In the weeks and months following major flooding, a second wave of damage occurs, when water-damaged cars and trucks often enter the used car market.
LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) – In the weeks and months following major flooding, a second wave of damage occurs, when water-damaged cars and trucks often enter the used car market.
Bryan’s Paint and Body estimator Vick Machado said, “If water has been in there, you will be able to tell it.”
The Better Business Bureau said thousands of cars are damaged by floods every year, and they don’t always end up in the junkyard.
Some are cosmetically repaired and resold without disclosing the salvage title, making it crucial for buyers to be cautious when purchasing used or new cars.
Machado said there are several signs to watch for.
“There’ll be water lines up inside the vehicle in the interior. Lot of the time it will be a smell to it. The carpet will have a nice smell to it, a pungent smell. A lot of the time, the corrosion on the wires. Definitely check underneath the hood, for corrosion on wires, or you can check the oil. A lot of times there’ll be water mixed in with the oil,” said Machado.
Central East Texas Better Business Bureau president and CEO Mechele Mills said about 50% of cars damaged by storms make it back out onto the market.
Most of the time, it’s up to the purchaser to check the car and do a title search before buying it.
“Get the Carfax, check the vin number, go to the DMV, and make sure that there’s no bad history on that vehicle,” said Mills.
Machado said 90% of the time flooded vehicles never work the same after being flooded.
“You may find something that is fine now, it’s fine today, but then a week later, a month later, just with the corrosion and the water that happens, it gets in-between everything, the wires and the electronics. It would eventually fault out,” said Machado.
“You really want to try to see the car in person. Again, so you can see if there’s a smell, there’s rust, those types of things. Also, keep in mind that anybody can take a picture of any car and post it online,” said Mills.
It’s not illegal under state law to resell a flooded car, as long as the damage and the title status is disclosed to the customer.
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