When floods such as the one that recently submerged parts of Louisiana occur, they leave damage that lingers long after the waters abate.
Lives are lost, homes are ravaged, and neighborhoods are forever changed. Even after the repairs are made, scars of the disaster remain, though they may not be immediately visible to the naked eye.
This kind of profound yet obscure damage is especially prevalent in the vehicles affected by these floods.
According to information published by Automotive News, as many as half of all vehicles damaged in floods return to the market. These vehicles may seem as capable as any other car at first glance, but looks can be incredibly deceiving.
Depending on how deeply the vehicle was submerged, flood damage can leave a car with a host of issues and complaints that will linger for years to come.
Water can irreversibly harm a car’s electronics, and since modern cars rely heavily on their computers, this damage can lead to everything from brake problems to steering issues. Flood submersion can also ruin a car’s interior in ways that may not be immediately obvious. A car that’s been caught in a flood can also develop rust and corrosion, and if the vehicle was flooded with salt water, the corrosion will be even swifter and more destructive.
If you’re purchasing a used car, one way to avoid flood-damaged vehicles is to simply check the title. A car that has been severely damaged in a flood will likely carry a salvage title. Some salvage cars can provide good value, but all flood-damaged cars should be avoided if you place any importance on a vehicle’s reliability. If you’re purchasing a car with a salvage title, ask questions to ensure it didn’t get this title as a result of flood damage.
Still, not all flood-damaged vehicles bear salvage titles, due to a practice known as title washing. Title washing occurs when steps are taken to erase evidence of damaging events in a car’s past, and it frequently happens with vehicles maimed by floods. Different states have different laws when it comes to reporting flood damage, and if someone wanted to change a car’s status, they could do so by moving to a state with laws that are less stringent in this area.
For example, some states require all vehicles that have been submerged in water to reflect this on their titles, while others call for flood damage to be reported only if an insurance company has paid a total-loss flood claim. There are even states in which flood damage isn’t legally required to be disclosed on a vehicle’s title.
Title washing is driven by a desire to maximize profit. It allows vehicle owners to sell flood-damaged cars at higher prices, and this is why the practice is so pervasive.
Read more of the original article at NY Daily News.
