Southeastern U.S. residents are still working to pick up the pieces after Hurricanes Helen and Milton, with one estimate saying the back-to-back storms could cost insurers up to $55 billion. And one of the common images from each storm was cars damaged or destroyed by flood waters.
Even before the two hurricanes, tropical storms in the U.S. in June through August damaged 89,000 cars, according to Carfax. It also found more than 450,000 water-damaged cars returned to the road last year.
It's a sometimes startling fact that compromised vehicles like these won't end up in a junkyard but will instead be resold — and sometimes without the buyer being told of the vehicle's history. This, Consumer Reports says, can give the new owner a set of unknown and potentially costly issues, from reliability to future repairs.
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Benjamin Preston, an autos writer for Consumer Reports and a former auto mechanic, told Scripps News that water — particularly salt water — can cause lasting damage once it gets into the electronics of the vehicle, down the line causing issues like windows not rolling down or even the engine not working. And in some states, he says, differing regulations can lead to these problems persisting through various owners.
"You really never know where it's going to come from," Preston said. "You hope that when you look at the title and it says "clean" you're good; the thing is in good condition. It came from a reputable place. But sometimes you just don't know because many of these cars that were damaged in floods in coastal areas were moved around, and people can benefit from state laws in other states and clean up the title and you might not even know it."
Preston said that while it's legal to sell a flood-damaged car, the fact should be noted on the car's title. If it's been rebuilt, it should have a salvage or rebuilt tag on its title.
"The seller is supposed to disclose that to you, but if they don't know, it can be difficult," Preston said. "And some of these sellers can move across state lines, and then everybody's in the dark."
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So what should you look out for to ensure you're not purchasing one of these?
Preston said you should always get a mechanic to inspect the ride before you buy. There are also some checks you can make yourself, including:
- Checking to see if any of the carpets are waterlogged or muddy and if there's a musty smell
- Look for seat bolts or mounting screws that are rusty
- Inspect the lights for visible waterlines
- Ensuring the engine oil doesn't look milky
To hear more about how a someone can sell their water-damaged car in an ethical way and how an unknowing buyer can handle the purchase of a water-damaged car, watch the video above.
