Many car shoppers don’t realize just how much damage floodwaters do to a vehicle. That represents a problem—not just to the owner of a car or truck that falls victim to a catastrophic flood, but to prospective buyers unaware of the vehicle’s history.
The risk of flooded vehicles on the market affects everyone looking for a used car, and not just those in the immediate vicinity of a flood. After Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, for example, flooded cars popped up for sale across the country. It’s a smart bet that the same will happen once the waters Hurricane Florence dumped on the Carolinas recede, too.
The best way to protect yourself from unscrupulous—or even unknowing—dealers is to educate yourself on how to spot the tell-tale signs of flood damage.
Flooded car in parking lot. Photo via Flickr user waitscm/CC2.0
Run the numbers
It sounds obvious that you should…
