Don’t Buy a Flooded Car: A Guide to Avoid Damaged Vehicles

How can you avoid buying a flooded car? Shutterstock

There is more than one set of flood victims when a storm strikes. The repercussions can spread across the nation. This is particularly true of flooded cars. When cars are flood-damaged, they’re not necessarily junked. One of them could end up in your garage.

How can this happen? According to Carfax, there are currently 454,000 flooded cars on the road, and many owners don’t know it. But they do know the engine problems they’re dealing with. How can you avoid buying a flood car?

Flood Cars Titled as ‘Salvage’ and Resold

Usually, an insurance company declares a flood-damaged car a total loss. These cars are then sold at salvage auctions to junkyards and vehicle rebuilders. However, reselling the vehicle to the public is legal if the damage is disclosed in the title.