European Pressphoto AgencyPartially submerged cars in New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.
Earlier this month, our colleagues on the Wheels blog wrote about a federal database that may help protect consumers from unwittingly buying used cars that suffered water damage from Hurricane Sandy.
Water can damage electrical systems and even cause airbags to malfunction. After big storms, unscrupulous types can help bring such cars to market, often in distant states.
The post noted that you can check information about a vehicle’s history and condition at vehiclehistory.gov, the electronic database overseen by the Department of Justice. (Reports are available for fees ranging from $2.95 to $12.99 each.)
But you should also be aware of what signs to look for when shopping for a used car because there are gaps in the federal database (and in private databases, too). Not all states fully participate in the federal system yet, according to the system’s Web site.
So here are some tips from both consumer advocates and car dealers.
These are suggestions from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
– Check for high-water marks — using a flashlight is best — on the car’s engine, wheel wells, trunk and even the glove compartment.
– Smell the interior. Do the upholstery and carpeting smell mildewed or moldy? Turn on the air-conditioning and see if the airflow smells rank.
– Does the radio work? A non-functional radio can be a sign of water damage.
Meanwhile, suggestions from the National Automobile Dealers Association include these:
– Consider checking the car’s title history by the vehicle identification number through a commercial service, like Experian’s Auto Check (www.autocheck.com). The report ($29.99 for a single vehicle) may state whether a car has sustained flood damage.
– Check for rust on screws in the console or other areas where the water would normally not reach unless the car was submerged.
Edmunds.com, the automotive Web site, also advises that fogging inside headlights may be an indicator of water damage.
Have you encountered a car for sale that you suspect had water damage? What did you do?
Article source: http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/how-to-spot-a-water-damaged-car/?partner=rss&emc=rss