Beware of flood damaged vehicles

Flood damaged vehicles will be hitting the market soon, and you
need to be aware of what to watch out for if you’re in the market for a used car or truck.
Inspect the carpets to see if they show signs of having been waterlogged, such as smelling musty or having caked-on mud. Likewise, brand-new carpets in an older vehicle may be another red flag. Check the seat-mounting screws to see if there’s any evidence that they have been removed.
Inspect the lights. Headlights and taillights are expensive to replace, and a visible water line may still show on the lens or reflector.
Inspect the difficult-to-clean places, such as gaps between panels in the trunk and under the hood. Waterborne mud and debris may still appear in these places.
Search around the engine compartment. Water lines and debris can appear in hard-to-clean places, such as behind the engine. Check to see if the rubber drain plugs under the car and on the bottom of doors look as if they have been removed recently. That may have been done to drain floodwater.
Before buying a used vehicle, a detailed inspection is the best protection.