Onboard Computers - Be Sure Your Used Car Isn'T A Victim Of Hurricane Katrina

It has almost been two years since Katrina hit the southeast portion of our country. Car dealerships were not spared the extensive flooding, which means that over five hundred thousand new and used vehicles were flooded due to that one storm alone.

The dealerships were reimbursed for the vehicles by their insurance companies, and the titles were officially marked as flooded. However, high numbers of vehicles remained hard to legitimately dispose of. Doubtless becoming a gold mine to the con artists who made their way to the southern states after Katrina looking for opportunity.

Know the facts
It's possible that whatever state you live in you are at risk when you purchase a used vehicle. Plus it makes sense that flooded titles will be easier to launder and sell in states far from the effects of the storm itself.

Flooding that reaches the cabin of the car is likely to cause lasting damage. The majority of the vehicles damaged because of Katrina were written off as a total loss by insurance companies. Onboard computers and audio equipment were submerged and mold and mildew tend to stay within fabrics even after they have been cleaned.

How to protect yourself

Use your head - Be sure to check the history of any vehicle you buy through CarFax.com. Remember that the title will only show flooding damage if the insurance company declared it a total loss.

Use your nose - Mold and mildew have very obvious odors and even though the fabrics in a flooded car have been cleaned, both mold and mildew will continue to be a persistent problem though out its life. Be sure to smell the trunk, floorboards and other places heat from outside may not have helped dry.

Use your eyes - Look under everything, the dashboard, the floor mats, mats in the trunk, even under the seats. Look for discolored fabrics, and debris, silt , mud or odd dirt of any kind that would indicate the car had been submerged. Look at the gauges for any moisture inside of them.

Use your hands - Check carefully under the hood, in fact, take the vehicle you want to purchase and get a mechanic to look for you. Feel under mats and in the trunk, places that might still hold moisture. Feel for brand new carpets and headliners, both of which tend to last for years before needing replacement.

Most of all, use your mouth - Ask questions! It can't harm and even a solid con man can only have so many scripted answers. The more you ask, the more you know.

Think on your feet
If you know the warning signs it should be easy to spot flood damage in a vehicle. Water damage can come from any number of sources, so Katrina's five hundred thousand plus vehicular victims are just added to the list.

Believe it or not, there is actually a list, or rather a database. The National Insurance Crime Bureau or the NICB has compiled a registry of VIN numbers which have been determined a total loss due to flood damage.