BBB Warns Carbuyers to Watch out for Flood-Damaged Cars

After the massive flooding in the Midwest, the Better Business Bureau is warning you to watch out for flood-damaged cars being sold locally.

By: | WSPA-TV
Published: June 25, 2008

After the massive flooding in the Midwest, the Better Business Bureau is warning you to watch out for flood-damaged cars being sold locally. The BBB says after every major flood, sellers try to pawn off flooded vehicles and you may not even know you've bought one.

Thousands of cars have been damaged in massive flooding in the midwest. Some have been soaking in water for the last couple of weeks. The Better Business Bureau warns many of those cars will be sold in other states, including South Carolina.

Explained Kathy Barrett, President of the Better Business Bureau, "They clean them up, bring them them into another state and run a sale or sell them as if they look as though they never had damage to them.... We had a real flurry of this when Katrina hit."

Car titles are supposed to reveal when a car's been "salvaged," meaning it's suffered significant damage. But sometimes they don't. Said Barrett, "They may have been sold outright individual to individual and there may be no history on record that the vehicle has been through water damage."

You may not even see the damage. Explained Mark Smith, Automotive Repair Instructor at Spartanburg Community College, "It's really hard on the electrical system, plus on the mechanical side, if water gets in the engine, it can contaminate the oil."

Smith showed us how to spot flood damage on a vehicle. Said Smith, "You want to look for any rusty components. Any dirt build-up on the body panels and particularly inside the vehicle, behind the interior trim panels. You want to pull those out and look behind there."

Smith says check the lights. Then he says pop open the hood and look under the carpet. If there's rust or mud around the spare tire, that's a sign of flood damage.

Unless you buy a car with a warranty, South Carolina law says you bought it "As Is." That means you are responsible for the cost of repairs. You may only be able to recoup your losses if you can prove the seller knew the car was damaged and didn't tell you. So be sure to check it out, before you buy.

Here is how to check out a vehicle for flood damage before you buy:

Ask to see the title and look for the word "salvage."

You can buy a vehicle's history for $20-$25 from www.carfax.com or www.autocheck.com.

And you can hire a mechanic to inspect the car for about $50-$100. That can save you a lot of money in the long run on repairs.