CARFAX: UP TO 138,000 CARS FLOOD DAMAGED BY HURRICANE HELENE

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Oct 17, 2024, 08:15 ET

Used Car Buyers Need to be Aware and Watch for Signs of Flood-Damaged Cars

CENTREVILLE, Va., Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane Helene left as many as 138,000 vehicles flood damaged after it tore through at least six states, CARFAX estimates. Floodwaters swamped communities in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. That's on top of the estimated up to 89,000 vehicles already hit with water damage so far this year, according to CARFAX estimates. Thousands of these flood damaged cars will be up for sale within weeks, cleaned up by potential scammers to be sold nearby, or thousands of miles away from the original incident.

"After cleaning up the cars and moving them across the country, these scammers will try to lure unsuspecting buyers into thinking they're getting a great deal," said Faisal Hasan, Vice President for Data at CARFAX. "These cars may look showroom fresh, but they're literally rotting from the inside out." Floodwater can cause costly mechanical and electrical issues and pose risks to health and safety.

CARFAX estimates these six states have the most water-damaged vehicles due to Helene:

Florida 60,700
South Carolina 27,500
North Carolina 22,900
Georgia 16,800
Tennessee 4,900
Virginia 4,900

Consumers looking to purchase a used car who want to avoid flood-damaged vehicles should do three things:

Use the free CARFAX Flood Check® tool at carfax.com/flood.
Inspect the car, looking for these 7 signs of flooding:
- Damp carpets
- A musty odor inside, sometimes covered up with a strong air-freshener
- Upholstery or carpeting that may be loose, new, stained or mismatched
- Rust around doors, under the dash, on pedals or in hood and trunk latches
- Mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats
- Brittle wires under the dashboard
- Fog or moisture in interior lights, exterior lights or on the instrument panel
And have a trusted mechanic inspect the car and take it for a test drive.

About CARFAX

CARFAX, part of S&P Global Mobility, helps millions of people every day confidently shop, buy, service and sell used cars with innovative solutions powered by CARFAX® vehicle history information. The expert in vehicle history since 1984, CARFAX provides CARFAX Used Car Listings, CARFAX Car Care, CARFAX History-Based Value and the flagship CARFAX Vehicle History Report to consumers and the automotive industry. CARFAX owns the world's largest vehicle history database and is nationally recognized as a top workplace by The Washington Post. Shop, Buy, Service, Sell – Show me the CARFAX®.

S&P Global Mobility is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets.

SOURCE CARFAX