Used Car Shoppers Need to Watch for Telltale
Signs of Water Damage
CENTREVILLE, Va., Sept. 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We're halfway through Hurricane
Season for 2024 and already tens of thousands of cars are at risk
of suffering extensive water damage, CARFAX data shows.
After a series of tropical storms and hurricanes hit the U.S.
from June through August, CARFAX estimates that extensive flooding
from Texas to Vermont has left as many as 89,000 vehicles
with water damage. That's on top of the estimated 454,000
water-damaged cars that CARFAX data shows were already on the road
in 2023 – before any of these summer hurricanes and storms hit.
Texas and Florida lead the nation when it comes to the
number of flood-damaged cars already on the road. CARFAX research
shows these vehicles often pop up in states where flooding might
not be top of mind for car shoppers, including places such as
Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee.
"We see these flooded cars show up all around the country,
putting unsuspecting buyers at risk," said Faisal Hasan, General Manager for Data at
CARFAX. "These cars may look showroom fresh, but they're literally
rotting from the inside out." Floodwater can cause mechanical,
electrical, health and safety issues in a vehicle even if it was
submerged for only a short time.
CARFAX data shows these 10 states have the most water-damaged
cars:
- Texas
64,000
- Florida
62,700
- Kentucky
30,200
- Pennsylvania 21,800
- California 20,200
- New Jersey 15,600
- New York 15,300
- Illinois
14,500
- N. Carolina 14,300
- Mississippi 12,000
For consumers who want to make sure the car they're buying
hasn't been labeled a flood-damaged car, CARFAX has a free Flood
Check® tool at carfax.com/flood. Consumers should look
for these 7 signs of flooding when considering any used car:
- Damp carpets
- A musty odor in the interior, sometimes covered up with a
strong air-freshener
- Upholstery or carpeting that may be loose, new, stained or that
doesn't match the rest of the interior
- Rust around doors, under the dashboard, on the pedals or inside
the hood and trunk latches
- Mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats
- Brittle wires under the dashboard
- Fog or moisture beads in the interior lights, exterior lights
or instrument panel
Editor's note: We have estimates on the number of flooded
cars for each state and the Top 100 markets. Interviews with a used
car expert from CARFAX also are available at any time. Please
contact us at PublicRelations@carfax.com.
About CARFAX
CARFAX, part of S&P Global Mobility, helps millions of
people every day confidently shop, buy, service and sell used cars
with innovative solutions powered by CARFAX® vehicle
history information. The expert in vehicle history since 1984,
CARFAX provides CARFAX Used Car Listings, CARFAX Car
Care, CARFAX History-Based Value and the flagship CARFAX
Vehicle History Report to consumers and the automotive
industry. CARFAX owns the world's largest vehicle history database
and is nationally recognized as a top workplace by The
Washington Post. Shop, Buy, Service, Sell – Show me the
CARFAX®.
S&P Global Mobility is a division of S&P Global (NYSE:
SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit
ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global
capital, commodity and automotive markets.
Contact: Patrick Olsen
Carfax Public Relations
PublicRelations@Carfax.com
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SOURCE CARFAX