Hail-Damaged Car in Brisbane? Repair, Keep or Sell

By A1 Cash for Cars Team · Last updated: 23 October 2026

A1 Cash for Cars is a Brisbane vehicle buyer and licensed motor dealer with a yard at 60 Bowhill Rd, Willawong. We assess and buy unwanted, damaged, scrap and non-running cars, utes, vans and 4WDs across Greater Brisbane.

In south-east Queensland, a summer storm can turn nasty fast. If your car was parked outside, you might now be looking at dents, a cracked windscreen or worse. This guide explains what to do next, from checking the damage and claiming on insurance to deciding whether to repair, keep or sell your hail-damaged car in Brisbane.

Key takeaways

• Hail can make a car unroadworthy. Broken windows, lights or wiper arms can make a vehicle defective, and it’s an offence to drive a defective vehicle on a road. (Queensland Government)
• Hail claims are common in SEQ. The ABC reported about 40,000 motor vehicle insurance claims after storms in Queensland and parts of NSW from late October to early December 2025. (ABC News)
• There are two kinds of write-off. A statutory write-off can never be re-registered in Australia; a repairable write-off needs a safety certificate inspection and a written-off vehicle inspection first. (Queensland Government)
• Cosmetic hail write-offs may skip the inspection if you were the registered operator before the hail and the rego is current. (Queensland Government)
• No safety certificate is needed when you sell to a licensed motor dealer, such as A1 Cash for Cars. (Queensland Government)

How do I check my car for hail damage?

Start with safety, not dents. Once the storm has passed, check the glass, lights and wiper arms in good light, because damage to these can make the car defective and illegal to drive. Then photograph the whole car, inside and out, before anything is moved or repaired. Those photos support both an insurance claim and a sale.

1. Look for safety damage first

According to the Queensland Government, hail can make a vehicle defective, including:

• broken or cracked windows
• broken lights, such as headlights, tail-lights or indicators
• damaged windscreen wiper arms.

It is an offence to drive a defective vehicle on a road, and penalties can include on-the-spot fines, demerit points and defect notices. If your car has smashed glass or broken lights, don’t drive it until it has been repaired to a safe condition.

2. Photograph everything

Before anything is moved or cleaned up, photograph:

1. every side of the car, plus the roof and bonnet
2. the windscreen, windows and lights
3. the interior
4. the odometer.

How do I make a hail insurance claim?

If your car is comprehensively insured, lodge your claim with your insurer as soon as you can, even if repairs can wait. During the 2025 storm season, insurers urged customers not to delay, and some set up dedicated hail assessment centres to process damaged cars faster. Ask your insurer about repair timing, multiple storms and how your payout is calculated.

Practical points from the ABC’s coverage:

• Lodge now, repair later if needed. The Insurance Council of Australia said claims should be made straight away, but repairs don’t always have to happen immediately.
• More than one storm? Insurers handle this differently. Storms close together may be rolled into one claim, while ones further apart may be separate.
• Ask how your payout is calculated. One Esk owner told the ABC that because he paid monthly, the rest of the year’s premium was deducted from his payout.

What happens if my hail-damaged car is written off?

If repairs would cost more than the car is worth, your insurer may pay out the claim instead of fixing it and notify the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) that the car is written off. In Queensland, it will be recorded as either a repairable or a statutory write-off, and that status stays with the car permanently.

Repairable vs statutory write-offs

The How the Written-off Vehicle Scheme works page explains the two types:

• Repairable write-off: the car can be re-registered, but only after it passes a safety certificate inspection and a written-off vehicle inspection (WOVI).
• Statutory write-off: the car can never be re-registered in Australia. Some of its parts, such as anything carrying the VIN, can’t be reused.

Write-off statuses are permanent, follow the car interstate, and are recorded on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). In Queensland, the scheme applies to “notifiable” vehicles, which includes light vehicles that are 16 years old or younger when they become a total loss.

Does a hail write-off need an inspection?

Normally a written-off car needs an inspection before it can be re-registered or driven. The Queensland Government says a hail-damaged write-off may be exempt from the written-off vehicle inspection if all of these apply:

1. the car has cosmetic hail damage only (damage from a falling tree or crash doesn’t qualify)
2. you were the registered operator immediately before the hail damage
3. the registration is current.

If you qualify, the exemption is automatic, and you should receive a confirmation letter about two weeks after your insurer notifies TMR. If you don’t receive it, you can apply using form F5018. The hail write-off won’t affect your registration period, but the write-off and exemption both stay on the register.

Should I repair, keep or sell my hail-damaged car?

It depends on who pays and what the car is worth afterwards. Repairing usually makes sense when insurance covers it and you plan to keep the car. Keeping a written-off car means accepting a permanent record that usually lowers its value. Selling is often simplest for older cars, big repair bills or write-offs you don’t want to deal with.

