zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
How To Avoid Being Scammed Into Buying A Hurricane-Damaged Car
How To Avoid Being Scammed Into Buying A Hurricane-Damaged Car-January 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:53

Now that hurricanes Harvey and Irma have come and gone and most everyone affected can focus on rebuilding and recovering, that could also potentially mean buying a new car to replace the one that got destroyed. Problem is: how do you know if the new car you’re thinking about hasn’t also been hurricane damaged?

You should especially be on the lookout for scammers, who will take those hurricane cars, clean them up and them flip them to unsuspecting customers. If you’re shopping for a used car, be sure to be extra cautious. Be on high alert if you are shopping around on a used car lot or are in talks with a private seller.

AAA released some tips on how to spot flood- or hurricane-damaged cars:

Check the vehicle’s history and acquire a CARFAX Vehicle History Report. The report may reveal if the car has been in a flood or been issued a salvage title.

Be alert to damp or musty odors.

Check for carpet or upholstery that has been replaced or recently shampooed. Pull back the carpet at different areas and look for mud, dirt or signs of water stains.

Look for dirt building up in unusual areas, especially the underside of the dashboard. This area is hard to clean.

Inspect for rust under the vehicle. Corrosion is uncommon in new vehicles and those that are owned and operated in warmer climate areas.

Look for rust, mud, dirt or discoloration in body seams and small out-of-the-way crevices on the doors, under the hood and inside the trunk.

Ensure electrical components, such as lighting, the heater/AC fan, window motors, and more are all functioning properly.

Get a pre-purchase inspection of the used vehicle by a trusted mechanic.

It’s a shitty thing to do—pass off a damaged car as one in good condition—but it happens. It’s up to you do your due diligence.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
You Can Finally Play Cyberpunk in Your Tesla, Two Years After it was Promised
You Can Finally Play Cyberpunk in Your Tesla, Two Years After it was Promised
Nearly two years ago, Tesla teased the possibility of playing console-quality video games on the dashboard touchscreen of the refreshed and , thanks to the addition of a new AMD RDNA 2-based GPU — the same type of silicon powering the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The company...
Jan 28, 2026
At $15,000, Could You be Tempted by This 1978 Ford LTD II Time Capsule?
At $15,000, Could You be Tempted by This 1978 Ford LTD II Time Capsule?
Despite its name, today’s LTD II isn’t a sequel to Ford’s biggest car, but a model that slotted in beneath. That odd naming choice aside, there’s a lot to like about this still-big coupe. Let’s see if that includes its price. It’s pretty easy to determine the “use-by” date...
Jan 28, 2026
Honda Has Discovered the Massive Sales Potential of Over-the-Air Updates
Honda Has Discovered the Massive Sales Potential of Over-the-Air Updates
Every couple of weeks, some automaker publicizes a plan to , making it faster, smarter, and able to reach more aspects of the vehicle. They evangelize the convenience of “over-the-air” updates — something that cars have been capable of for the last 10 years — with an eye toward...
Jan 28, 2026
At $20,000, Could This 1961 International Scout 80 Prove to Be a Simple Pleasure?
At $20,000, Could This 1961 International Scout 80 Prove to Be a Simple Pleasure?
The seller of today’s Scout has completed its restoration and wants it gone to make way for the next Scout project. Let’s see if its price is just as restorative. Attrition can be a great equalizer, turning what was once common and mundane into an object of interest. That’s...
Jan 28, 2026
Honda Performance Lists its 2022 Acura ARX-05 DPi Race Car on Bring a Trailer
Honda Performance Lists its 2022 Acura ARX-05 DPi Race Car on Bring a Trailer
Honda Performance Development has listed one of its race cars . for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship means there’s a fleet of racing cars now deemed obsolete by the new regulations. Obsolete race cars often ended up being scrapped, kept by automakers as promotional and museum pieces, or sold...
Jan 28, 2026
I Love The Performance Of My BMW But I Need Something Bigger! What Car Should I Buy?
I Love The Performance Of My BMW But I Need Something Bigger! What Car Should I Buy?
Dan is a retired Air Force officer in the DC/Baltimore metro. He has an M-Sport X3 that he really loves but the car is over ten years old and a bit too small for family trips. He wants to replace it with something a bit bigger, but he doesn’t...
Jan 28, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved