Avoiding flood damaged vehicles may be easy if you know what to look for when inspecting a vehicle you are going to buy. There is no need to say how dangerous flooded vehicles are to drive, as they may cause accidents and crashed. Such cars usually have very low performance, as most of their parts have undergone corrosion due to water. Especially electronic systems of suchlike vehicles suffer from rotting.
Following are certain tips to help you find out whether the vehicle at issue has been flood-damaged or not:
Look at the upholstery, if it is brand new, then there is something wrong there. The thing is that the original upholstery may have been totally damaged after being flooded and the salesperson may have had it replaced.
Be attentive to smell strange odors. If the vehicle has some kind of a moldy smell, then it may be due to water damage. If the salesperson has used a lot of air freshener inside the vehicle, then he/she may be hiding something from you.
Look at trunk and the engine compartment of the vehicle. If there is water there, then the vehicle has been in still water for a long time.
Look for dirt and mud everywhere inside the car; also look under the carpets to find stains of mud or dirt there.
Ask to be provided with the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the car. As soon as you enter the Vehicle Identification Number of the given car in certain websites like AutoCheck, you will be provided information about whether the vehicle at issue has ever been flooded or not. Moreover, you will see the exact history of the car. This will help you decide whether the car is worth buying or not.
Avoiding flood damaged vehicles is possible with the right preparation on the part of the buyer. If you feel you cannot determine whether the car is flood-damaged or not, you may ask to take the car to a mechanic. If the dealer refuses to let you do so, you can just walk out of the dealership without saying a word.
