5 On Your Side: How to find signs of a flood-damaged vehicle

How to find signs of a flood-damaged vehicle

Selling a flood-damaged vehicle without disclosing the damage is illegal in most states – but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Consumer Reports has important advice to keep in mind while you’re shopping to help you spot a flood-damaged car before you drive off the lot.

“Too often, when an insurance company declares a flood-damaged car a total loss, that information isn’t communicated to potential buyers,” says Jon Linkov, an auto editor for Consumer Reports.

Some flood-damaged vehicles are sold with clean titles, meaning a flood-damaged car could easily find its way back into the used-car market. If a car doesn’t carry maximum insurance, flood-damage may not be disclosed in the vehicle’s title. Consumer Reports says a mechanic should do a thorough inspection, but there are things you can do as a buyer.

“The first thing you want to do is come over to the front of the car. Inhale and see if there’s any kind of moldy or musty smell. If you have that, you definitely want to walk away from the car,” said Linkov. “Next, pop up the trim panel on the side of the door and look to see if the carpet is dirty, or if there’s any kind of sediment or rust. You should also look in the door pockets – if there’s any kind of sediment in there, or dirt or stones, that’s what happens when the water comes up and gets into the car. It drains away and those settle and hide in there.”

Linkov also says to pop off some of the aps and covers for the seat bolts – if they’re scratched up or even look rusty, that means the seat was taken out so it could air dry. In addition, he says to look where a spare tire would be kept- there could be rust on exposed crews or on the panels, the tools such as the jack or the jack stand, or smell musty or moldy.

“Look along the back of the engine bay,” adds Linkov. When water rises and stays when a vehicle is flooded, it will recede and leave a flood line on the soft material there. If there’s anything like that, walk away from it.

Although vehicle history reports are often helpful, Consumer Reports reminds shoppers they don’t guarantee that a car is problem-free.
The post 5 On Your Side: How to find signs of a flood-damaged vehicle first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.