Flood-damaged cars – what to look for
Thousands of flood-damaged cars have hit the used car and auction markets in Queensland, Victoria and NSW. While most will be advertised as flood damaged, others may be offered for sale without buyers being told of the damage.
Insurance industry representatives said they had written off more vehicles than normal because of the lack of skilled repairers to work on the damaged vehicles. Most of the salvageable cars are simply being washed and offered for sale as they stand. They range from driveable to barely recognisable.
What to look for:
- The glovebox for a tide mark
- Under the seat mountings for signs of water
- Debris in suspension components
- Open the fuse box and check for debris or rust
- Lift seat covers and inspect original fabric
- Inspect the carpet and check for musty/damp smell
- Get a full vehicle history report detailing whether the vehicle was classified as a repairable write-off.
Buyers should be aware of the repercussions of buying water-damaged vehicles. Many problems associated with flood damaged cars won’t become evident until some time in the future.
There are also several ways flooded vehicles could be offered for sale without the buyer being advised:
- A vehicle can be placed on the “repairable written off” register, repaired, inspected and then taken off the register.
- Private sellers buy flood-damaged vehicles at auction houses are not obliged to pass on this information to subsequent purchasers.
- Flood damaged cars can move between State boarders and doing a written-off check on only one State Registry will not include information on whether this vehicle has been flood damaged in other Australian States or Territories. For $38.95, make sure you get a car history report that checks what has happened to that particular car in all Australian States and Territories.
- Private owners of flooded vehicles have no obligation to declare the damage to buyers.
And remember, new vehicles damaged in floods will not carry manufacturer warranties.
