FRESNO (KMJ) – Water-damaged cars could trickle into the used car market.
Used cars are often shipped to consumers in other areas, and the damage can be hard to spot – leading to a flood of problems for the buyer.
Immersing a car in water can ruin electronics, lubricants, and mechanical systems.
Problems are hard to spot –think of corrosion affecting your airbag controller just when you need it.
Once a car is totaled, it’s supposed to get a salvage title, identifiable by the words “branded” “salvage” or “flood.”
But Consumer Reports found flood-damaged vehicles reappearing with clean titles.
Beware of any used car with a “lost” title.
For some peace of mind, you can run a background check using the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System: http://www.vehiclehistory.gov/
