Spotting a Flood-Damaged Car Before You Buy

Flood damage is among the most serious problems a used car can carry and among the easiest to disguise. Water corrodes wiring and connectors for years after the car looks and smells clean. These checks help you catch it.

Follow your nose, then your eyes

A musty or heavily perfumed interior is a warning. Air fresheners masking a smell deserve suspicion. Then look where water settles and silt collects:

• Under the seats and along the seat rails
• In the spare-wheel well and the boot floor
• Inside door pockets, vents and the glovebox

Check the metal and the electronics

• Rust on bright metal that should not corrode, such as seat rails, bolts and bracket edges.
• Corrosion or a waterline on wiring connectors under the dash and seats.
• Fogging or moisture inside headlights, tail lights and instrument glass.
• Electronics that behave oddly: flickering lights, intermittent windows, dashboard warnings.

Cross-check the records

A flood brand on the title, or registration history in a region that had recent flooding, adds weight to what you find. Absence of a brand is not proof the car is dry, because not every flood car is reported.

The safe rule

Water damage spreads and worsens. If several of these signs line up, treat the car as flood damaged regardless of what the seller says, and price the risk accordingly or walk away.