Even though Hurricane Matthew inflicted damage throughout North Carolina in October, that won’t stop hucksters from trying to sell you a car that was flooded. Thankfully, there are several ways that you can inspect a vehicle for flood damage and save yourself a headache. Plus, you can report the huckster to the state attorney general. Fun!

The smell test

As the News & Observer just reported, “The best thing to do is open the door, get inside, sit down and smell,” he said. “When a car has been flooded, it has a moldy spell that is almost impossible to get rid of.”

The N&O’s expert adds that, like a bad date, hucksters try to mask odors with Febreze and other perfumes to compensate. Just as you should be wary of humans with strange quantities of odor, the same applies to vehicles. Some sellers might even try a can of new car smell, but if the vehicle is a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron, tell them no thanks—not even if it was owned by Jon Voight.

 

The electric test

If there’s one thing flooding can destroy—besides the earth, right Noah?—it’s electrical systems. Tons of water can short a system and fry a circuit board, so press all the buttons, try all the windows, pop all the hoods, and turn on all the lights. If anything doesn’t work, congratulations—you’ve met a car with electrical issues. Run far away.

The mechanical test

Pull out your phone, find an auto shop, call them, ask if they can inspect for flood damage, and make an appointment. Boy, that sounds like a lot of work, right? If only there were a company full of skilled technicians already qualified to find flood damage, backed by a public reputation with years behind them.

That’s right, just give one of Leith’s service departments a call. You can rest easy knowing that you’re dealing with a company that’s been around for years.

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