Nine signs that the car you want to buy has been damaged in a flood
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles were estimated to have been flooded in
"Unfortunately, after a major flood event, some flood-damaged vehicles are cleaned up and taken out of state and the vehicle is then sold to unsuspecting buyers as new or used but not identified as flood-damaged,"
She said some damage, such as to a vehicle's electrical system, may not surface for months or years and probably wouldn't be covered by the buyer's insurer because it happened before the purchase. Here are signs to look for, according to state officials and the
* Water stains, mold, mud or sand under the carpets, seats, floor mats, inside roof cloth and under the dashboard.
* Rusty metal inside the car.
* Musty odors in the trunk and passenger compartment, especially when running the air conditioning or heat.
* Fog or moisture inside interior and exterior lights and excessive fogging of windows and condensation on windows.
* Mud or grit in the spare tire compartment and under the hood.
* Brittle wires under the dashboard, speakers and hood.
* Oxidation under the hood, which can look like white powder or small holes called pitting.
* Oil or transmission fluid that is milky or has water beads.
* Electrical components that operate erratically, including power windows, power seats, power locks, sunroof, radio, Bluetooth, lights, windshield wipers, air conditioning, heat and automatic doors.
"Car buyers should beware of any deals that seem too good to be true. If you are offered a vehicle for what appears to be a very low price, you can check several areas on the vehicle to see if it may be flood damaged," Altman said.
Flood-damaged vehicles can be issued certificates of salvage from PennDOT and then be sold if the salvage certificate discloses the damage. They must pass an enhanced vehicle safety inspection before getting a title in
"Looks can be deceiving," said
There can be insurance implications to buying a vehicle with a salvage certificate or flood title, state officials warned, with less money paid in claims due to the previous damage. You can check for flood damage for free through the
When buying a used car, ask a trusted mechanic to look it over before you buy it. If the seller won't allow that, consider it to be a deal-breaker. Move on and look for a vehicle elsewhere.
Contact me at [email protected], 610-841-2364 or
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