawed finish, most people can’t fix hail damage correctly with limited funds. Especially with aluminum panels (like on many Ford trucks and Teslas), repairs are trickier and costlier. Learn why aluminum repairs are more expensive here. There are rumors that you can leave it out in the sun here (I've seen it in Killeen TX Facebook groups) and the dents will just pop themselves out in the heat. FALSE. If that were true, do you think we would have a job or a hail damage repair shop? Heck no!

Will my insurance cover hail damage again in the future?

Only if the vehicle is fully repaired and documented. If your adjuster sees unrepaired hail damage, they may deny future hail claims. That’s why professional repairs and documentation matter.

What Should You Do Next?

Here are the immediate steps if your vehicle was damaged in a hailstorm:

1. File a claim with your insurance provider ASAP.
2. Get a repair estimate if you have USAA, you will need to take it to an inspection location for the initial claim. For any other company, we can handle everything for you.
3. Ask your adjuster if the car will be totaled based on preliminary damage. (we will talk to the adjuster for you and guide you through the process)
4. Research comparable vehicles in Central Texas to compare against your payout.
5. Decide if you want to keep or release the vehicle based on the numbers and your priorities.
6. Ask about a hail damage insurance supplement if additional damage is discovered during repairs. Learn more here. We handle all of that for you.