How to Spot a Flood-Damaged Car with VIN Decipher
In recent years, climate has been changing, which results in an increasing number of hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters. As a result, second hand car market is full with hundreds and hundreds of flood-damaged cars. The main problem about these cars is that they may look almost new. But you should not let attractive looks fool you, because driving flooded-damaged cars is associated with a lot of risk.
The good news is that although flood damage is not always obvious, it can be easily detected with a couple of easy steps. Here what you can do to spot such car.
Use VIN Decipher to learn the vehicle’s history
To reduce the risk of purchasing a car that has been damaged in flood, use vincheck.expert. This online VIN exploder will provide you a full VHR of any car, including its title, damage history, history of accidents, previous uses, and many more. The website obtains reports from police departments, insurance companies and some other sources about natural disasters including hurricanes and floods. With this helpful tool, you won’t become a victim of fraud and will easily spot a flood-damaged car.
Have the car inspected
Once you identify car by VIN, it’s recommended to take additional measures and to ask a trusted mechanic to check the vehicle. Here is what signs they should look for:
- Signs of water damage on the undercarriage
- Wet or muddy spots under floor carpets and mats
- Dirt or silt from floodwaters on the undercarriage
- Silt, sand or mildew under the floor carpeting
- Signs of rust on metal parts under the dashboard
- Debris or mud under the hood
- Signs of floodwaters in the compartment for spare tire
- Pieces of mud or debris on the trunk of the vehicle
- Damaged speakers in the doors (if the car was flooded, doors’ speakers usually don’t work)
Always have a vehicle thoroughly inspected by a mechanic before making a purchase. Getting a full VHR is also a must step when looking for a pre-owned car. Remember, that driving a damaged car is risky and dangerous. Always make sure that the car you are going to purchase is safe and reliable and doesn’t have hidden issues. Even a minor concern should become a reason to walk away from the deal. If you come across a fraudulent seller, report about it in order to prevent other car shoppers from being victimized by them.
If you have purchased a car and believe that it may have been flooded, but the dealer concealed this information, you can try to recover you money by contacting an attorney.