Option 1: Repair it

If insurance covers the work, repairing often makes sense for a newer car you plan to keep. If you’re paying yourself, compare a detailed quote with the car’s value. Our guide on whether to repair or sell your broken car in Brisbane goes through how to weigh this up.

Option 2: Keep it as a written-off car

If your insurer writes the car off, you may be able to keep it as part of the settlement. Before agreeing, keep in mind what the Queensland Government points out:

• the car stays on the written-off vehicle register
• that history can’t be removed and will usually reduce the car’s value
• you’ll usually receive a reduced cash settlement if you keep it.

If you need to keep driving it until a replacement arrives, ask your insurer not to record it as written off until it’s replaced (and only drive it if it’s safe).

Option 3: Sell it

Selling suits big repair bills, older cars with other issues, or write-offs you’d rather not deal with.

Not sure what it’s worth? Our article on how much your scrap car is worth in Brisbane explains what buyers look at. If you’re weighing up a private sale, see selling privately vs selling to a car wrecker.

Can I sell a hail-damaged car in QLD?

Yes. You can sell it in Queensland whether it’s repaired, unrepaired or written off, as long as you’re entitled to sell it and upfront about its condition. Have your ID ready, disclose any finance or insurer interest, and check the safety certificate rules. Selling to a licensed motor dealer like A1 Cash for Cars means you don’t need one.

Work through this checklist before you sell:

1. ID and proof you can sell it. Have valid identification and evidence that you’re legally entitled to sell the car.
2. Finance disclosed. If there’s money owing on the car, disclose it. Any finance interest generally needs to be resolved before ownership can change hands.
3. Insurer status. If your insurer has been involved, be clear about whether the car has been released to you or whether the insurer has an interest in it.
4. Write-off status. If the car is a repairable or statutory write-off, say so upfront. If it’s a total write-off and no insurer or other notifier has reported it, Queensland rules say you must notify TMR before you sell or dispose of it.
5. Photos and honest details. Use your photos from earlier, and say whether the car starts, rolls and steers.

Do I need a safety certificate or rego transfer?

• If you sell a registered car privately, you’ll generally need a current safety certificate. One isn’t needed when you sell to a licensed motor dealer, and A1 Cash for Cars is a licensed motor dealer, so you don’t need a safety certificate to sell your car to us.
• Unregistered cars can be sold without a safety certificate. Keep a signed record of the sale with the VIN, make, model and date.
• If the registration stays on the car, it must be transferred within 14 days of the sale.
• If you plan to cancel the registration, check with your insurer first, because the insurer may take ownership of the registration as part of the claim.

Where can I sell a hail-damaged car in Brisbane?

A1 Cash for Cars assesses accident, hail and mechanically damaged vehicles across Greater Brisbane, including cars released by an insurer. Requesting a quote is free and there’s no obligation to sell. If you accept the offer, vehicle removal is included under the agreed pickup terms.

You don’t need to pay for repairs first, and because we’re a licensed motor dealer, you don’t need a safety certificate either. Just show us the damage and tell us whether the car moves.

We handle pickups from our Willawong base across Brisbane North and Brisbane South, Logan and Beenleigh, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Caboolture, mainland Redlands and Cleveland, and selected Gold Coast suburbs. Pickup availability is confirmed from your vehicle details and exact location.

• Call us: 0400 119 641
• Request an offer: Cash for Damaged Cars
• Storm or flood damage as well? See Accident & Flood-Damaged Cars

FAQs

Can I still drive my hail-damaged car?

You may be able to, as long as it’s safe. If hail has broken the glass, lights or wiper arms, the car may be defective and shouldn’t be driven on the road until it has been repaired.

Does a hail write-off need an inspection before I can drive it?

Not always. A hail-damaged write-off is automatically exempt from the written-off vehicle inspection if the damage is cosmetic only, you were the registered operator immediately before the hail and the registration is current.

Will a hail write-off affect the car’s value?

Usually, yes. The write-off stays on the register permanently and generally reduces resale value.

Can I sell a car that’s been written off?

Yes, but be upfront about its status. A statutory write-off can never be re-registered and is only suitable for parts or recycling. A repairable write-off can be re-registered after passing the required inspections. A1 Cash for Cars can often collect written-off cars, subject to ownership, insurer status and safe access.

Do I need a safety certificate to sell my hail-damaged car to A1?

No. Queensland rules don’t require a safety certificate when you sell to a licensed motor dealer, and A1 Cash for Cars is a licensed motor dealer. If you sell a registered car privately instead, you’ll generally need one.

Should I repair the hail damage before selling?

Not necessarily. Get an assessment first, then compare it with the repair quote, as repairs may not improve what you end up with.