A few months after Hurricane Irene, the National Insurance Crime Bureau warns consumers about buying cars that were flood damaged in the hurricane. According to Used-Car Buyers Are Warned of Flood Vehicles In Wake of Irene from Insurance Journal, the NICB warns both consumers who know in advance that the vehicle was flood damaged as well as those who could be the victims of fraud.
New Jersey auto insurance companies as well as those in many other cities have seen an influx of claims related to flood damage on vehicles involved in Hurricane Irene. This August, insurers belonging to the NICB recorded almost 12,000 claims related to flood vehicles. Last year there were fewer than 1,000 flood related claims in August. New Jersey, New York, and North Carolina saw the most claims.
The NICB offers many tips to avoid being taken of advantage of with a flood damaged Hurricane Irene vehicle. Use reputable car dealers, do a thorough exam for anything like water damage, and be wary of newly shampooed carpet. Look for interior fading, rust, and any mud or sand in crevices. Ask about the cars history, have a mechanic look it over, search the title, and look for any fraud in the cars paperwork. The National Insurance Crime Bureau can offer more helpful tips to avoid buying a flood damaged used car.
