The assumption most people make is that these flood-damaged cars end up in the junkyard, but that’s not always the case. Facts presented by Fortune show that nearly one million vehicles were flood-damaged after Hurricane Irma and Harvey in 2017. According to the Journal Sentinel, thousands of cars were damaged in 2018 because of Florence’s floods. And from our experience as car title experts, a shocking number of those flood damaged vehicles have made their way back onto the road.

Of particular concern are the ones that end up being resold in other areas of the country where the buyer wouldn’t suspect a car to have a water-logged past. The car might even be given a Flood Damage title brand and later moved to a state that doesn’t do those brands, effectively hiding the car’s history from future owners – at least, at first glance.

That’s why it’s imperative that you know what to look for and understand the titling issues that go along with flood-damaged cars. Even if you can get behind the wheel of one of these water-damaged vehicles for a reasonable amount of money, you may not want to without doing extensive research into how it was damaged. A good place to start is with a detailed VIN check.

How Can You Tell if a Car Has Been Flood Damaged?

Water damage isn’t always easy to detect, but there are some big signs that you specifically want to be aware of when trying to determine if you suspect that a vehicle has prior flood damage. If you’re not comfortable with that, arrange to take the vehicle to a local mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection by an experienced technician.

Test the Electronics

Ideally, every electronic component in the car would either work or be broken, with no ambiguity or in-between. With flood damaged vehicles, the worst damage is often done to very small electrical components where it is invisible to the naked eye. Everything might seem to work great, but critical safety systems like ABS, traction control, lane assist, and airbag deployment could still be compromised.

You may only find out there’s something wrong after the problem has already caused an accident. This is the main reason why you should walk away from the purchase if you can confirm flood damage using the other signs in this guide.

Look at the Carpets

This material tends to reveal waterlogged properties more than anywhere else. If an older vehicle has brand new carpeting inside, you have to ask yourself why – that’s a big undertaking and it’s only performed after extreme damage.

Otherwise, inspect the car for a musty smell or caked-on mud. You’ll want to look at out-of-the-way areas like the screws which mount the seats to the floor. If there’s a reason to believe they were once removed, you can assume there could have been damage here before. The seat bolts might also be rusty, a telltale sign of water damage.

Find Hard to Clean Areas

Dig deep and inspect areas that aren’t so easy to get to. You’ll want to look for debris or mud under the hood and in the gaps found between panels in the car’s trunk. Make sure you inspect the bottom edges of panels and brackets where you wouldn’t typically find a large amount of grime.

This is also a good time to inspect the exposed, unpainted screws that are found underneath the dash. Bare metal, such as this, often shows signs of rust if it’s been involved in a flood.

Sometimes, you can still see the visible waterline on the headlight reflectors or lenses. Of course, it’s also possible that the person fixing up the car replaced these, so you might look for more evidence if you notice the vehicle comes with all new lights installed.

Check the Drain Plugs

There are often rubber drain plugs located at the bottom of the car doors and under the vehicle. If they appear to have been removed, it might be that the previous owner was draining out floodwater.

Can You Fix Flood Damaged Cars? That Depends on 2 Questions.

Let’s say your car was damaged in a flood, or you’ve found a flood-damaged car you’re considering buying as-is. If you don’t have coverage to compensate you for the flood-damaged car, you might be considering repairing it.

While it’s possible in some cases, it isn’t always the ideal solution. Damage caused to sensitive electronics might only become apparent after it’s already led to an accident. Of course, the final determination would be the level of damage you are facing.

Certainly, if your car experienced a mild amount of dampness, you shouldn’t have an issue making it like new again. If however, the car sat in deep flood waters, your problems might be never-ending.

Freshwater or Saltwater?

One of the main concerns is whether the flood waters were freshwater or saltwater. While you hope for neither, freshwater damage tends to be less catastrophic than saltwater. Salt is a corrosive agent and it destroys mechanical components plus your car’s interior. In particular, you must worry about the electrical aspects and your engine more with saltwater than with freshwater flooding.

