Storms can bring wave of damaged autos
Recent revelations about the amount of fraud involved in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort makes one pause to consider how low people might stoop to rip-off taxpayers, federal programs and insurers.
But there’s an aspect of the hurricanes, storms and other natural disasters that can victimize those shopping for a good car deal.
It involves people selling flood- or storm-damaged vehicles without telling the prospective buyers that they’ve been damaged. These are new and used storm-damaged cars that will be cleaned and repaired to hide the fact that they’s been salvaged and should be sold at sharp discounts.
It often means a storm-damaged car from New Orleans can should up in New York, or even Newport, with no indication that it might have hidden storm damage.
To spot flood-damaged vehicles, look for signs of water damage under the hood, under the seats and carpets, under the dash, and in the trunk. Beware of musty odors, or attempts to cover such odors. Look for rust on parts inside the vehicle and signs of repairs.
There’s also a chance a vehicle history report like those available through CARFAX will reveal the car as a salvage vehicle. Another place to check for VIN numbers of cars damaged in hurricanes and floods is the flood vehicle database kept by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.