Yahoo Autos Hurricane Ian Flooded Many Cars. Don’t Buy One of Them
The primary damage from Hurricane Ian was to the people of Florida and the Carolinas, but an unknown number of cars were also flooded in the massive storm last weekend.
If you're shopping for a used car in the coming months, you do not want to get a flooded vehicle, especially without knowing that the car once went swimming.
Below, we list four steps to take if you suspect the car you're shopping for might have been involved in a flood.
Hurricane Ian tore through Florida this past weekend, leaving behind at least 100 dead and millions in property damage. Before fading away, Ian dropped more water on North and South Carolina. We don't yet know how many vehicles were ruined in the storm, but at least one McLaren P1 was carried away by the rising waters. For comparison, when Hurricane Ida rained down on multiple states, from Louisiana to New York, it damaged an estimated 212,000 cars, according to Carfax.
Once the car has had a chance to dry out and go through a cleaning, the fact that it was submerged might be challenging to notice. Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, told Car and Driver there are many ways a smart shopper can spot a previously flooded car. There are many more reasons why you don't want to end up with a flooded vehicle, she said.
"You don't want any part of a flooded vehicle, no matter whether the damage is disclosed and no matter what assurances you get from a seller," Murray said. "If you suspect a vehicle may have sustained flood damage, move on. Don't be tempted to roll the dice. You'll almost surely be buying a headache and just wasting your money."
