Only a few states offer a “flood” title, which requires a history of any flood damage.Ĭarfax offers a free flood damage check in addition to the vehicle history reports it sells. However, if the vehicle’s owner didn’t have comprehensive insurance coverage at the time of the flooding or the repair bill didn’t exceed a certain level, the vehicle might not get a salvage or branded title at all.
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This system aims to crack down on the practice of “title washing,” when cars that have been totaled (or stolen) get clean new titles in states with lax regulations. One useful online tool for car shoppers is the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, which helps consumers run background checks. Be especially wary of any used car being offered with a “lost” title or with only a bill of sale. Then the vehicle is given a “rebuilt” title, which allows it to be registered for consumer use.īut as Consumer Reports found years ago in an investigation of rebuilt wrecks, some flood-damaged vehicles reappear with a clean title. Those “salvage title” cars can’t be registered until necessary repairs are made and the vehicle is reinspected by officials. Reselling them to consumers may be legal if the flood damage is disclosed on the title. Totaled cars are typically sold at a salvage auction to junkyards and vehicle rebuilders. Those titles are usually plainly marked (known as being “branded”) with the word “salvage” or “flood.” In some states, this warning is shown on the title as an obscure letter or number code. Once a flood car is totaled, it’s supposed to get a new title, called a salvage title. Too often, when an insurance company declares a flood-damaged car a total loss, that information isn’t communicated to potential buyers. Consumers need to carefully inspect any used car before buying one (or pay a mechanic to do it).Ĭonsumer Reports’ chief mechanic, John Ibbotson, says to avoid vehicles with signs of deep-water exposure “even if a vehicle looks acceptable and may be working when you inspect it.” That’s because the long-term effects of water damage can haunt buyers for the life of the car. It may take months or years, but corrosion can find its way to the car’s vital electronics, including airbag controllers. Water can ruin electronics, lubricants, and mechanical systems. That’s because flood-damaged cars are often transported well beyond their original region after major storms to locations where consumers may be less aware of the warning signs to look for. The key takeaway is that you need to be vigilant when buying a used car, even if you don’t live near a traditional storm area.
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