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Flood-Damaged Vehicles Could Head to Consumer Market

6 years 6 months 2 weeks ago Monday, September 11 2017 Sep 11, 2017 September 11, 2017 5:10 PM September 11, 2017 in News

WESLACO – About a half million cars are estimated to have been affect by Hurricane Harvey’s flooding. Those vehicles could be sold to consumers.

Before anyone purchases a pre-owned car, they might want to make sure to check for signs of flood damage.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS spoke with a local mechanic on how to spot some red flags. Pueblo Tires manager Santiago Casarez advises consumers to check for things like a moldy smell, inside the vehicle, rust, humidity collected inside the head or tail lights.

When you pop the hood open, make sure to look at the transmission, engine, pistons and spark plugs for signs of water. He said these can lead to serious problems down the road.

“The transmission has water inside or the engine has water inside or had water. That can lead to overheating the vehicle, cracked heads. There’s a lot of things that can be caused by water,” Casarez said.

Problems with the engine could cost hundreds of dollars. 

Another place to check for signs of flood damage are door latches or the latches in the trunk.

If you suspect the car you’re looking to buy was affected by flooding, you can take it to a mechanic for an expert opinion. 

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