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Brisbane storm season is brutal on cars, and every summer we buy hundreds of hail-dimpled vehicles across the western and northern suburbs. If your car has been through a hailstorm and you're staring at a panel beater's quote that's worth more than the car, Caraway will take it off your hands for cash. Free pickup, same-day service, no repair quotes or engineer's reports needed — we buy hail-damaged cars in any condition across Greater Brisbane.
Queensland's severe storm season runs from October through to March, and South-East Queensland consistently cops some of the worst hailstorms in Australia. Brisbane has taken direct hits from major hail events in 2014 (the Great Brisbane Hailstorm), 2020 (the Halloween storm through Rochedale and Springwood), and more recent cells that tracked across Chermside, The Gap, Kenmore, Ferny Grove, and out through Ipswich and Springfield. When a proper storm comes through — golf ball to cricket ball sized hail, driven by 80 km/h winds — a car parked in the open can be left with hundreds of dents across the bonnet, roof, and boot in the space of two or three minutes. The damage is almost always cosmetic rather than mechanical, but it's enough to write the car off for any buyer who cares about resale value. Insurers routinely declare hail-damaged cars total losses because the cost of traditional panel-beating and respraying runs into tens of thousands of dollars, and paintless dent repair (PDR) is impractical once there are more than a couple of hundred dents on a single panel. That's where Caraway comes in: we value hail-damaged cars on their mechanical and parts value, not on cosmetic condition, so dents don't cost you anything in the quote.
After a major hail event, most Brisbane drivers with comprehensive insurance have two broad options. The first is to let the insurer take the car, write it off, and pay out the agreed or market value minus the excess. The second is to elect to keep the car as a repairable write-off, accept a reduced cash settlement, and either drive the dimpled car as-is or try to on-sell it privately. Both paths end up at Caraway for a lot of sellers. If the insurer's settlement figure feels low — which is common on cars over 10 years old that sit outside the main valuation guides — we can quote directly against it. If you've already taken the cash settlement and retained salvage rights, we'll buy the car from you for a lump sum on top. If you're uninsured or were third-party only, we'll value the car as-is and give you a realistic figure within minutes. The quote is always free and obligation-free; if the insurer beats us, take their number. If we beat them or you just want the car gone today, we'll be at your address the same day.
Offers on hail-damaged vehicles depend primarily on the car's mechanical condition, kilometres, make, and model — cosmetic hail dents barely move the needle. A 2015 Hyundai i30 with 150,000 kilometres and moderate hail damage that still runs well typically fetches between $2,500 and $5,500. A hail-damaged ute or 4WD from the last five years — HiLuxes, Rangers, Pajeros, Prados — can fetch $6,000 to $9,999+ depending on condition, because the underlying parts demand stays strong regardless of dented panels. Older vehicles (pre-2005) with heavy hail damage usually land between $400 and $1,500 based on salvage and scrap value. If your car is still mechanically sound and just looks like a golf ball, you'll be pleasantly surprised — we value it on the engine, drivetrain, and interior, not the roof. We also buy cars that were already write-offs before the hail hit, and storm-damaged vehicles with broken glass, water ingress, or fallen branches through the roof. No quotes required, no paperwork headaches, and free towing across Greater Brisbane.
Common questions about this service.
Tell us about the car. We'll call or text back with a price range and next steps — usually within one business day. No obligation.
We usually reply within a few hours during business hours.
Not happy with the offer? No worries — there's zero pressure to accept.