TELL YOUR CUSTOMERSDon't Get Soaked Purchasing a Flood-Damaged Car SEATTLE (Nov. 26, 2006) - As western Washington residents brace for another spate of storm-induced flooding, one of the state's largest auto insurers is warning of another form of saturation that could cost consumers: a wave of used cars on the market with hidden water damage caused by flooding. According to Jon Osterberg, spokesperson for PEMCO Insurance, local car buyers are especially vulnerable because Washington state, unlike many other states, does not require cars deemed total losses by insurance companies to note the flood damage on the title reports. PEMCO voluntarily reports cars totaled with flood damage to auto databases available to consumers, using a service that provides detailed vehicle history reports using the vehicle identification number (VIN). "Storms this month have produced 11 totaled cars by PEMCO," Osterberg says, "with more on the way as insurance adjusters continue to assess flood-damaged cars. Once a car has been submerged by flood water, the damage can be severe." But what's most troubling, he adds, is that the damage is often invisible: "Because flood damage is not always apparent to the untrained eye, consumers first must learn what to look for, and then do a careful examination." Water can cause widespread damage to a car. Corroded airbag system controllers and electronics and contaminated lubricants, as well as threatening mechanical systems, can make the vehicle dangerous to drive. "For example, even a small amount of water can ruin a car's increasingly complex electronic system. You would never consider dunking your home computer in a bathtub and then expect it to work. Cars contain computers that are just as complex," points out
Osterberg. How can consumers identify a flood-damaged vehicle? In addition to purchasing a vehicle history report, PEMCO recommends car buyers take the following steps to protect themselves:
* Review the title carefully. Some states, not including Washington, require totaled vehicles to be designated as flood-damaged on the title. *
Take the vehicle to a trusted mechanic for a prepurchase inspection. Professionals know how to spot signs of water damage that are invisible to the untrained eye.
* Smell for any musty odors.
* Look for a well-defined line or watermark on the interior and exterior of the car. You might want to remove a door panel to see whether there is a watermark.
* Look for mud or debris on the bottom edges of brackets or panels where it couldn't naturally settle.
* Inspect the car in difficult-to-clean places, like the gaps between panels in the trunk and under the hood, where water-borne mud and debris might still cling.
* Check the seat-mounting screws to see whether there is any evidence they have been removed. If the carpeting doesn't match the interior or if it fits loosely, it might have been replaced.
* Check the rubber drain plugs under the car and on the bottoms of doors. Look for any signs they might have been removed recently.
* Flex a few wires under the dashboard to see if they bend or crack. Wet wires become brittle after drying, and can crack or fail at any time.
* Look at the heads of any unpainted, exposed screws under the dashboard. Any unpainted metal in cars might show signs of rust.
* Test both the interior and exterior lights. Any water lines might still show on lenses or reflectors. Start the ignition and make sure all accessory lights, warning lights and gauges work. Specifically look at the antilock braking system (ABS) and airbag lights.
* Test windshield wipers, turn signals, cigarette lighter, radio, heater and air conditioner several times to make sure they work.
(Source: PEMCO
Insurance) 
