The recent floods not only caused property damage, but also left countless cars underwater. While many of those vehicles will be deemed total losses, some may end up in the used car market where buyers may purchase them without knowing.
In the past, many flooded vehicles have turned up for sale in our area.
“Not every vehicle that's been involved in a flood gets reported to Carfax. There's no law that mandates, obligates the seller to report it,” Eddie Garces said.
Garces is with Carfax - the company that provides vehicle data to individuals and businesses.
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When a vehicle floods and the driver has full coverage, he says their insurance company will report the damage but sometimes, drivers aren’t covered and decide to clean up the car themselves and resell it without reporting it.
“This is definitely a safety hazard because a flooded car presents hidden damage that could affect the braking system, the airbag system, the computer system that really warns the driver. So, this is not just a financial headache or problem, this is also a safety issue,” Garces said.
He says although the owner may clean it up well before putting the car on the market, there are ways to spot flood damage.
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“So the first line you want to look at is here on the computer module … where all the circuits are,” Garces said pointing to the area. “Make sure that there's no rust, that there's no dirt, that there is no mud in there. If there is, that's a sign that this vehicle was involved in a flood,” Garces said.
He says humidity in the dashboard or headlights is also a clear indicator of water damage as well as mud and debris in the compartment where the spare tire is stored.
When checking the vehicle's interior, he recommends looking underneath the pedals.
“If there's rusted screws and bolts, especially underneath the pedals, the accelerator, the brake, if the wiring, if you see that there's some wiring that's also corroded,” Garces explained. “And even on the side panels of the doors, if you see a waterline that they weren't able to clean out, that's a good sign.”
Before buying a car, experts recommend having a trusted certified mechanic look at it.
Carfax also has a free tool you can use to see if the car you’re getting ready to buy has a flood report. You can go to carfax.com/flood and enter the vehicle’s VIN number.
