While floods are happening more and more often worldwide, the number of flood-damaged cars on the roads and the second-hand market increases dramatically every year.
Most people believe that as long as they have managed to bring a flood-damaged car back to life and on the road, the danger has passed, and it is safe to drive such a vehicle without any limitations.
However, experts claim that flood damage can have severe long-term consequences on cars, which can put you, your passengers, and other fellow drivers on the road in danger.
Statistically, you have at least a 25% chance to buy a flood-damaged car on the US motor vehicle second-hand market. Due to the recent floods that happened over Europe this summer, numbers can be even higher in the "old World."
Let`s see what the dangers of driving a flood-damaged car are and how to avoid them.
Why are flood-damaged cars so dangerous?
The main problem with flood-damaged vehicles is that you can drive them for hundreds of miles without knowing about the risks.
Once you have purchased a flood-damaged car, there is a big chance that the seller or the previous owner may cover the fact that the vehicle carries some sort of water damage. In this case, you won`t even manage to connect the dots and truly get to the core of the problem once it reveals itself.
Therefore, experts say that the biggest danger of flood-damaged cars is that the problem is not obvious. Even a professional will not always see that the vehicle went through such a dramatic event as flooding.
At the same time, water mostly damages parts and systems that are being checked once a year in the best-case scenario and almost always neglected between the mandatory checks.
However, those are exactly the parts and systems responsible for safety on the road, meant to prevent collisions and help you and your passengers avoid severe damage once the accident happens.
Flood-damaged cars have faulty electrical systems.
The most common danger of flood-damaged cars is that their electrical systems are most certainly affected by moisture. We all know that when the electricity comes to water, a tragedy is just a matter of time.
Water damage can prevent any electricity-based system of your vehicle from working normally. We may talk about such unpleasant yet not dangerous consequences in the flood-damaged cars as constantly glitching music system a failure to close and open the vehicle remotely to much more severe and dangerous events like the computer failure, inadequate road recognition, or loss of such vital features as airbags or anti-lock breaks.
The worst thing about flood-damaged cars is that drivers may discover that such crucial safety features failed when they need them most and their lives literally depend on their proper functioning.
Flood-damaged cars are dangerous for your health.
Like any sort of water damage, car flooding inevitably leads to mold and mildew development, especially in the corners, where you will hardly notice them.
Not only will they gradually destroy the car`s material devaluing your vehicle rapidly and leading to costly repairs, but mold and mildew can seriously affect your health, leading to the development of allergies, exacerbation of the chronic respiratory disease, and skin conditions.
Children are most sensitive to those molds even if they originally never had any respiratory complications, allergies, or skin conditions. However, they develop most rapidly once you live in a warm, humid climate.
How to avoid buying flood damaged cars?
As we have already mentioned, the biggest danger of flood-damaged cars is that their faulty history is not always obvious, and owners are often reluctant about revealing it.
However, provide several tips that will help you avoid buying a flood-damaged vehicle:
- Get a complimentary report about the vehicle`s history from AutoCheck, Carfax, VinAudit, or the nonprofit National Insurance Crime Bureau. Some of those organizations even provide temporary free access to their database right after major flooding and disasters so people could find out which owners are getting rid of flood-damaged cars;
- Get a thorough pre-sale check of the vehicle. While test-drive is an essential part of any vehicle purchase, flood-damaged cars don`t often reveal their history after just a several-minute drive. It is always best to invite a qualified mechanic or another experienced driver who could conduct a thorough check and make sure that the car does not have any water damage;
- Buy from a reputable dealer. Although any dealer can display flood-damaged cars, the reputable and trustworthy one will not hesitate to reveal the vehicle`s full history and warn you about such flaws as the history of water damage.
Flood-damaged cars often carry the following signs:
- Dirt and slit in places where they are not supposed to be (glove compartment, roof, etc.);
- Musty odor inside the car;
- Steamy headlights;
- Suspiciously low price.
It is always better to prevent the disaster than deal with its consequences. Once you manage to protect your garage from flooding thoroughly, you can ensure that your vehicle won`t become another victim of the disaster and the additional cost of flooding for your household.
The amount of flood-damaged cars on roads has increased by over 20% last year. And the statistic has not encountered those vehicles that have gone through the most recent European floodings.
Contact Dam Easy today and learn about our flood barriers, which will seal your garage passage perfectly and prevent your car from flooding once completed with extension poles.
Our qualified experts are always ready to answer all your questions. They offer an anti-flooding solution for your house, business, garage, or gate that will give you peace of mind and secure your property from water damage.
Contact us today to prevent immediate and long-term consequences of flooding for you, your family, and your local community.
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