This document provides signs that a used vehicle may have flood damage based on a list from CarFax of states most likely to have flood-damaged vehicles. It details several signs to look for including musty odors, discolored or wet carpeting, rust, high oil levels, dirt in unusual places, and fogging in lights and mirrors which could indicate the vehicle was submerged in flood waters. It advises talking to reputable dealers, checking titles for flood or salvage labels, and using a VIN check on the National Insurance Crime Bureau database to investigate a vehicle's history before purchasing.

1. 8 Signs You May Be Looking at a Flood-
Damaged Vehicle

2. Flood-damaged cars are most likely to turn up in states
affected by coastal and river flooding. Here’s a list
from most to least flood-damaged, from CarFax:
 Texas
 New Jersey
 Pennsylvania
 Kentucky
 Louisiana
 Illinois
 New York
 Florida
 Missouri
 Virginia

3. Facts: Flood Damage from Hurricanes and Tropical
Storms
• Hurricane Floyd (1999) damaged
75,000 vehicles and more than half
were put back out on the road.
• Tropical Storm Allison (2001)
damaged more than 95,000
vehicles by the most extensive
tropical storm in U.S. history.
• Hurricane Ivan (2004) – Left more
than 100,000 cars submerged in
floodwaters throughout the
Southeast.

4. Facts: Flood Damage from Hurricanes and Tropical
Storms
• Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita
and Hurricane Wilma (2005) –
claimed more than 600,000 cars
across the Gulf Coast. Many of
these cars still are showing up for
sale around the country.
• Hurricane Ike (2008) – more than
100,000 cars in Texas and
Louisiana, from Galveston and
Houston over to Baton Rouge, were
left underwater.

5. Talk to a reputable dealer. Established dealerships
know that protecting their good public image is worth
its weight in gold to them.
What to do:
• Ask if the car has flood damage (and get the answer in writing). If
you can’t get this assurance, it’s time to walk away.
• Ask to see the title (look for a stamp that reads “Flood” or “Salvage,”
required by law in some states. At the very least, check to see if the
car came from a flood damaged area.
• Be wary of vehicles priced way under market value. If it’s too good
to be true, it usually is.
Be a Smart Shopper

6. • A “salvage title” means the
car was declared a total loss
by an insurance company
because of a serious
accident or some other
problems.
• A “flood title” means the car
has damage from sitting in
water deep enough to fill the
engine compartment.
The title status is part of a
vehicle history report.
Salvage vs. Flood Title

7. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Musty or moldy odors
• Check the air-conditioner to see if
a moldy smell comes from the
vents/
• Musty or moldy odors inside the
car are a sign of mildew buildup
from prolonged exposure to
water.
**Note: A strong air freshener or
cleaning solution scent may mask the
mildew odor.

8. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Carpeting
• Look for discolored carpeting.
• Check for moisture by feeling the carpet.
• If possible, peel back the carpet to see if you can feel moisture between the
carpet and the car body.
• You may also see other signs of water damage, such as rust, by looking under
the carpet.
• Open the trunk and check the carpet.
• Remove the spare tire and feel the material underneath.
• Compare the floor carpet to the upholstery on the doors and the roof to be sure
they all appear to be the same age and color.

9. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Faulty Fabrics
• Look for blotchy, brown water stains on all the
upholstery — front, back and under the seats
• If the car is 10 years old but the upholstery
looks new, be suspicious.
• Check to see the upholstery matches – look for
sections that are a different color, faded, newer
or with patterns that don’t line up.
• Large stains or differences in color between
lower and upper upholstery sections may
indicate that standing water was in the vehicle.

10. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Recognize Rust
• Check the exterior paint for bubbles
near rubber or chrome (a sign that
there’s rust under the paint).
• Check for rust on screws, door hinges,
hood springs, trunk latches or brackets
under the dashboard.
• Use a mirror to check below the seats
for rusty springs.

11. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Check the Oil
A reading of an oil level that’s
too high may indicate water in
the engine

12. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Inspect the exterior for water buildup
• Check for fogging inside
headlamps or taillights
• A water line might be visible
in the engine compartment
or the trunk

13. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Inspect the interior for water buildup
• Check for fogging inside the
instrument panel and
interior and exterior mirrors.
• Bend the wires underneath
the dashboard. (After
drying, wet wires become
very brittle)

14. Signs you may be looking at a flood-damaged vehicle:
Dirt buildup in unusual areas
• Check for fogging inside the
instrument panel and
interior and exterior mirrors.
• Bend the wires underneath
the dashboard. (After
drying, wet wires become
very brittle).

15. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) maintains a
free database that includes flood damage and other
information so you can investigate a car’s history by its
vehicle identification number (VIN).

16. If you suspect a local car dealer is committing fraud by
knowingly selling a flood car or a salvaged vehicle as a
good-condition used car, contact your auto insurance
company, local law enforcement agency or the NICB at
(800) 835-6422.