How to Reveal Flooded-Damaged Car Info by VIN

04.08.2015

In the US, storm is not a rare phenomenon that destroyshomes, businesses and property. And cars are not an exception. Hundreds and hundreds of cars are flooded yearly, but not all of them are written off.

The main problem about flood-damaged vehicles is that they are rather difficult to reveal. A car may look like if it is in a proper condition, but flood usually causemajor damage and can affect a vehicle in multiple ways: engine, transmission, brakes, electronic and other systems. Here is what you can do to avoid a car that has been damaged in flood.

Check car info by VIN

Once the vehicle has been cleaned, flood damage is usually not obvious. Some unfair seller may take advantage of this and pretend their car is in proper condition. The good news is you can easily reveal the truth by checking car information by VIN. Use services like VINDECODER.EXPERT which collect reports from numerous insurance agencies, police departments and other sources about disasters and accidents, including such natural disasters as flooding. If the car you are considering has been reported damaged, you will easily reveal this and can safely walk away from the deal. Moreover, you can find out if the car was involved in an accident, was stolen or somehow damaged.

Checking the car itself for the signs of flood damage

In addition to performing a VIN inquiry, you should examine the car visually for signs of damage. If you are not good at mechanics, ask a trusted mechanic to do the following:

Look under the floor carpeting for silt, sand or mildew.
Check the undercarriage for dirt or other signs of water damage.
Look under the dashboard. You may notice some signs of damage such as rust on metal parts.
Check the speakers in the doors, because they are usually damaged if a car was flooded.

Always have a vehicle thoroughly checked before making a purchase. Ensure that it is safe and won’t cause you problems in future. If you believe that you are dealing with a flood-damage car, but the seller refuses to admit it, better go way from the deal. Also be suspicious if the deal is too good to be true. Don’t take the risk, because such a car is dangerous to drive. And report any unfair car sellers so that others car shoppers are not victimized by them. If it happened that you’ve already purchased a car that has been damaged in flood, but the seller hid this information from you, you can try to recover your money by contacting an attorney.