Florida and Texas lead the nation in the number of flood-damaged cars already on the road. But CARFAX research shows these vehicles often turn up in states where flooding isn’t top of mind for car shoppers — including places such as Pennsylvania or Illinois.
Consumers who want to avoid buying a flood-damaged car can use CARFAX’s free Flood Check® tool at carfax.com/flood. Used car shoppers can also get a free CARFAX Vehicle History Report on Carfax Car Listings from CARFAX.com to see if a vehicle has a record of water damage.
Consumers should look for these signs of flooding when considering any used car:
- Damp or loose carpentry, or carpentry that’s mismatched from the upholstery
- Rust around doors, under the dashboard, on the pedals, or inside the hood or trunk latches
- A musty odor, potentially of mold or mildew
- Mud or silt in unusual places such as the glove compartment, under the seats, or up high
- Brittle wires under the dashboard
- Fog or moisture beads in the interior lights, head- and taillights, or in the instrument panel
Editor’s note: We have estimates on the number of flooded cars currently in each State and Top DMAs. Interviews with a used car expert from CARFAX are also available at any time. Please contact Em Nguyen at [email protected].
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 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.
SOURCE CARFAX
