Indy Auto Man car dealership, Indianapolis

Warning from the dealership experts: even flooded vehicles can look very attractive

Indianapolis car dealer warns of potential issues with flooded cars sold on Facebook and Craigslist.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, USA, February 23, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Auto experts from Indy Auto Man warn that numerous flooded cars are appearing on sale on Facebook and Craigslist at low prices. Hurricane Ida, which struck the east coast of the United States in late August – early September last year, turned hundreds of thousands of cars into drownings, and now the time comes for unfair sellers to get rid of them.

The buyer is unlikely to be informed that the vehicle has suffered from a flood, and the damage can be carefully hidden. Many flooded autos often look normal at first glance, but trouble will inevitably begin to show up during operation.

“The danger is that these cars may look just like new and work smoothly for a while, but sooner or later, there may be serious problems. Flooded cars rot from the inside, and it can be difficult even for a warned buyer to detect this,” Viktor Figlin, GM at Indy Auto Man, commented.

The main issues that are inherent in such vehicles are the constant failures of electrical equipment, ABS, ESP systems, airbags, gearboxes, engines, and axles. Water, especially with silt, can short-circuit any microcircuit, any contact.

Therefore, Indy Auto Man advises customers to be careful in choosing a seller and checking a vehicle. The best way to secure the car purchase is to address a reliable used car dealer in Indianapolis instead of browsing cheap offers, which catch the eye on Craigslist and Facebook.

Experts claim that looking for rust is one of the worst ways to assess flood damage, as it can take a long time to spread far enough to become visible. There are many other means of revealing if a car was in a flood zone. Some are available online - for example, by checking the car history in the CARFAX database - while others suppose careful investigating during a car inspection and test drive in person.

However, even if the car history contains information that it was registered thousands of miles from the last natural disaster in the country, this is not a guarantee it was not suffering from the flood. Unfair sellers often make minor repairs and then move them to another state to sell. They hope a buyer several states away from a hurricane does not think about inspecting the car for flood damage.

The Indy Auto Man experts share the insider information that more sophisticated scammers drive cars through states with lax title requirements to "wash them away" from flood marks, salvage, or other unwanted certifications in a title. If a vehicle has been resold in several states in a short time, it is a red flag that its seller is trying to remove negative information from its Title.

Vehicle History Reports are a valuable resource for buyers and many Indianapolis car sellers regularly provide them. However, such a report is not a silver bullet: it takes time to update the vehicle history. The car may have been repaired and put up for sale before any information showing that it was flooded or stolen appeared in the report.

Moreover, the car history will simply not reveal the problem if the damage has never been reported to the insurance company and the repair was done at a local shop.

Car experts insist that if the CARFAX and Autocheck reports look clean, the vehicle inspection and test drive are a must. Each buyer can check some things independently, such as any signs of flood damage, stale odors, condensation on the dashboard, and dirt or grit under the seat or in the glove box. However, only a complete inspection by a certified mechanic can guarantee the vehicle's qualitative check.

About Indy Auto Man

Indy Auto Man is a reputed Indianapolis used car dealership with a 4.9 rating on Google based on 3 000+ reviews. It was also named the 2022 top-rated dealer by CARFAX.

The Indy Auto Man car lot serves Indiana, Chicago, Ohio, and Kentucky, selling and financing used cars, SUVs, minivans, pickup trucks, luxury cars, and commercial vans. The dealership is distinguished by top customer service, convenient online car sales, and shipping to the neighboring states. Each used car comes with a 7-day exchange guarantee and a 30-day price match.

Victor Figlin
Indy Auto Man
+1 317-814-7520
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