Beware of buying used cars soon after Tropical Storm Debby leaves SC. Here’s why

If you’re thinking about buying a used car after major flooding, Consumer Reports has some advice for you: don’t.

Some flooded cars end up back on the road despite being labeled salvage by an insurance company.

Carfax says 452,000 flooded cars were resold in 2023, 53,000 more than the year before.

Usually, such cars are sold far from where the actual damage took place.

Mechanics say water damages electronics, lubricants, and mechanical systems. And often the problems worsen with age.

Usually, such cars are sold far from where the actual damage took place, where people might not be aware of flooding, Consumer Reports said.

They are often sold to junkyards and people who rebuild cars, and too often the new title that is required is not labeled as a car that suffered flood damage. Or the title is coded, not specially listed as flooded.

“Reselling them to consumers may be legal if the flood damage is disclosed on the title,” Consumer Reports said. “Those ‘salvage title” cars can’t be registered until necessary repairs are made and the vehicle is reinspected by officials.”

South Carolina requires insurance companies to apply for salvage or salvage flood titles for all water losses. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles then issues a title that matches the condition of the vehicle — salvage, salvage flood, or salvage flood rebuilt.

Here are Consumer Reports tips to avoid being scammed.

• Check the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System or Carfax. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners also recommends the VINCheck program, a database maintained by The National Insurance Crime Bureau for check for a salvage (or stolen) vehicle.

• Inspect carpets for musty smells, caked-on mud or newly installed carpets.

• Check seat-mounting screws to see if they were removed to dry carpets.

• A visible waterline may show on the lens or reflector lights.

• Inspect the difficult-to-clean places, such as gaps between panels in the trunk and under the hood for mud and debris. A waterline around the engine compartment is a clear indicator of flooding.

• Look on the bottom edges of brackets or panels where grime wouldn’t normally settle.

• Look at the heads of any unpainted, exposed screws under the dashboard. Bare metal will show signs of rust in flooded cars.

• Check to see whether the rubber drain plugs under the car and on the bottom of doors look as if they have been removed recently.

• Check engine oil. The water mixed into the oil can create an odd, milkshake appearance.

• Check the air filter. Water would cause the cardboard frame for the filter to look textured and soggy.

This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 6:00 AM.