Hurricane Ian flooded vehicles will soon be sold in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — Vehicles and vans flooded by Hurricane Ian will quickly be cleaned up and offered in Indiana and different states to unsuspecting automobile consumers.

Presently, an estimated 400,000 on the street nationwide have a waterlogged historical past, based on Carfax, an organization that gives automobile historical past studies.

“That’s earlier than Hurricane Ian hit,” Emilie Voss, a spokesperson for Carfax, stated. “They take these automobiles; they clear them up after which they promote them to unsuspecting consumers.”

Flooded autos could make their solution to Indiana in a number of methods, together with scammers who’re attempting to make a fast buck.

You can see Hurricane Ian flooded autos on Craigslist and Fb market, in addition to automobile seller heaps.

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“Typically there are unscrupulous sellers whether or not that be a seller or a personal vendor who then turns round and appears to make revenue by not disclosing that it has flood harm in its historical past,” Voss stated. “Some that go the insurance coverage declare route will likely be offered at public sale and find yourself again on the roads.”

Indiana presently ranks 15^th within the nation with regards to the variety of flood-damaged autos on the street, with 8,700, which is a 4% improve from 2021.

It may be tough to identify a flood-damaged automobile.

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“To the bare eye they give the impression of being utterly effective, however they’re actually rotting from the within out,” Voss stated. “It’s scary. It is scary, particularly for an unsuspecting purchaser.”

Carfax presents a free flood examine right here.

Put within the Automobile Identification and the instrument will let you know whether or not a automobile has had a flooding occasion prior to now.

The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration additionally presents VIN checks right here.

RUN A VIN CHECK | NHTSA | NICB | AUTOCHECK | CARFAX

If the vendor is utilizing a fraudulent title, it will probably make it much more tough to identify a soggy previous.

That’s why you will need to have a mechanic examine the automobile earlier than shopping for, and in addition take the automobile for a check drive.

Bear in mind the following pointers from the Florida Division of Freeway Security and Motor Automobiles for recognizing flood-damaged autos when procuring round:

• Sniff Take a look at: If the automobile smells musty, there’s a excessive chance it has been uncovered to water. If it has a robust scent of deodorizer or air freshener, it’s potential the vendor is attempting to masks the scent of mildew.
• Dust and Grime: Mud, grime, or waterlines contained in the automobile are potential indicators of flood harm. Don’t neglect to examine hidden spots for grime and watermarks, just like the trunk, glove field, and beneath the dashboard.
• Rust and Corrosion: Examine beneath the automobile to see if there’s an uncommon quantity of rust or corrosion for the automobile’s age and site.