A despair rolled in a Piloting check can be used to damage vehicles and ships (under the Piloting skill descriptions, pp. 115 and 116, EoE core) just like a despair can be spent to damage gear and equipment (under Weapon Maintenance, pp. 158).

However, gear and equipment has the repairing and maintenance rules that govern damage to those things. They use Minor, Moderate, and Major damage to describe the situation and difficulty of rapair.

With vehicles and ships, what happens? Hull Trauma damage? System Strain? Critical hits

Perhaps the components and ship systems (as listed on page 227) can use the same Minor, Moderate, and Major deals?

I think the answer to all these questions is “Yes”.

Seriously, I think it depends on what fits into your narrative. Use what works, and if you find something you’ve used that didn’t work, then you probably don’t want to go that direction again.

I'd have it cause a collision or minor collision - which is to say, a critical hit, with the roll modified by shields.

(Collisions are on page 242 of the Edge of the Empire book. Collisions, despite being referenced in many places, are not in the Edge of the Empire index. Gah!)