Buying A Pre-Owned Car

Don't let your dream vehicle become a nightmare purchase

With so many states hit by flooding in the past several months, car buyers everywhere should remember that vehicles sold at auctions often end up hundreds of miles away in areas that didn't experience any floods.  Unscrupulous salvage operators and dealers can clean up obvious signs of flooding, such as carpets and upholstery.  But damage to a vehicle's electronics may not be evident until months later.  Here are a few ways to help reduce the likelihood of buying a flood-damaged vehicle:

 

*Go to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's (NICB) website at www.nicb.org. click on Theft and Fraud Awareness and then VINCheck for a free search of a car's vehicle identification number (VIN).  Participating NICB members send reports to
VINCheck on vehicles that were salvaged or catalogued as water-damaged.  Note: VINCheck's database also includes vehicles that were reported stolen but not recovered.

*Check under carpeting for mildew, debris and silt.  Inspect the undercarriage for signs of rust or flaking metal.  Is there a moldy smell?  Or a strong deodorizing scent?  Dealers often use air fresheners and deodorizers to mask the smell of mold.

*Consider buying a certified used car or truck that is warranted by the automaker (not the individual dealer) - automakers exclude flood-damaged vehicles from their certified programs.