CAR buyers have been urged to carry out a crucial check as drivers across six states reported their vehicles “rotting from the inside out”.
More than 100,000 vehicles are believed to be affected, but the damage may not be visible to the naked eye.
Drivers have warned of cars ‘rotting from the inside out’ following recent floods[/caption]
In the past month alone, the south-eastern coast has been devastated by twin hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate as torrential rain and winds of over 140mph swept in.
One consequence of the horror storms was significant flooding across the region, with homes, workplaces and roads all submerged.
And, according to experts at Carfax, more than 138,000 cars suffered water damage as a result.
But this isn’t just a disaster for their owners, as scammers and shady dealers have been known to snap up stock in storm-hit areas at rock-bottom prices.
The unscrupulous sellers then superficially dry the vehicles out before passing them on at a bumper profit.
Anyone landed with a flooded car could find themselves liable for massive repair bills or, at the very least, troubled by some funky smells in the cabin.
What makes a car a lemon?
Each law has different parameters on what defines a lemon, but generally, a car is lemon when it’s in the shop for longer than it’s on the road.
Progressive Auto Insurance describes a lemon as a car with “a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive,” though exact parameters vary by state. All 50 states have lemon laws covering new vehicles, but only seven have lemon laws to protect used car buyers.
Federally, however, consumers are protected under U.S. Code Chapter 50 covering consumer product warranties. In layman’s terms, the law dictates that consumers be compensated by the manufacturer when “multiple attempts to repair a vehicle under warranty fail.”
What to do if you think you bought a lemon:
- Research your state’s lemon laws and their exact parameters.
- Contact the dealership, especially if it’s still under factory warranty.
- If the dealership refuses to repair the issue, contact the Automotive Consumer Action Program or the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Send a certified letter to the manufacturer with an explanation of the issue, with documentation and proof that you’ve contacted a dealership.
- Depending on the outcome, you can report the dealership to the DMV for selling a car that needs immediate repairs.
- Consider small claims court.
- Consult an attorney specializing in lemon law through the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
The Carfax team has urged buyers to be vigilant, especially when considering any car they know to have come from the worst-hit states – Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee.
Faisal Hasan, the firm’s vice president for data, said: “These cars may look showroom fresh, but they’re literally rotting from the inside out.
“After cleaning up the cars and moving them across the country, these scammers will try to lure unsuspecting buyers into thinking they’re getting a great deal.”
Fortunately, he was able to share some of the red flags you should watch out for.
First of all, you should make sure to get a full vehicle history check, which will reveal where the car was previously.
If it was registered in any of the six states most impacted by the hurricanes until recently, that could suggest it was hit by flooding.
Similarly, always inspect the car thoroughly, especially places like under the seats and the edges of the trunk.
These areas are harder to dry out quickly so any dampness there is a major indication of a problem.
Likewise, musty smells and discolored carpets or surfaces could hint at water damage that has been covered up.
