Should you buy a car that’s been in a flood?

The short answer is NO.
There’s several ways a vehicle can get a salvage title. It could’ve been in an accident, stolen or it may’ve been in a flood or had some sort of weather damage. The first two reasons can present an opportunity for a car buyer to save a lot of money by restoring the vehicle or even using its parts to rebuild another vehicle. However, if a car had flood or weather damage it’s usually not worth the headache.

Weather damaged cars which receive salvage titles usually end up with electrical problems somewhere down the road which can cause major problems. These type of vehicles are not only dangerous to drive but they will also be very expensive to repair and may not even be repairable.

So, how do you know if the car you’re looking to buy has been in a flood? It may be hard to tell, especially if you’re buying a salvage car online but you’d be safer to stay away from a car being sold in a state that recently had heavy storms. Having said that, a flood damaged car can be moved to another state without the buyer knowing. If possible, have a mechanic locally check out the car for you. If you suspect flood damage you can get a free flood damage check from CarFax.com before you buy.