THE CAR COACH REPORTS: WEEK IN REVIEW
PASS ON THE SANDY SEDAN EDITION
I don’t need to tell you that Hurricane Sandy created an unprecedented catastrophe in the Northeast. The loss of life and property is tragic to say the least.
Unfortunately, it’s disasters like these that bring unscrupulous characters out of the woodwork to prey on the innocent. One such type of unscrupulous character is the used car salesman. Whether it’s an individual selling his personal vehicle or a used car dealer with too-good-to-be-true deals, beware the flood damaged car!
If you’re in the market for a used car and you aren’t sure if the vehicle you are eyeing has been in a flood, follow these tips:
· Judge The Car By Its Title: There are a number of states that don’t bother with salvage titles. In other words, if the car was salvaged in one state and re-titled in another, the salvage status may disappear. Do a bit of investigating within the vehicle’s original state. Call the DMV there and provide the VIN number. They can tell you if it was salvaged after a flood. This is especially useful if the vehicle’s title was recently issued in your state.
· Talk to Mat: As in floor mats. Actually, you can’t really talk to floor mats, but they can tell you a great deal, especially if you lift them up. Peek under every mat and carpeted area in the car. Is there mold, mildew or rust? If so, walk away.
· Go Down Under: The car that is. Bring along some newspaper and use it to lie upon when you take a look at the undercarriage. Since much of the flood water from Sandy was saltwater, it would have quickly rusted non anti-corrosive components. If you see what looks like a great deal of rust under there, say thanks but no thanks.
· But I Love That New Car Smell: It’s a used car--it shouldn’t have that new car smell. If it does, that means the interior was recently replaced. This is a big red moldy flag! If you turn the fan on high and put your nose at the air vents and smell mold or a perfumed scent to mask the mold – this is a flood damaged car!
· Get Your Motor Running: Definitely give the vehicle a thorough test drive. Does the suspension creak or moan? If so, this could a sign of corroded parts. Also, turn off the motor and conduct a thorough inspection of the engine compartment AFTER it has cooled down. Remove caps and covers that could be hiding corrosion, including looking at the fuse box. If there’s rust or moisture where it shouldn’t be, this is a dangerous car.
What are your tips for a avoiding a flood damaged car?
Post your comments at http://laurenfix.blogspot.com/
My Final Thought:
Way to go Nissan! http://updates.jalopnik.com/post/34777313372/nissan-helps-out-sandy-victims-with-big-savings
A very classy move from Japan’s #3 automaker—They are offering employee pricing for those hit by Sandy who need a new car. Now let’s just hope they don’t trade in their flood damaged cars! If they do – let’s hope Nissan crushes them.
Love your car! See you next week!
--Lauren Fix
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