Don't Buy A Car With Flood Damage

Cars and water don’t mix well. When a car has been damaged by a flood, the extent of the damage can vary considerably, depending on how much of the car was submerged, how long the car was under water, and even the condition of the water. While you may think that only the upholstery and electrical system of a car would be affected, in reality, you’d be hard pressed to find any part of the car that wasn’t affected and potentially damaged by the water.

One of the biggest issues at hand is whether or not you’re told that a car was damaged in a flood. If you know a car was damaged in a flood, you can consider the car in that light and determine whether or not you want to go forward with the purchase. If you do so, you do so knowing the issue of repairs and reliability you may face in the future. If you want the car for parts, for example, a flooded car may be acceptable. If, however, you’re looking for reliable transportation, you’d probably be better served to keep looking.

The real problem arises when an unscrupulous sales person tries to sell you a car with flood damage without revealing that to you. Fortunately, there’s a fairly easy way to protect yourself from a car with flood damage these days – run a title search. A title search will tell you the status of a car, especially if it was purchased from an insurance company or a dealership that works with insurance companies in an area that has just experienced a major flood.

First, obtain the VIN of the car you’re considering and take that number to your local Department of Motor Vehicles office to request a title search. More conveniently, there are commercial services – most notably CarFax – that can provide you with information about the title of a car. Most of these services are available online and offer some information for free, while charging for other information.

If a car has a salvaged title, it means that the car has been totaled or determined to have damages in which the cost of potential repairs exceeds the value of the car. In most cases, like a fire or an accident, the damage is so self-evident that it can’t be hidden. A flood damaged car, on the other hand, can have damage not readily visible to the untrained eye. For example, a car that was flooded by fresh water can look undamaged after a careful cleaning. For example, the appearance of the car tells you nothing about the reliability of the electrical system of the car, which may be severely compromised after flood damage.

Flood damage can be hard to determine, even by a trained mechanic conducting a pre-sale inspection. The only absolutely reliable way to protect yourself from flood damage is to find out whether or not the car has a salvage title before you go ahead with the purchase.