Flood damage checks are an essential buyer’s tool so used car purchasers and insurance companies can determine if a used car for sale by an owner in Atlanta or by a car dealer in Tampa, Fla., were not submerged in Hurricane Katrina’s flood waters in New Orleans, or smashed by a tree and repaired by a wholesale car dealer in Mississippi.
Carfax.com is offering free flood damage checks for buyers and dealers on its Web site to keep them from becoming Katrina’s latest victims.
Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax, said background checks on used car titles are discovering a large number of flood-damaged cars have been put up for sale in a wide variety of markets across the U.S.
“In states where the cost of living is higher than average people will move cars from the Gulf Coast to places like Illinois, New York, California, Washington, D.C.,” Gamache explained. “We’re used to paying more for vehicles.”
He said as little as 12 inches of water can cause significant damage. Braking instruments and computer components that run the safety systems are at risk when the car is submerged.
“Even worse, during Katrina, many vehicles were flooded at least halfway up to the roof, and some were completely underwater,” Gamache said. “In addition to damaging more of the vehicle, dirty water that infiltrates a ventilation system can create a place for mold and bacteria to live and circulate throughout the car.
“Increasingly, used car professionals all agree that most, if not all the vehicles in areas affected by Katrina should probably be crushed,” he said. “But inevitably, used cars that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina in Gulf coast states like Louisiana and Mississippi will make it to areas not hit by the storm.”
Gamache advised consumers to be wary and pointed out some “red flags”:
Watch for a Louisiana or Mississippi license plate or registration.
Look in the trunk under the spare tire, which is the first place that is going to rust. The carpet below the spare tire will have wet spots if the car has been flooded.
Look for water markings on the car’s interior, signs of water under the air filter and pitting on aluminum rims.
For a thorough check, the vehicle needs to be lifted so its undercarriage can be inspected.
Topics Auto Flood Mississippi
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