After Hurricane Helene, water-damaged vehicles may flood used-car market. How to tell before you buy (2024)

At least 100 people were dead and over2 million homes and businesses remainedin the darkacross Florida, the Southeast and Appalachia on Monday, the region under siege from historic flooding driven by Hurricane Helene and its remnants.

Hundreds of water rescues have taken place acrossFlorida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginiasince Helene's brutal landfall inPerry, Florida, on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm.

An awful lot of cars, trucks and SUVs were destroyed or damaged when Hurricane Helene brought rain and massive storm surge to the Southeast, flooding driveways and parking garages. Some may have been ruined when the drivers tried to get through a flooded area that they shouldn't have. Many were undoubtedly totaled.

But some of those cars you saw floating in videos— or in your own neighborhood — may end up in the coming months on used car lots, at auto auctions and in classified and social media ads.

Cosmetically, these cars might look great, but if they've been even partially underwater you might not be able to tell that they're rotting from the inside out. Floodwater can cause mechanical, electrical, health and safety issues in any vehicle even if it was only under for a short time.

Before you get invested in a used car on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or used car sites, do the research.

Once a flooded car is totaled it gets a new title called a "salvage title" and is typically sold at auction to junkyards and people looking for parts. But that status isn't always passed on to potential buyers.

Some unscrupulous sellers also may transport the vehicles well out of the flooded area where would-be buyers might not be suspicious enough to look too closely, and they may hide the vehicle's history of flood damage through what’s known as ‘title washing,’according to Dennis Horton,director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau. Some may straight-up tamper with the documentation to trick buyers into believing the cars are in good condition.

And some water damage can take years to surface, after the seller is long gone.

What does flooding do to a vehicle?

"The real danger is that these cars may look fine and run well for a while, but sooner rather than later major problems are likely to occur. Flooded cars literally rot from the inside out and the damage is often difficult for untrained eyes to detect," Carfax spokesman Chris Basso said.

The immediate effects are obvious: foul or musty odors, rust, discolored interiors, engine smoke, odd noises andelectronic damage.

In the long term, water can permanently damage computers and electrical systems that control gas and brake pedals, steering and gear shifts,airbag controllers, and safety and warning sensors, and corrosion may not be apparent for months or years when abruptly your vehicle develops problems or just stops working. And then you're stuck.

How can I tell if a car wasflooded or flood-damaged during Hurricane Helene?

Ask to see the title.If the title is stamped "salvage" or the vehicle is from a recently-flooded area, or there’s only a bill of sale, you should probably ask the sellersome questions.

Check the vehicle history report. After insurers cover flood damage on a vehicle, the vehicle history report will notate its status as a salvaged car.Carfax hasa free flood check tooljust for that purpose, or you can check the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.TheNational Insurance Crime Bureau’s(NICB) free databaselists flood damage and other information, but if the vehicle was not insured it may not appear there.

Use your nose.Any musty or strange smells inside the vehicle? That could indicate the past presence of moisture. You may also want to be suspicious of strong cleaning solutions or disinfectant odors since that may indicate a lot of covering up. Be sure to turn on the A/C and take a whiff; it's harder to hide foul odors in the vents.

Check the dashboard.Make sure every gauge and electronic device works and isaccurate. Look for signs that the dashboard has been removed and check for water or condensation in the dials of older vehicles. Test the lights, windshield wipers, turn signals, cigarette lighter, power locks, windows, radio, heater and A/C several times.

Pull back thecarpet. Check for signs of water or mud. Is the carpet or upholstery discolored, faded or mildewed? The carpets can't be replaced without removing the seats, so look for evidence that those screws were removed recently. Possibly more troubling: Is the carpetobviously brand new?

Check the interior spaces. Any water or visible waterlinesin theheadlights ortaillights?Look in the trunk, glove compartment, and beneath the seats for signs of mud, rustor water damage. Look for mud and dirt on the underside of the dashboard where it's difficult to clean, and for rust, mud or discoloration in body seams and out-of-the-way crevices in doors, under the hood and inside the trunk.Another telltale sign: werethe rubber drainage plugs under the car and on the bottom of doors removed recently?

Pop the hood.Look for standing water, mud or sandaround the engine compartment. Try bending some of the wires there andunder the dash to see if they bend or crack aswet wires tend to become brittle when they dry.

Hunt for rust: Look for corrosion anywhere on the vehicle, especially underneath. It may take time for rust to show up, though. One good place to check is the heads of unpainted, exposed screws under the dashboard.

Hit the road. Don't take the seller's word for anything. Take the car for a test drive.

Get it inspected by a trusted or AAA-approved mechanic.Trust us, they'll know what to look for.

Check out the dealer. If you're looking at a vehicle froma dealer, it's a good idea to check out their Better Business Bureau profile at bbb.org.

Is a flood-damaged car fixable?

After Hurricane Helene, water-damaged vehicles may flood used-car market. How to tell before you buy (3)

That depends on the extent of the damage.

Minor flooding that was quickly drained may not be as much of an issue, but any vehicle that was severely flooded or that was partially or fully submerged for days is considered a total loss by insurance companies.

After Hurricane Helene, water-damaged vehicles may flood used-car market. How to tell before you buy (2024)

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