Sometimes, a freshwater flood-damaged car just needs to be dried out. On the other hand, saltwater flooding would require that you flush out the entire vehicle with freshwater to remove the salt. This leads to expensive and severe levels of damage and could cause even more damage in the process.

Cosmetic or Mechanical?

Finally, you have to determine if the damage is strictly cosmetic or mechanical in nature. If you have cosmetic damage such as water-logged leather or soaking wet carpets, you might be able to repair it. Mechanical damage is going to cause massive repair bills and often ends up causing more problems than it’s worth.

If the intake took on water, if the differentials and transmission were submerged and filled with water, or if the vehicle was floated into something, you might end up with bent piston rods or eventually a blown engine.

More Importantly, Should You Bother? How Do You Even Get a Title?

You might find a good deal on a flood-damaged car, but is it worth buying? Furthermore, will you be able to title it?

In most states, cars that are damaged by flooding are considered a total loss. That’s why they often carry a salvage title with them. Some states even have a separate branding for these, such as water-damaged or flood damaged, to alert potential buyers that these are not your typical used cars.

You can still title your car but despite all your repair efforts, the car will always carry the evidence in its VIN history. Depending on the state, the title might look normal or it may have some kind of marking indicating previous flood damage was experienced. You might have to take extra steps to title a vehicle with flood damage – check your state’s laws regarding flood damaged vehicles to confirm.

Beware of Title Washing

A flood damage brand should remain on the title for its lifetime, but that isn’t always the case. For example, sellers can take advantage of the Minnesota Title Loophole to sell previously damaged flood vehicles with a seemingly clean title as if nothing ever happened. Thankfully, that information will still be clearly visible on VIN Checks run with the car’s VIN number.

Because it’s possible to brand a vehicle title with different terminology in varying states, many scammers participate in title washing. Let’s say that you have a flood-damaged car in Texas. You could seemingly erase that history by jumping the title to a state where that branding isn’t recognized – but if the buyer runs one of the aforementioned reports beforehand, it’s game over.

3 Steps to Protect Yourself From Buying a Flood-Damaged Vehicle

If you’ve decided you don’t want to buy a flood-damaged car, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself from buying one accidentally.

1. Check the VIN

You want to run a detailed VIN check to ensure the car you’re viewing doesn’t have a flood-damaged history. Even if the physical title appears to be clean, it could be from a state that doesn’t have special branding for things like flood damage.

2. Do an Inspection – or Have One Performed

If you aren’t sure what to look for, make sure you take a qualified mechanic with you or arrange to have the vehicle inspected locally. Here are the top signs of flood damage in a car:

• Grime inside the headlight housings

• Dirt in seatbelt locks or around the belts themselves

• Stained, moldy or wet carpet

• Strange, musty odor

• Rust in areas you wouldn’t expect, such as the trunk latch

• Water lines under the hood

3. Trust Your Instincts

If anything seems off about the car or the person selling it, trust your gut. Ask lots of questions and listen carefully to the answers. After all, it’s not too difficult to tell when someone isn’t being honest.

We all want to get a great deal on our next car but buying a flood-damaged vehicle isn’t the way to do it. Even if the car looks like it’s in great shape, there could be underlying issues that you won’t see right away. If you’ve ever dealt with a car’s electrical complications, you know what a headache they can be to repair. It’s simply not worth the time and hassle you could face. There will always be another opportunity.

Most flood-damaged cars belong in a junkyard, but plenty are still out there on the roads today. Protect yourself and your investment by taking the steps necessary to ensure you don’t waste your money on a car with a water-logged history. Run a quick VIN Check to reveal the car’s history beforehand.

And if you need a brand-new title, Dirt Legal offers transparent title replacement services for cars, motorcycles, and almost anything with wheels. Click the links to learn more about our services.

We are not attorneys. This article is not legal advice. Cover image source