Buyer Beware of Water-Damaged Cars After Louisiana, Mississippi Floods

CARS.COM — The recent flooding disasters in Louisiana and Mississippi could result in a deluge of water-damaged vehicles flowing into the nation’s used-car market. It’s important to be wary when purchasing a used car and to know the telltale signs if you suspect a car may have been flooded.

Related: What to Do If Your Car Is Caught in a Flood

According to a just-released report by the Illinois-based National Insurance Crime Bureau, as many as 100,000 insured cars and trucks — as well as untold thousands more uninsured vehicles — were damaged when more than 30 inches of rain fell on Louisiana in just two days. As claims reporting and vehicle recovery catches up following the disaster, Louisiana’s Division of Motor Vehicles reports that car casualties are far greater than anticipated.

After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina more than a decade ago, Louisiana adopted strong reporting, retitling and (in severe cases) dismantling requirements to help protect consumers from unwittingly purchasing a flood-damaged car. But those measures pertain only to insured vehicles.

“Flooded vehicles that did not have insurance coverage are a major concern as they are frequently cleaned up to hide the damage and then sold to unsuspecting consumers with no indication of a problem,” NICB said in a statement. “The number of uninsured vehicles that were flood damaged may be even more than the number of insured vehicles since many owners choose to drop their policy’s comprehensive coverage as the vehicle ages.”

To help ensure you don’t end up all wet in your used-car purchase, NICB has offered the following tips:

• Look for water stains, mildew, sand or silt under the carpet, floor mats and dashboard, as well as in the wheel well where the spare tire is.
• Check for fogging inside the headlights and taillights.
• Look for corrosion under the hood.
• Pay close attention to the wheels; aluminum alloys may be coated in a white powder and show signs of pitting, or small dimples in the material.
• Do a smell test, checking for a heavy aroma of cleaners and disinfectants — a suspicious sign that someone is trying to mask mold or odor.
• Inspect the upholstery and door panel materials for fading.
• Check for rust around screws in the center console area and areas water doesn’t usually reach.
• Inspect the seat belt retractor for moisture, mildew or grime.
• Verify that the speakers work; door-mounted speakers will often be damaged in a flood.
• Get a vehicle history report from a trusted database service such as NICB’s to be sure the car doesn’t have a salvage title.
• Have a trusted mechanic inspect the car for water contamination.
• Choose a reputable car dealer.
• Above all: Trust your instincts and heed the old adage that if it sounds too good to be true … it probably is!