For Today: Experts Offer Tips to Avoid Buying Flood-Damaged Cars
Eleven Floods Deluge Used Car Market With Tens of Thousands of Damaged Flood Vehicles Experts Offer Tips to Avoid Buying Flood-Damaged Cars Holtsville, NY- With eleven major floods hitting the United States this year alone, tens of thousands of vehicles have been submerged under water, leading to potentially significant damage. In January<https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/midwest-flooding-2015/> and March 2016, floods hit Illinois, flooding cars and leading to potentially dangerous situations. Unwitting consumers are at risk of buying a flood-damaged car if they don't follow two important tips, according to experts. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB.org)<https://www.nicb.org/newsroom/news-releases>, "unknowingly buying a flood-damaged vehicle may put you and your family in physical and financial danger. A vehicle's electronic systems are often destroyed from prolonged exposure to water rendering many of its safety features inoperable." Experts from a leading pre-insurance auto inspection company note that two simple tips can protect consumers from significant issues down the road. While misrepresenting a flood-damaged vehicle as undamaged is illegal, it happens all too often. "If a deal looks too good, be careful," said James Owens, CEO and President of leading pre-insurance auto inspection company CARCO. "Before buying a vehicle, you should physically inspect it and run a 'CheckThatVIN' report, which relies on the most comprehensive online database of vehicles, which was created by federal law." Have the vehicle inspected or inspect the vehicle yourself. § Look for water marks behind the rugs in the cabin and trunk. § Look for rust in the engine compartment. § Check for musty odors in the cabin and trunk. § Check the wheel wells for signs of submersion. § Check that electrical wires are flexible and not brittle or cracking. § Was the vehicle parked in a location that had recent flooding? Run a NMVTIS CheckThatVIN report. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) was designed to protect prospective buyers and sellers of used cars and trucks from concealed vehicle histories. Created by federal law, this system is the only publicly available system in the country that requires all insurance carriers, auto recyclers, junk and salvage yards, and states to report vehicle title history information. NMVTIS data is also required in the state of California to comply with AB1215. Reports typically include title "Brand" information that may uncover a previously-unknown "Salvage" or "Flood" vehicle. This information may not normally be found in a standard vehicle history report. CheckThatVIN is available at https://checkthatvin.com "Customers shouldn't have to be so wary when they buy a used car," said William Pagan, Senior Vice President at CARCO. "But, unfortunately, a lot of unscrupulous sellers will try to pawn off a flood-damaged car as perfectly fine." Rob Winthrop, business development director at CARCO Group, added that consumers should pay attention to cars labeled as "Insurer Total Loss." "Often, a vehicle that was a loss due to flooding may be labeled as 'Insurer Total Loss' versus 'Flood,'" he said. "Running an inexpensive CheckThatVIN report prior to purchasing a used car offers valuable information and peace of mind." About CARCO Group<http://www.carcogroup.com> CARCO Group, Inc. was founded to provide auto inspection service to the insurance community. Today, through its record of quality performance, a fully computerized proactive vehicle inspection program, and the most extensive site network available to serve the motoring public, CARCO maintains a dominant market position in the automobile inspections industry segment. CARCO has evolved through the years to become a national leader in quality of service, timely reporting, cost-effectiveness, state-of-the-art technology solutions, and legal expertise in employment screening and risk mitigation. CARCO is a leading provider of tech-enabled and compliance-driven human capital management and risk management solutions. # # # #
