Flooded cars from Hurricane Helene could be headed to used car lots

Tropical storms and hurricanes, like Helene, leave homes, roads and vehicles underwater.
Vehicle data company
after summer flooding events from June through August of this year.
Even if you don’t live in a flood-prone area, it is still possible to end up with a flood-damaged car in the months afterward, which could end up costing you thousands of dollars in repair bills.
It can be hard to spot a flooded car since unscrupulous resellers will dry them out, clean them up, and put them up for sale.
Certified mechanic Matt Overbeck, owner of
, explained how to check a used car for signs of flood damage.
He walked us around a 10-year-old Prius, which had moisture inside its headlights and looked like it might have had some water damage.
Overbeck says you typically won’t see anything in the engine bay, which dealers often pressure wash and shine up.
Instead, he looked around the interior, and carefully pulled down a panel under the glove compartment.
“With a little bit of work, we can pull this plastic down and look,” he said.
Overbeck says you should look under the dashboard for signs of mud or rust on the wiring, or rust on the gas pedal, which is unusual.
Next, he said to inspect the carpeting, especially under the seats, where all was dry and clean. The interior of the Prius checked out fine. But the inspection wasn’t done.
In the back of the car, Overbeck lifted the package tray over the spare tire, looking for signs of sand and mud.
“Water can actually pool in this low point in the car,” Overbeck said.
The tire well was dry.
Finally, he said, check taillights for signs of moisture inside. “It’s very easy for moisture to get into the taillight, and fill up,” he said.
While this car did have moisture visible inside the headlights, Overbeck believes it was due to rain leaking in, and gave the Prius a clean bill of health.
If you don’t live along the coast, you might be thinking this isn’t a problem for you.
But
, says it’s very common for scammers to go into areas where there has been flooding, “And they will offer cash or other incentives to owners to sell their car that’s been flood damaged.”
He says people will clean up water-damaged cars, and then sell them in other parts of the country.
“In places like Ohio, in places like Utah, Minnesota, and Illinois,” he said, “we see relatively high numbers there because it’s easier to sell in areas where it’s not top of mind for owners to think about flooding.”
If you accidentally buy a flood-damaged car, meantime, Overbeck says electrical problems could last forever.
“There are upwards of 80 computer modules in modern vehicles,” he said. “If they get submerged in water, there is no way to repair it.”
Which is why you want to avoid buying one, so you don’t waste your money.
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