With all the flooding along the west coast in recent weeks, the used car market will soon be flooded with vehicles that were under water. And that’s something used car buyers need to watch out for.
Buy a used vehicle that’s been inundated by flood waters, and you’re going to have problems down the road.
“It’s very easy for a professional to clean up a vehicle and make it look new, when, in fact, the electronics and computers are in really bad shape. This can present a safety hazard,” said Jack Gillis, chairman of the board of the non-profit Center for Auto Safety. “Whereas normally they come from the south because of hurricane damage, now they’re going to be coming from the West Coast because of the severe flooding that has occurred in the last month or so.”
When the insurance company decides a flood-damaged vehicle is a total loss, it’s sold at a salvage auction for scrap or usable parts. The title is supposed to be “branded” as a “salvage” or “flood vehicle.”
In some states, a certified mechanic can rebuild these junkers, and sell them—as long as the vehicle has a new “rebuilt” title. But the system is far from foolproof.
Consumer Reports deputy Auto editor Jon Linkov says a title can be “washed” to erase the vehicle’s soggy past.
“All of a sudden you have a new title, and that begins a process where the vehicle becomes titled, and retitled, and titled again, and moved around the country,” Linkov told Checkbook.
“At some point, the title gets possibly lost, or someone misses the code, and all of a sudden, a new title is issued for a car that looks like a perfectly fine vehicle.”
The dishonest dealers and individuals who sell these previously waterlogged cars and trucks don’t disclose that information, and often go to great lengths to hide it from customers.
Checkbook recommends doing three things before you buy any used vehicle: Look for signs of flood or collision damage, check the vehicle’s history, and have it inspected by an independent mechanic or collision repair shop.
Some used car dealers will provide a CARFAX report to potential buyers. If not, you can run your own vehicle history check, using the free Flood Check from CARFAX.
“In many cases, it’s going to be able to tell you if there’s been damage and accident and things like that,” said Ronald Montoya, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds. “It’s not a guarantee, it can’t catch everything, but it’s probably the best thing you can do as a used car shopper.”
If you find a used car you like, take it to an independent mechanic for an inspection before you sign the paperwork. A test drive isn’t enough. The inspection may cost $100-$150, but if the mechanic finds that the car was in a flood, or was in an accident, or there’s been some jury-rigged repair work done, that could save you thousands of dollars.
If the seller won’t let you have a mechanic look at that vehicle – walk away!
More Info: Avoid Getting Stuck with a Flood-Damaged Used Car
Checkbook is an independent, non-profit, subscriber-based consumer rating and education service. As a courtesy to Northwest Newsradio listeners, you can use these special links (good until Feb. 28, 2023) for ratings of auto repair shops and auto body shops in the Puget Sound area. You can reach Herb on his website: ConsumerMan.com.
