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A CAR dealer has revealed which part you must check before buying a used vehicle to rule out any water damage.
Experts estimate that thousands of dodgy cars could be on the market already following devastating hurricanes earlier in the year.
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The latest data from CarFax suggests that as many as 454,000 cars affected by floods are on US roads at the moment.
And a further 20,000 are apparently set to be added to this total from just the six states hardest hit by twin hurricanes Helene and Milton across the past two months.
Drivers have been urged to take care with buying second-hand cars, especially in areas not directly hit by extreme weather.
Scammers have been known to flock to affected states and snap up damaged vehicles on the cheap, before transporting them hundreds of miles inland, drying them off and selling them on.
If you’re unlucky enough to pick one of these up, you could be facing a hefty repair bill.
And even if the damage isn’t a car killer, you’ll likely struggle with damp, mould and foul smells, especially if you live in warmer parts of the country.
With this in mind, car dealer Kyle Chiappone as tried to get the word out on how to spot a shoddy used car.
Kyle owns Redemption Auto Sales in Largo, Florida, which was perhaps the worst-hit state during Helene and Milton.
The storms saw thousands of Floridians evacuated, often leaving their cars behind at the mercy of floodwaters.
Kyle told Spectrum News: “Last month we actually sold the most amount of inventory, the most vehicles that our dealership has ever done.
“We’re having to four, five or six hours out [of Largo] so that we can be confident in what we’re buying.
“You’re going to be looking for any signs that this had any kind of water intrusion.”
He urged motorists to get hold of comprehensive vehicle history reports, ideally from independent sources like Carfax.
These will let you know if the car has ever been a write-off and also whether it was bought just after the hurricanes, which can indicate it was affected.
Kyle also recommended making some common checks to areas like in the trunk and the footwells.
However, there’s one lesser-known part he suggested paying particular attention to.
What makes a car a lemon?
Each law has different parameters on what defines a lemon, but generally, a car is lemon when it’s in the shop for longer than it’s on the road.
Progressive Auto Insurance describes a lemon as a car with “a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive,” though exact parameters vary by state. All 50 states have lemon laws covering new vehicles, but only seven have lemon laws to protect used car buyers.
Federally, however, consumers are protected under U.S. Code Chapter 50 covering consumer product warranties. In layman’s terms, the law dictates that consumers be compensated by the manufacturer when “multiple attempts to repair a vehicle under warranty fail.”
What to do if you think you bought a lemon:
- Research your state’s lemon laws and their exact parameters.
- Contact the dealership, especially if it’s still under factory warranty.
- If the dealership refuses to repair the issue, contact the Automotive Consumer Action Program or the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Send a certified letter to the manufacturer with an explanation of the issue, with documentation and proof that you’ve contacted a dealership.
- Depending on the outcome, you can report the dealership to the DMV for selling a car that needs immediate repairs.
- Consider small claims court.
- Consult an attorney specializing in lemon law through the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
If you pop the hood, you can check the fuse box surrounding the engine, which might give a better indication of water damage.
As well all know, electricity and water don’t mix, so flooding will likely cause these fuses to blow.
Plenty of dodgy dealers likely wouldn’t think to replace each one of these as most buyers wouldn’t even know to check, so it can be a hidden sign that something’s wrong.
Kyle added: “If you’re trying to get that best deal from a private seller and it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
