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Illinois Sees Dramatic Rise in Flood Damaged Cars Showing Up for Sale

Number of Cars with Flood Damage Nearly Doubled Since 2002; Illinois Consumers Need to be on the Lookout for Used Car Fraud

CHICAGO, June 5 -- Carfax, the most trusted provider of vehicle history information, announced today that the number of flood damaged cars showing up for sale in Illinois has increased by 96% since 2002. With hurricane season beginning, and with used car buying season and summer travel in full swing, Carfax wants to ensure that Illinois consumers are on the lookout.

"These figures underscore just how important it is for consumers to find out all they can about a used car's history," said Chris Basso, media relations manager for Carfax. "Flood damaged cars are often dried out, repaired cosmetically and then moved to another state to be sold to unsuspecting consumers. Not only do consumers end up putting their money down the drain but more importantly, they risk their safety." Flood water can cause major damage to vehicle engines, braking and electrical systems.

Last year, Hurricane Katrina left an estimated 250,000 flood damaged cars in its wake. Water damage from 1999's Hurricane Floyd ruined approximately 75,000 vehicles and more than half of those ended up back on the road. Tropical storm Allison damaged another 95,000 cars in 2001 and Hurricane Ivan left more than 100,000 vehicles water-logged.

Carfax is offering free Carfax Flood Checks ( http://www.carfax.com/flood ) to used car buyers and owners nationwide to assist them in avoiding flood-damaged wrecks. A Carfax vehicle history report will provide many details on a car's past, including flood titles and will indicate if a vehicle has been titled/registered in at-risk areas during flood and hurricane seasons.

In addition to flood damaged cars, frame damage, odometer fraud and improperly replaced airbags are just some of the other things used car buyers need to be aware of this year. For example, victims of airbag fraud have found their airbags stuffed with everything from rags to old shoes or nothing at all. However, most victims of airbag fraud may never know until it's too late.

Unscrupulous sellers can also commit fraud by changing the odometer reading, cleaning the vehicle to make it appear to an untrained eye that the vehicle has been driven fewer miles, and sometimes even altering title documents.