How To Tell If A Car Has Been Flooded

We get tropical storms and Hurricanes in the southeast that flood thousands of cars annually. Where do these cars end up? In your driveway as a used car. This is the biggest complaint of buying used cars. In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita & Wilma flooded thousands of cars in Florida and the Gulf Coast. In 2004, Hurricanes, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne battered the Southeastern United States. In 6/2001, tropical storm Allison flooded thousands of cars in Houston. Many were totaled and have their titles branded by insurance companies as "Flooded". Here's some tell tale signs to check for flood damage.

• Look for water lines on the engine. Imagine a car sitting in a few feet of water, where would the water lines be? On the radiator, the engine, the wheel wells, inside the car, but they may have cleaned the engine. Examine it on a lift.
  
  
• A VIN decoder should tell you if equipment is missing on the car.
  
  
• New carpeting or upholstery. No one re-carpets their car for no reason. Lift the carpet and look for a mess underneath. They don't always do a good job cleaning. Look for mold, or a damp musty smell. Check for rust by the door hinges, and look in the trunk under the mats. Check the spare tire and crow bar, make sure they are not rusted.
  
  
• Use a mirror to check under the seat. If the metal has been contact with moisture, the metal rusts quickly.
  
  
• Check the air intake filter. Some people are such losers that they don't even bother to replace the soaked air filter, so you'll see debris like grass, twigs, and papers on the filter or inside the air intake opening.