Storms leave a devastating effect on human lives, and nature’s fury also causes destruction of thousands of vehicles such as cars, trucks, and others. Hails, storms, hurricanes, and floods can turn your world upside down, because apart from human casualties, property including homes, vehicles, and other assets get irreparably damaged. You have no option left other than giving your damaged vehicles away to the insurers who declare them as “totaled.” The insurance companies can still help you get some money back by putting up repairable cars for sale where prospective buyers can bid on cars at online auctions. In this post, we will briefly discuss how to spot a storm damaged car in an auction and why is it worth buying one.
When buying car, look for the following signs to identify a storm-hit car:
- Mineral deposits
- Discoloration of the seats
- Warped door panels
- Residue under the carpeting
- Fogging inside the headlights
- Droplets of moisture inside the instrument cluster
- A musty smell or a heavy aroma of cleaners to hide the odour
What should you do before sealing the deal?
There’s a reason why some of the damaged vehicles get the salvage title, and as a prospective buyer, you need to inspect the car in detail, especially when you know the car is damaged by water. Keeping in mind the points below will help you identify a storm or flood damaged car:
Getting the vehicle history report
In some instances, flood and storm-hit salvage cars are re-registered and sent to other states for sale with clean titles. This process is called “Title Washing.” For a better understanding, you need to search the vehicle’s history on a reliable database. For example, the National Insurance of Crime Bureau (NICB) maintains a free database of the totaled cars to make it easier for the buyers to search for their vehicle’s history. If you are skeptical about your vehicle’s title, you only need its VIN number to check the vehicle’s history.
Learning about the vehicle title
The status of a title depends on the cause of the damage. If a car is storm-hit or flood hit, it will be titled as “Storm-damage” or “Flood damage,” or if it was damaged in an accident, it will be titled as “Salvage.” As a buyer, you should always be careful about collecting all the required details of the salvage car that you plan to buy. The status of the title is mentioned on the vehicle history report.
Inspecting the car’s components
If you really want to get the best deal, take a mechanic along to carry out a thorough car inspection of the mechanical and electrical components. It’s always better to spend some money beforehand to completely avoid over-expenditure on the repair of a salvage titled car. Besides, it will also give you peace of mind by sparing you of the frustration down the road.
Reporting Frauds
You need to be aware of the potential fraudulent practices that many pre-owned car dealers often resort to as on most occasions unsuspecting buyers are unable to figure out what’s beneath the surface. If you come across such a situation, back out at once from the deal. Also, inform the local law enforcement agency or contact the auto-insurance company or the NICB.
Wrapping-Up
Buying a new car can substantially dent your budget, and this is why picking a repairable car for sale is a wise idea. Storm or flood-damaged cars are declared a complete loss by the insurance company. However, despite having damages some written-off cars are repairable and can be made roadworthy. You can bid on cars at an online auction that lists salvage vehicles in a low price range. A reputable auction portal also lets you place bid on your favorite vehicle at specific auctions like Honda salvage car auctions. Register with a reputable site today and start bidding.
Insurance Auto Auction 