How to Check A Car For Prior Water Damage Service And Restoration

Buying a second-hand car? Be wary of unscrupulous car dealers who are trying to earn big bucks from selling water-damaged vehicles. With the number of flooding incidents rising in the country, billions of dollars in homes and properties were lost to water damage. This includes fully or partially submerged cars and other automobiles. Most are probably already useless and considered scrap and ends up in a junk pile. However, there are cases where such vehicles are taken to different locations for re-sale, after they have undergone water damage restoration.

It would be considered fair trade if the reseller labels the vehicle as having undergone damage restoration, but it is a different case if the dealer intentionally hides the fact. In any case, it would be up to the buyer to decide if he will proceed with the purchase or not. This would be difficult even if you purchase the vehicle's history report. It may or may not show up in the insurance records, but devious car dealers will try to hide this fact in order to resell the car. The following are some tips for would-be buyers on how to determine if the car has gone through water damage restoration or not.

A prospective buyer can immediately determine if the vehicle has gone through sloppy water damage restoration. Poor restoration techniques will not be very effective in preventing mold growths, and buyers would smell hints of infestation right away. The musty odor of molds and mildew are quite distinctive, particularly if the vehicle were just allowed to sit under the sun without proper damage restoration techniques. Dishonest sellers will try to hide this fact by spraying large amounts of air freshener on the car's surfaces. It would be unusual for an obviously old car to smell fresh or brand new. However, if you try to look under the carpets and the car seats, you will soon discover that all that pleasant smells are just at the surface.

The next thing to look for is rust. It could be normal for old cars to have some form of rust on the outer chassis, particularly at door edges and side trimmings. One should be doubtful, however, if they will find signs of rust on the interior of the car. Places to look are the insides of the trunk and on the areas near the taillights or the headlights. Finding traces could be a sign that the car has undergone water damage restoration.

Stains or discoloration in the carpet can also be a sign of damage restoration. Particular areas to look at would be under the seats where human traffic is not likely to occur and cause natural discolorations on the carpet. Another sign would be the pleasant sniff of carpet shampoo and intentionally large dosages of carpet freshener on a fairly old-looking carpet. The clincher would be to try and lift off a portion of the carpet and padding. If you smell or see mold, the car definitely had some water damage issues.

A water-damaged car that has not undergone proper damage restoration, or had some restoration efforts put into it but done haphazardly, would have a greater risk of breaking down after a few miles of use. Submerged cars might have compromised engines that contain sand, silt or sewage debris that were not properly removed or overhauled by a qualified technician. Flooded cars also have the risk of a faulty electrical system if it has not undergone proper damage restoration techniques.

So, if you really want to get a good deal out of buying a second hand vehicle, steer away from all the symptoms outlined earlier for water-damaged cars. The moment you see one of these signs, turn away and find another dealer.

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