flood.carfax.comHow to Avoid Flood-damaged Cars & Free Flood Check | CARFAX

How to Avoid Flood-damaged Cars & Free Flood Check | CARFAX Free CARFAX Flood Check Plus 7 Signs of a Flood-Damaged Car Home / Press / Resources / Free CARFAX Flood Check Plus 7 Signs of a Flood-Damaged Car Free CARFAX Flood Check Plus 7 Signs of a Flood-Damaged Car By cfx-admin | 2019-09-12T17:55:07+00:00 October 16, 2018 - 09:35AM | Comments Off on Free CARFAX Flood Check Plus 7 Signs of a Flood-Damaged Car Telltale Signs of Flooding: A musty odor in the interior, which can sometimes be covered with a strong air-freshener Upholstery or carpeting which is loose, new, stained or doesn’t match Damp carpets Rust around doors, under the dashboard, on the pedals or inside the hood and trunk latches Mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats Brittle wires under the dashboard Fog or moisture beads in the interior lights, exterior lights or instrument panel FREE CARFAX Flood Check Look here to see if a flooded branded title was reported to CARFAX for a your vehicle or a possible future vehicle, making it potentially unsafe. DMVs require permanent title marks for all vehicles that have been badly damaged by floods. Just enter your VIN below.* Please provide a valid VIN No records found for this vehicle Please provide a valid E-mail Go CARFAX Flood Check Results Not Your Vehicle? Good News! Flood Damage has not been reported to CARFAX. Bad News! This Vehicle has reported Flood Damage, get the CARFAX. VIN Year/Make/Model Engine Type Manufactured In IMPORTANT! The CARFAX database contains on this that may confirm a clean history or uncover potential problems. Order the CARFAX Vehicle History Report to see all the information reported on this vehicle. Get CARFAX Report *By entering your VIN and email above, you create a FREE account and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Statement . Flood Damage Checklist Turn on the ignition and check all instrument panel lights illuminate Test the interior and exterior lights, air conditioning, windshield wipers, radio, turn signals and heater repeatedly View the full CARFAX Vehicle History Report to check for reported flood damage or signs of salvage title fraud Get the car checked thoroughly by a trusted mechanic For video footage of a flood car being cleaned up and made to look cosmetically like a good used car: https://www.carfax.com/press/video-gallery How to Avoid Flood-Damaged Cars In more ways than one, water is your car’s best friend. The cooling system uses the stuff to regulate engine temperatures and regular use of a soapy bucket of H20 and a sponge can go a long way toward keeping your pride and joy looking tip-top. Unfortunately, water can also be your vehicles worst enemy. Damaging flood waters can render a valuable automobile worthless in a matter of seconds. More often than not, flood-damaged cars are reported to insurance agencies and through an assessment process the buyer receives compensation to cover losses. While many flooded vehicles are then sent to the auto recycler for dismantling, other vehicles are branded by state agencies as flood-damaged and a salvage title is assigned. Once identified, flood-damaged cars can once again enter the sales market, showing up on dealer lots or in driveways with for sale signs on the windshield. The truth is, refurbished flood-damaged vehicles can be difficult to identify apart from trusted documentation. While the majority of those refurbished vehicles are sold with full disclosure of the damage, there are also unscrupulous companies and individuals who will attempt to profit at the expense of others by withholding information or intentionally hiding a car’s history through a process called title washing.” Whether they simply leave information off the table or deliberately work to erase the car’s history, they will attempt to sell the vehicle as if it never went for a damaging swim. While there is no absolute fail-proof technique to avoid a financially devastating purchase of a misrepresented flood vehicle, steps can be taken to assure that the car you are buying lives up to all the seller’s promises and hype. Find a Reputable Seller You’ve done hours of research online, consulted friends and family, window shopped at parking lots and in traffic, and settled on a particular model or two. The next important step you need to take is finding a reputable seller. Well-established dealerships are not in business for short-term financial profit. If your community has a family-owned dealer that has been in the same location for three decades, there is a good chance they aren’t going to risk everything to make a few quick dollars selling misrepresented flood vehicles. Most great dealerships will add the extra security of providing you with a CARFAX Vehicle History Report that clearly documents a detailed history of the vehicle. This high level of transparency along with recommendations from other customers can go a long way in assuring that a potential vehicle purchase is clear of hidden damage. Ask good questions, too. Specifically, inquire if the vehicle was ever damaged in a flood. Get your answers in writing and if the seller is unwilling to provide clear evidence, move on. There are plenty of other dealers who are more than willing to go the extra mile to guarantee that you aren’t buying a vehicle with a salvage title. The same basic rules work when buying from an individual. Once again, obtaining a vehicle history report goes a long way in confirming that the car you are purchasing is clear of flood damage. Inspecting the title can also help. Check for a stamp that reads flood” or salvage.” Inspect the Interior Once you’ve determined from the seller that the vehicle is clear of flood damage, take a little time to confirm the reports by inspecting the car firsthand. The following steps are simple to work through and will provide yet another level of confidence before you hand over your cash. Thoroughly inspecting for flood damage has a secondary benefit of offering a systematic approach for examining the vehicle for other potential deal-breaking, non-flood related issues. The easiest flood damage test is also the most telling. Close all the windows and doors let the car sit for a few minutes and then crack open the door a take a good sniff. Mildew and mold have a distinct smell, and even trace amounts of either one is pretty apparent if the car is sealed. If you have a friend or family member who regularly complains about smells that everyone else seems oblivious to, bring them along. The Do you smell that?” question they frequently ask might save you thousands of dollars. You should also beware of cars that smell too good, since a spray-on fabric freshener can mask odors. If the 5-year-old minivan smells like fresh mountain rain” make sure that it really isn’t actually flood waters that the scent is masking. If the car passes the sniff test it is time to take off the gloves and give the car’s interior a quick pat down to reveal potentially damaging hidden issues. Damp spots under the seats are of particular interest; if you can lift the carpet and inspect the padding, even better. While it is easy to dry the carpet’s surface, foam or jute padding can retain moisture for years. During your inspection look for previous water damage evidence by blotchy water stains. Just remember, stains do not necessarily mean the vehicle has been in a flood. Any parent of a toddler can attest to that. Don’t forget to check the trunk, either. Take out the spare tire and check for moisture or sitting water. While there is a slight chance of a bad seal around the trunk lid, water or debris found in the trunk area is a good sign that your potential purchase went for a swim. As you are working through the car looking for moisture, check for signs of corrosion. Unfinished metal surfaces, like the springs hidden underneath many vehicle seats, will corrode even if the car was only under water for a short time. Look at the ends of exposed bolts. Are they shiny and new...