Reselling "flooded cars" is an extremely profitable business: the price of a flood victim is roughly half that of a regular car. For example, a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLS 3.0 V6 from 2000 that has floated along the Rhine, with leather interior, climate control - in short, in maximum trim - is offered for $10-12 thousand. While in normal condition such a car costs at least $20-22 thousand. And what prevents one from buying it there for a ridiculous sum and selling it here at a normal price, delicately keeping silent about the vehicle's underwater adventures? Practically nothing! After all, once a professional works properly on a sunken car, distinguishing it from a "land" car will be very, very difficult.
So how do you avoid falling for a "flooded car"? Here are a few simple tips:
1. The smell of dampness remains one of the main and almost indestructible signs of a water-damaged car. No matter what auto cosmetics you use, the musty smell in the cabin cannot be completely eliminated. Also, if the car being offered to you is literally hung with "little fir trees" or has "crowns" and other air fresheners, it's worth thinking about. It is especially suspicious when not only the cabin but also the trunk is hung with such things.
2. After water, difficult-to-remove stains remain on the upholstery, and the leather becomes stiffer to the touch and hardens.
3. Rust primarily affects those body elements that under normal conditions are inaccessible to moisture and therefore are not subjected to anticorrosion treatment. For example, the metal under the dashboard. If there is rust there, something is clearly wrong with the car. Of course, not every seller will gladly agree to disassemble the front panel, but if you want, you can convince him. Sometimes it is enough to shine a flashlight under the panel itself, even without taking it apart. Now take a look under the seat - is the frame of the cushion rusty? Fold back the rubber seals in the cabin and trunk - is there any silt or river sand under them?
4. The headlights can tell a lot about the fate of a car. Moisture leaves clearly visible spots on the mirror surface of the reflector. And the presence of absolutely new headlights on a used but non-damaged car makes one wonder why they suddenly had to be replaced.
5. A foggy instrument panel from the inside is another reason for suspicion. In general, be sure to check all the electrical equipment of the car - the air conditioner or climate control, power windows, displays, and indicator lights. If the seller assures you that the indicator light "just burned out," and that replacing the fuse is "five minutes and everything will work," do not be lazy and give him the coveted little part - it will please the seller, and you will immediately understand what's what. By the way, all electrical connectors that have been in water become covered with a gray coating, so it makes sense to pay attention to that as well.
6. And one more simple but very valuable piece of advice: car sales are carried out through documents, and from them you can trace in which district the car you are interested in was registered. And find out whether this area was subject to flooding. Information about flooded places is publicly available and immediately shows whether to deal with such a car or not.
If vigilance still let you down and you actually bought a car that has floated, immediately replace all operating fluids and filters in it. It would be good to remove all possible upholstery and treat the metal underneath with anticorrosion chemicals, and the wiring connectors with water-repellent compounds. In addition, you will most likely have to replace all bearings, most electronic units and boards, as well as all kinds of electric motors, of which there can be about a dozen in a modern driver's seat with servo adjustments.
In general, it is practically impossible to completely protect yourself from future surprises, because to do this you would have to completely disassemble the car, go through every part screw by screw, and reassemble it. No one will do this, and the cost of such work is likely comparable to the price of the car.
There is hope that there will not be too many water-damaged cars. The contingent of car resellers in all cities of the country has long been established, and surely no one will want to seriously risk their reputation. Moreover, an unscrupulous reseller risks not only his reputation, because the car can "die" at the most inopportune moment, even before meeting a potential buyer, and then it can be sold only for scrap, and even then - with reservations.
Another issue is that some "flooded cars" may not be recognized by the resellers themselves. According to them, such cars have already hit the market after the floods last year - some were successfully sold, while some had to be sold for spare parts - when frost set in, engines and automatic transmissions failed. In general, experts believe that "wet" cars will be sold mainly not at markets, but through newspapers, via private ads. No one can predict how long they will stay on sale. Therefore, be vigilant and remember: this is exactly where you should under no circumstances rush - that is, when buying a car. It's a very serious matter.