Thinking of purchasing a used vehicle? Here are some tips to help you make sure it isn't flood damaged.

Thousands of vehicles were flooded during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. One estimate from the National Automobile Dealers Association puts the number at 400,000. To ensure that you don't purchase a vehicle that was flooded, read this article from Consumer Reports.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau also has a database of Hurricane Vehicles and Watercraft. You can search the database by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or by Hull Identification Number (HIN). Note that the database is only as good as the information that has been reported. If the vehicle wasn't reported to the insurance company then it won't be in the database.

No matter where you live, you should be concerned because damaged vehicles are often auctioned and shipped out for sale in areas far from where the damage occurred.

 

Breaking news analysis prepared for Elevations CU by Remar Sutton & Associates, January 2006. All rights reserved.

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