Are you looking to buy a used car? Before snatching what looks like a great deal, here is a recent warning from CARFAX that advises shoppers where to look extra hard before agreeing to that sale―especially which state it came from.
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While weather warnings might not be a big deal where you live, it turns out that what happens along the Eastern coastlines and the Gulf has far-reaching implications for used car shoppers everywhere―used cars sold with hidden flood damage.
A recent warning from CARFAX advises used car shoppers that they can expect a new influx of flood-damaged vehicles transported this year from distant known flood regions to their homes where used car shoppers are often scammed into buying a flood-damaged car that can manifest serious problems just a few short months after buying one.
Fall 2024 Flood Damaged Car Warning
According to a CARFAX post this past week, their estimates reveal that as many as 89,000 vehicles (due to a series of tropical storms and hurricanes from June through August) have been water-damaged by this past summer's deluge. And the foul weather is not over yet.
Flooded Cars From Hurricane Helene Could Be Headed to Used Car Lots
Related article: If Your Car Is Damaged in a Storm, Do This Not That When It Comes to Floods
Compound this with an estimated 454,000 water-damaged cars, according to CARFAX data, that were already on the road from last year; it's a perfect store for future used car shopper regret.
"We see these flooded cars show up all around the country, putting unsuspecting buyers at risk…these cars may look showroom fresh, but they're literally rotting from the inside out," stated Faisal Hasan, General Manager for Data at CARFAX in their recent press release.
What's a Little Water? Don't Car Washes Do Pretty Much the Same Thing?
Flood damage is not something to take lightly. While cars do get a fairly good soaking from some car washes, with high-pressure sprays hitting them from multiple angles, you have to consider that much of it bounces off your car during the wash and dries off immediately afterward when you pull into traffic.
In comparison, however, during a flood, many cars sit for hours or even days, allowing flood water to seep in places where you really do not want water to be, i.e., your interior carpeting, truck space, exhaust system, transmission, electrical components, etc.
Finding that a flood-damaged car can start afterward is no guarantee that all is okay with it. In today's modern cars with extensive computer-controlled systems, the likelihood of electrical problems increases as wires, contacts, and sensors begin to corrode, which can occur weeks to months later before a problem is spotted.
10 States Out-Sourcing The Most Water-Damaged Cars
While at a used car lot for your tire-kicking process of used car inspecting, be sure to take a look at the license plate on the vehicle for a hint of where that car came from, which could have been from a flood-prone state with this fall's currently estimated number of flood-damaged cars listing generated by CARFAX:
- Texas 64,000
- Florida 62,700
- Kentucky 30,200
- Pennsylvania 21,800
- California 20,200
- New Jersey 15,600
- New York 15,300
- Illinois 14,500
- N. Carolina 14,300
- Mississippi 12,000
However, do not count on that license plate as a guarantee. A better bet for finding a car that does not have a history of flood damage is to take advantage of CARFAX's free Flood Check® tool at carfax.com/flood and/or have a mechanic with flood-damaged car experience inspect that used car for you before buying.
How to Protect Yourself from Flood-Damaged Car Scams
Rather than repeat the oft-mentioned recommendations of looking and sniffing around a used car for signs of previous water exposure and damage, click on the links below for additional details about what to look for and how flood-damaged car scammers operate that will provide you with everything you need to know to thwart scammers trying to sell you a non-disclosed flood-damaged used car:
• Used Car Seller Tricks to Resurrect a Flood Damaged Car
• An Important Used Car Hidden Damage Warning for Used Car Shoppers
• Check That Used Car for Flood Damage with These Quick and Easy Tips
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWritesfor daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
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Image source: Deposit Photos
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