Red Flags of a Flood-Damaged Used Car on the Gulf Coast

I’m Deborah at Testarossa Motors in League City. After every big storm, flooded cars get cleaned up and resold. Here’s what I look for.

Smell and carpet

Musty or mildew smell, heavy air freshener, new carpet in an older car, or damp padding under the floor mats.

Rust and silt where it shouldn’t be

Rust on seat rails, pedal brackets and under-dash screws; silt or a water line in the trunk well, headlight lenses or behind panels.

Electrical gremlins

Windows, locks, gauges or the radio acting up; fogged gauge cluster.

Title brands and history

Texas brands flood vehicles with a salvage or flood title. Check the title, run the VIN on NICB VINCheck, and look at where the car was registered during recent storms.

Get it inspected

A pre-purchase inspection with the car on a lift is the best defense.

Keep Reading

• Is a salvage title car ever a good deal
• Does a clean title mean no problems
• Browse our used cars in League City
• How to check a used car for open recalls