The New York Times is reporting that consumers need to beware that flood vehicles will be dumped on the market due to the Hurricanes in Florida and Texas. The article provides the following guidance on how to avoid purchasing a flood vehicle:
Consumer Reports has suggested tips for identifying cars that may have spent time underwater. A buyer or mechanic should look for these telltale signs:
■ Caked-on mud and a musty odor from the carpets. New carpets in an older vehicle may be another red flag.
■ A visible water line on the lens or reflector of the headlights.
■ Mud or debris trapped in difficult-to-clean places, such as gaps between panels in the trunk and under the hood.
■ Rusty exposed screws under the dashboard. Unpainted metal in flood cars will show signs of rust.
■ Rubber drain plugs under the car and on the bottom of doors that have been removed. That may have been done to drain floodwater.
The full New York Times article can be viewed here.
If you are the victim of purchasing a flooded vehicle, you can contact us and we will pursue litigation to return the vehicle or obtain money damages.Our Chicago automobile fraud and Lemon law attorneys near Wheaton and Naperville have experience representing victims of odometer rollbacks, title washing, flooded vehicles, fake or improper certifications of rebuilt wrecks and other used car scams. We bring individual and class actions suits for defective cars with common design defects and auto dealer fraud and other car dealer scams such as selling rebuilt wrecks as certified used cars or misrepresenting a car as being in good condition when it is rebuilt wreck or had the odometer rolled back. We also see cases where new car dealers conceal that the car has been in an accident while in their possession or used car dealers who put duck tape in the back of the check engine light to conceal serious engine or emission problems. Super Lawyers has selected our DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, Will and Cook County Illinois auto-fraud, car dealer fraud and lemon law lawyers as among the top 5% in Illinois. We only collect our fee if we win or settle your case. For a free consultation call our Chicago class action lawyers at our toll-free number 630-333-0333 or contact us on the web by clicking here.