Utah could be hit by a surge of flood-damaged cars in the wake of Helene’s stormwaters

SALT LAKE CITY — The damage done by Hurricane Helene’s stormwater has damaged thousands of cars, trucks, and SUVs, which can cause sorts of hidden issues that slowly turn them into junk: electrical damage, engine issues, corrosion, and more.

Several car owners do not immediately see that damage, and insurance companies tend not to mess around. Those companies could brand a flooded car’s title as “salvage” or a “total loss.”

But not all cars don’t stay that way. Scammers have been known to repair cars and wash their titles by fraudulently documenting damages. This allows them to resell flood-damaged cars for much more than they’re worth.

Flooded cars with washed titles tend to turn up far away from a storm’s flood zone, like in Utah.

“They will clean them up and they will sit on them,” said Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief at CARFAX. “And they’ll bring them to places like Utah and Minnesota, Illinois, Kentucky – places where consumers aren’t really thinking about flooded cars.”

CARFAX, which offers a free tool for consumers to determine whether their car has hidden flooding damage, estimates that about 7,000 vehicles in Utah have been damaged by water.

KSL Investigates has reported on some of the signs to watch out for and spot a car with water damage. While the water substantially damages a car’s engine and electrical systems, the best place to check for damage may be the trunk.

As engine compartments become easier to clean, CARFAX recommends looking for rust in and around the spare tire well or the car’s jack. In the cabin, pull up some upholstery and see if there is sediment underneath it.

Also, CARFAX suggested buyers look for water beads in places where they should not be, like inside a headlight can. But the biggest thing is to look for mud and silt stains in places that are hard to clean, like glove boxes, trunks, and under the hood.

Whether it’s a CARFAX or some other provider, buyers should always pull a vehicle history report to see what kind of damage has been reported. Experts said buyers should always have a mechanic check out a car before they buy, as mechanics see telltale signs of damage that untrained eyes often miss.