WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The damage left behind from natural disasters like hurricanes are not only felt in the regions that were hit, but can be a rippling effect for many others across the country.
An example can be seen in the used car market. Cars with flood damage are often sold at auction and then cleaned up to look as good as new. Those cars are then sold back to customers at a cheap price. That’s how thousands of water-damaged cars end up on roadways in states like Kansas.
“We‘re a long way from the coast, so we generally don’t know what to look for here,” said Lowell Toothman with LT’s Auto in Wichita.
Hurricane Helene alone left behind 138,000 vehicles flooded and calculations are still being made following hurricane Milton. That large number is on top of the more than 450,000 water-damaged vehicles that were reported last year.
According to Carfax, Kansas has approximately 3,400 flooded vehicles back on the road with about 1,000 of those being in Wichita. That statistic is updated through the Spring of this year and does not factor the impact of the recent hurricanes.
For those in the market of buying a used car, Toothman offered advice on the signs to look out for to determine if the car had previous water damage.
Check under the hood and underneath the carpet in a vehicle to see if there is a water line which looks like a consistent white line. Toothman says a white, crusty mark is a sign of corrosion left behind from the salt water.
Toothman also advises that if the vehicle is a car, check underneath the spare tire in the trunk to see if there is water leftover or mud. Another sign is mismatched carpet inside of the vehicle. Even if signs of corrosion are not seen throughout the car, another sign of a flood-damaged vehicle is if the inside smells like mildew.
He says even before looking at a vehicle, a red flag should be if the car is being sold for a cheap price.
“I don’t believe everybody is bad, but some people are out trying to make a dollar,” said Toothman.
The Better Business Bureau says scammers are trying to pass off water-damaged cars as regular used cars, which while at first might sound like a good deal, could lead to the customer paying thousands of dollars down the road for electrical repairs.
“You don’t want to buy a lemon and a lot of folks are left holding lemons when you purchase vehicles from impacted regions,” said Josh Planos with the BBB. ”Anytime you have a high leverage transactions like this, you want to make sure all of your questions are realistically answered.”
Automotive experts predict that over the next six months, hundreds of flooded out cars impacted by the recent hurricanes in Florida could end up in lots in Kansas.
“This part of the country, they will be everywhere,” said Toothman.
For buyers to protect themselves, they should check the VIN number on the Carfax Free Flood Check. There, buyers can see the vehicle‘s history and whether or not there is water damage. However, sometimes that damage isn’t always reported.
Buyers can also bring the vehicle to a maintenance shop for a thorough inspection that is normally offered at a discounted price or free of charge.
Copyright 2024 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
