Buying a used car?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,125
Likes: 673
From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
Buying a used car?
How can you protect yourself from buying a 'Flood damaged' car? Is there any way to perdetermine if a car was once under water?
I'm looking at buying a 2001 or 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo SS as a daily driver and don't want to get burned. Ebay cars scare the heck out of me.
I'm looking at buying a 2001 or 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo SS as a daily driver and don't want to get burned. Ebay cars scare the heck out of me.
Last edited by killain; Jan 23, 2009 at 07:16 AM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,125
Likes: 673
From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
Would a carfax report always cover a flood car? Or is this something that could go without being found or reported. The local TV station had a story yesterday about a young guy who bought a 2007 ford mustand and only after he had it he noticed the seat bottoms rusted out and a mechanic found rusty bolts and corrosion in the wiring harness. I don't want to make the same mistake?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 872
Likes: 3
From: Cortlandt Manor New York
Carfax would only have a record if there was a claim reported to an insurance company and they in turn entered it into the database. Same thing with police reports of accidents. The only info you will get is the info that is entered in the database.
Flood cars can be very hard to detect and a nightmare once purchased. Inspect it thoroughly and look for rust in unlikely places-inside glove boxes, hood hinges, inside trunk, dirty wire harnesses, corosion in electrical connections, etc. Check places that are not usually exposed to the elements.
Don't buy a car that has been in La, or Miss. in the last 5 years.
There is no fool proof method.
Flood cars can be very hard to detect and a nightmare once purchased. Inspect it thoroughly and look for rust in unlikely places-inside glove boxes, hood hinges, inside trunk, dirty wire harnesses, corosion in electrical connections, etc. Check places that are not usually exposed to the elements.
Don't buy a car that has been in La, or Miss. in the last 5 years.
There is no fool proof method.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 319
Likes: 3
From: santa clara ca
This should help the NICB should confirm if it was a total loss by the insurance company.
https://www.nicb.org/cps/rde/xchg/ni.../vincheck.html
https://www.nicb.org/cps/rde/xchg/ni.../vincheck.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,447
Likes: 3
From: Syracuse NY
This should help the NICB should confirm if it was a total loss by the insurance company.
https://www.nicb.org/cps/rde/xchg/ni.../vincheck.html
https://www.nicb.org/cps/rde/xchg/ni.../vincheck.html
You must check here to acknowledge your understanding and acceptance of the terms and conditions of use.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has compiled a database (VINCheck) of vehicles from claims data of the NICB members listed below, which were reported as stolen within the past five years and remain unrecovered or declared a total loss. This information is being made available, free of charge, as a public service to consumers.
* The NICB has not independently verified the information in the database and cannot, therefore, vouch for the accuracy of this information.
* There are many other vehicles which have been reported as stolen which are not included in this database.
* There are also many other vehicles which are total losses which are not included in this database.
* It is possible that a vehicle was incorrectly reported as having been stolen, or was stolen and recovered, but has not removed from this database.
* It is possible that a vehicle was incorrectly reported as being a total loss, and has not been removed from this database.
* It is also possible that there are vehicles with duplicate VINs and/or VINs incorrectly entered.
* If a vehicle is reported in this database as having been stolen, but not recovered, you should verify with the NICB or your local law enforcement agency that a stolen vehicle report is active before taking any action regarding the vehicle.
By checking a VIN against this database, you agree to not hold the NICB, its employees, Board of Governors, Members, agents or any other entity which provided this information to NICB, liable for any reason as a result of your use of this information including, but not limited to, if the information proves to be inaccurate.
In order to continue with your inquiry as to whether a VIN is in the VINCheck database, you must agree to and accept these Terms and Conditions of Use.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 319
Likes: 3
From: santa clara ca
OK I 'm pretty sure that car fax and any other reporting vehicle history will have some sort of disclosure that thay are not responsible for their info also. Again it was only another source to obtain info that is available. In this case free
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,447
Likes: 3
From: Syracuse NY
I just didn't want him thinking that if it didn't show up on that site, that it proved that the car wasn't a flood victim.
Most people don't read the disclosures
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Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 497
Likes: 0
From: Streator Illinois
Flood cars can be very hard to detect and a nightmare once purchased. Inspect it thoroughly and look for rust in unlikely places-inside glove boxes, hood hinges, inside trunk, dirty wire harnesses, corosion in electrical connections, etc. Check places that are not usually exposed to the elements.
Don't buy a car that has been in La, or Miss. in the last 5 years.
There is no fool proof method.
Don't buy a car that has been in La, or Miss. in the last 5 years.
There is no fool proof method.
Good luck in your search and on your purchase.
Terry
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Unless it was under water for a long time or was not repaired properly, who cares? It's a fiberglass car. If the frame and birdcage isn't rusted out and the engine works OK, I'd still buy it if the deal was good.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Rick B.