Up to a million vehicles submerged by the recent hurricane in Houston are expected to be totaled by insurers and Tom Epperson is determined to keep them off his used-car lot in 蜜柚直播.
Similar write-offs happen after nearly every major storm, but this time the volume is 鈥渟taggering,鈥 said Epperson, owner of Clyde Wanslee Auto Sales on South Sixth Avenue, the dealership that鈥檚 been in his family since the 1930s.
鈥淭hose flood cars are going to end up everywhere, in every state,鈥 so local dealers and car buyers need to take extra care to avoid getting stuck with them, he said.
Vehicles aren鈥檛 safe to drive once their electrical and computer systems are soaked by saltwater, experts say. Even if they look fine and seem to run well, corrosion makes them prone to fail without warning and airbags may not deploy in a crash.
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Such vehicles often re-enter the market when insurers sell them as salvage to buyers who clean them up for resale. Some are transferred from state to state first, a practice known as 鈥渢itle-washing鈥 that can mask their history and origins.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, 鈥渁uthorities reported truckloads of flooded vehicles being taken out of Louisiana to other states 鈥 where they were dried out, cleaned, and readied for sale to unsuspecting consumers,鈥 according to the website of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.
Epperson said most dealerships take pains to ensure flood vehicles don鈥檛 end up on their lots, but less-than-reputable operators may not be as diligent about quality checks.
A salvaged or flood-damaged vehicle is supposed to be identified as such on title, but 鈥渕any times it is not,鈥 said Ryan Harding, a spokesman for the 蜜柚直播 Department of Transportation.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 important for consumers in the used vehicle market to do their due diligence,鈥 Harding said.
ADOT recommends checking floorboards, under dashboards, under carpets and in trunks for sand, silt, mold or corrosion and under the hood for random new parts. Rusted door hinges, musty smells, brittle wiring and broken gauges can also be telltale signs.
Houston鈥檚 flood vehicles could hit the market here soon.
鈥淲e expect to see flood-damaged vehicles put up for sale in the next few months,鈥 said 蜜柚直播 attorney general spokeswoman Mia Garcia, who also stressed the need for consumer vigilance.
Garcia said vehicles should be inspected by a reputable mechanic before purchase. She also recommends using the National Insurance Crime Bureau鈥檚 free VIN-checking service at .
Even that isn鈥檛 foolproof though, since it only captures the status of vehicles with comprehensive insurance coverage.
Flood-damaged vehicles have ended up in 蜜柚直播 before, said Frank 鈥淏uck鈥 Buckner, owner of Buck鈥檚 Automotive Service Center on North First Avenue.
He recalled a local who, not long after Hurricane Katrina, brought in a low-mileage Lexus to have it inspected before buying.
鈥淭he car looked gorgeous. But there was sand in the battery box, sand in the floorboards, and the whole underside was covered in surface rust.鈥
Sellers of suspect vehicles may be evasive if questioned, so consider that a danger sign too, said Harding of ADOT.
鈥淚f the seller is acting suspiciously, being evasive or uncooperative, walk away,鈥 he said.
