Many of these damaged automobiles are flagged before they make it into the market, but some get resold through salvage auctions and end up in the hands of somebody who wants to hide the fact they were underwater.
“It’s honestly a pretty common practice when there are floods in the area,” said Sherri Sword, vice president of communications, Better Business Bureau, adding that scam alerts have been issued out of Texas to warn consumers.
Reputable dealerships will do a vehicle history report and inspection to keep flooded cars off their lots, so the real risk is with private sellers, said Brasso.
There are several steps car buyers can take to protect themselves from being fooled by a scrubbed down, flood-damaged vehicle, according to Richard Henry, lead technician with P&T Automotive in Dayton.
“Look for the mud, the sand, and the silt, stuff like that in your door jams,” he said. “Smell the car. Make sure it doesn’t smell like mildew. Make sure there’s no molding on the carpet or the fabric of the interior. Look up underneath the seats. They might shampoo the seats, but a lot of them won’t get underneath the seats.”
He also recommends back checking for mud and silt on the matting under the carpet and spare tire. Also, check for rust, and for watery or pinkish transmission fluid.
He adds that a vehicle history report is a must, and recommends getting an expert mechanic to do a thorough inspection.
Carfax has made its flood damage check available for free. Consumers can enter a VIN number at flood.carfax.com.
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