Thousands of Hurricane-Damaged Cars and Trucks Heading Back to Market

[yortsed snacilbuper]

This is where some due diligence on the part of the used-vehicle shopper can help. If you're in the market and want to make sure a car or truck is not a flood survivor, some recommendations include checking the vehicle's carpeting for water damage, looking for rust on screws or metallic bolts that typically wouldn't get wet, and seeing if there are water stains on seatbelts or other interior upholstery.

Another area to check for water damage is under the spare tire. It's also good to look for mud or other signs of earthy residue in the engine compartment. If interior and exterior lights look foggy, it's a sign the car or truck could have spent some time submerged in water. The smell of mold or an otherwise musty odor is also an indication the car may have been flooded. In short, if the vehicle's history report seems questionable, use your eyes and nose, and then your best judgment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/thousands-of-hurricane-damaged-cars-and-trucks-heading-back-to-market/ar-AAu2MrB?ocid=spartanntp

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. National Insurance Crime Bureau VIN Check

Last edited Thu Oct 26, 2017, 03:47 PM - Edit history (2)

National Insurance Crime Bureau VIN Check

About VINCheck (SM)

NICB's VINCheck is a free service provided to the public to assist in determining if a vehicle has been reported as stolen, but not recovered, or has been reported as a salvage vehicle by cooperating NICB member insurance companies. To perform a search, a vehicle identification number (VIN) is required. A maximum of five searches can be conducted within a 24-hour period per IP address.

Also, because this thread just got a reply:

Hat tip, Stuart G

Virginia Officials Warning About Buying Hurricane-Damaged Vehicles

Virginia Officials Warning About Buying Hurricane-Damaged Vehicles

by Katie Pyzyk October 3, 2017 at 11:30 am

The recent spate of major hurricanes making landfall in the U.S. has raised the possibility of flood-damaged vehicles making their way up to the local used car market, Virginia officials warn.

Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are thought to have been damaged by hurricane-related flooding. That has prompted warnings from Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles and attorney general.

Although Virginia state law requires owners to report water damage when selling their vehicle, not everyone does. The AG and DMV have released guidelines of what to watch for when purchasing a used vehicle.

Their full statement is below.

RICHMOND (October 3, 2017) – Attorney General Mark R. Herring and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are urging customers in the market for a new or used car to be on the lookout for vehicles with water damage in the wake of massive flooding caused by a recent onslaught of hurricanes that has damaged or destroyed countless vehicles.

“All Virginians purchasing a used car directly from another individual should have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic, but that advice is even more pertinent in the wake of massive flooding when the risk of purchasing a water-damaged car increases,” said Attorney General Mark Herring. “Virginians need to be on the lookout for signs of water damage when purchasing a vehicle, and should always trust their instincts – if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

“Nearly one-out-of-three car sales occurs directly between individuals,” DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb said. “The dangers of water-damaged cars can be hidden. Aside from mold and rust, electrical systems could erode and fail over time. Computer sensors could be damaged and safety protections like air bags could fail in a crash.”

State law requires water damage to be reported on a vehicle’s title; however, dishonest sellers can find ways to circumvent these requirements, putting buyers at risk. If a vehicle is branded as non-repairable, the vehicle cannot be titled in Virginia, but a non-repairable car could be titled in another state. If a Virginian purchases that car and tries to title it in Virginia, the vehicle’s history would show it as non-repairable and the customer couldn’t obtain a title.

Virginia Code § 46.2-624 requires insurance companies to report to DMV when they have paid a claim of $3,500 or more on a vehicle due to water damage. Insurers are required to notify DMV of such water damage, even if the owner intends to continue driving the vehicle.

One tool consumers can use to check a vehicle’s history is the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). By centralizing national title records, NMVTIS can help customers take extra precautions to identify flood-damaged, stolen or otherwise unsafe vehicles prior to titling. For more information, visit vehiclehistory.gov.

{snip}

From the comments:

skippy johnson • 3 hours ago
Inspect the lamps in the headlights/taillights--look for fogging or condensation. Make sure that all upholstery/carpet pieces match-- if not, could be a sign they were replaced. Look under the wheel wells and the spare tire for debris/water stains. Turn on all electronics, including the radio-- make sure there's no crackling/static noise or smoke. Also:

https://www.nicb.org/theft_...

National Insurance Crime Bureau VINCheck (SM)

[snooper2]

2. why it is worth it to pay $40 or $50 bucks for unlimited CarFax VIN checks

Did it last year when buying a car....

worth every penny

[benld74]

3. Texas Motor Speedway Staging

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--tav9WqqB--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/rdn68fcxjalc8tcda5f0.gif
Texas World Speedway, a gargantuan 2-mile oval on the outskirts of College Station, a college town that’s creeped so far outward it’ll soon swallow the race track entirely, may still survive through its 50th birthday. But it won’t be a happy one. It’ll be rather lonely, although the track looks like it has all the company in the world.


Texas World never had an easy time. From its first sanctioned race in 1969, to its IndyCar and NASCAR days, to the more recent times when amateur racers and driving schools were the main ones renting the track, it hasn’t been the most well-trafficked or profitable venue.

Texas World didn’t have the attendance numbers that its sister track Michigan International Speedway did, and all major racing series had bypassed the speedway in 1981 due to inconveniences like a two-lane highway leading into the track, an unpaved infield and the like. Michigan International Speedway is still on the modern racing schedule in NASCAR’s highest levels.

For the past few years, it was a miracle each day the Texas World was still with us. A developer bought the track a decade ago, and bulldozers were expected to arrive in mid 2015 to pave over it with a 550-acre housing development. Delay after delay rolled around, keeping the track alive for a full two years after its expected closure.

It began to feel like maybe the housing development would keep holding off, and the track’s hometown of College Station would find a way to grow around it rather than over it. But once Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast, a different kind of heavy machinery arrived at the track.

The end of August was the end of Texas World Speedway’s life—or, Texas World Speedway as we all knew it. Flatbeds began rolling in, loaded with vehicles that would head to insurance auction after being handed flood titles. All motorsports events at the track were canceled from that day forward, and staff fired.

Flooded cars filled up the area at astonishing rates, so meticulously parked throughout the track’s acreage that it’s hard to find a single car out of line. For weeks, flatbeds headed into the Texas World infield and straight back out to go pick up more cars from the areas hit by the hurricane about two hours away. A police officer guarded the entrance to the track, waving flatbeds by and stopping any car without a Copart company logo.

The track has exponentially more flooded cars than it did when Jalopnik visited midway through September, as they now swallow the entire property. Local videographers Brazos Drones and Texomatic offered to take their drone out to capture the incredible sight, and it’s nothing short of that.