Disastrous flooding, such as what the Midwest and Southeast has recently suffered, tends to, well, flood the used car market with damaged vehicles that pass the eyeball test. There are ways to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous resellers try to move water-addled rides, though.
AutoWeek offers a guide of what to keep in mind when you're on the hunt for a cheap used car that actually works.
Before driving off a used car lot, it's always a good idea to check out a vehicle history report. Cars sold at auctions are not required to adhere to National Auto Auction Association policy, which requires sellers to disclose vehicle conditions, including flood damage. It's best to only commit to deals that are subject to a successful professional vehicle inspection.
Visual signs of flood damage include water in the spare tire well in the trunk, a musty odor in the carpeting and mud on the seatbelts.
What precautions do you take when buying used vehicles?
Used-Car Shoppers Should Watch Out for Potential Flood Damage [AutoWeek via MSN]
2 comments:
First, when buying a used car, don't believe anything the seller is telling you. Get underneath it, look for leaks from the drivetrain, look for mismatched paint/overspray, and look for frame issues(dents/bends/rust). To test for bondo, take a small kitchen magnet, and run it by the obvious places(rear quarters, rockers, etc). Hold it so it's close enough to react to the metal, and if you don't feel the pull, it's because it has filler. Under the hood, listen carefully both at idle and at speed. Check belt wear(it'll tell you the type of owner the seller is), and the smell/color of the liquids(oil, antifreeze, etc). Be diligent. If you know of a reputable repair shop that is also a state inspection station, see if you and the seller can go there. Carfax's help in some instances, but not all. No real help for older vehicles, and carfax's won't show accidents that weren't paid for by insurance/documented.
CarFax also doesn't show many other accident repairs. For some reason, the insurance companies are not required to report, it is left up to the repair station. I had one truck that CarFax had all of the oil changes documented, but not a $12,000 accident that I found out about from the original owner. Buyer beware!
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