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5 Sure Signs of a Flood Car

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How to avoid purchasing a flood car.

The last thing you want to happen when you purchase a used car is to find out after the fact that you bought one that was flooded. This can occur when a car has been through a major catastrophe, such as a hurricane, and has been sent to the salvage yard, then purchased and cleaned for resale.

A so-called “flood car” should indicate that damage on its title. That said, it is not too difficult for unscrupulous people to buy these cars, fix them and have a new title issued, often in states far away from the damage.

You can search for telltale signs of a flooded car and avoid buying a lemon car.

Troubling Signs of a Flood Car

flood car damage

1. Take a deep whiff…or two

Let your senses tell you if something is wrong with a car. Musty smells can be detected in the cabin, trunk or engine bay. There may also be an unmistakable perfume or cleaning solution smell. That smell alone should tell you that something is not right. Why else would a seller try to use a cleaning solution or perfume in a car he is trying to sell?

2. Run your hands across the carpeting

Flood-damaged cars usually have new carpeting. If the carpeting feels too new compared to the age of the car, your suspicions should be raised. If the carpet has not been replaced, run your hands over it to look for signs of staining and fading. A carpet that has been soaked just doesn’t feel right either — the pile can feel rough. Use the same testing methods for the upholstery too.

3. Carefully examine all nooks and crannies

Flip the rear seats over, move the front seats back and forth, and peel away the carpeting. Look closely at the bolts and seat runners — if these appear rusty, then the car has been water-damaged. Check the tire well, storage compartments and door pockets for signs of water. Staining and residual matter could be present — what the seller may have missed when detailing the car.

4. Check the electrical system

Damage to your car’s electrical system may be more difficult to see, but if all of the wires beneath the dashboard are new, then is it quite likely the car has been damaged. Replacing wires won’t mask worse problems such as salt water in the engine, in the transmission or in other components.

5. Explore the trunk or other storage areas

New carpeting in the trunk, a new jack for the spare tire or anything else that doesn’t match with the rest of the trunk should be a warning sign. Check the gasket around the trunk as well as the hood — it could be brittle or new if the current owner has replaced it. Wiring in the tail lamps might also be damaged. Look up and within the trunk lid for signs of rust, discoloration and foul odors.

Get a Report

You can also track your vehicle’s history by obtaining a CARFAX vehicle history report or by visiting the National Insurance Crime Bureau and using its VinCheck service to find out whether a car has been declared an unrecovered stolen or salvage vehicle. Finally, hire a trusted mechanic to inspect your car too. He may turn up things you’ve missed or didn’t think to inspect.

See Also — How to Check for Flood-Damaged Cars

Disclaimer: This writer is a contributor to the CARFAX website. He receives no remuneration for this article from CARFAX or any other company.

Photo Credit: Marc Averette

Isuzu, Toyota Part Ways…Sort Of

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Do you remember the Toyota-Isuzu partnership? Probably not, as these two Japanese automakers are at polar opposites in their involvement in the U.S. market.

Indeed, Toyota is one of the top brands in the U.S., while Isuzu hasn’t sold a vehicle here since 2009. Certainly, Toyota dominates in several things, including hybrid technology, but it is weak in a few areas, including diesel engineering, which happens to be one of Isuzu’s strengths.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider. Not Isuzu.
This Fiat 124 Spider is the result of an agreement FCA made with Mazda.

Toyota, Isuzu Forge a Partnership

Thus, in 2006, Toyota and Isuzu signed an agreement to utilize each other’s resources in diesel development, a partnership that made sense at the time. For instance, with fuel prices still high and soon to reach higher still, the original agreement allowed both manufacturers to strengthen their diesel involvement. But as the ensuing years have attested, changes in fuel prices, customer tastes and regulatory concerns have changed things considerably. Diesel demand is down and likely to continue to fall.

So, Toyota did this month what makes perfect sense: it officially dissolved the partnership. Further, Toyota will sell its 50 million shares of Isuzu stock, which gave the company a 5.89-percent stake in Isuzu. Moving forward, the two companies will continue to collaborate on projects feasible to both.

In a press release, Toyota cited the automotive industry’s “sweeping, once-in-a-century changes” as the company’s reason for concentrating on other matters. For instance, the two automakers are likely to continue collaborating on other areas where they are strong. For Isuzu, that would be commercial vehicles. And for Toyota, that’s always been passenger vehicles, this automaker’s mainstay.

2016 Toyota Yaris iA
This Scion iA (now Toyota Yaris iA) is the result of a partnership between Toyota and Mazda.

Toyota and Mazda

Toyota has long collaborated or held stakes in junior Japanese manufacturers, including Mazda, Daihatsu and Subaru. In 2015, Mazda and Toyota announced a partnership whereby Mazda later supplied a vehicle to Toyota based on the Mazda 2. Originally sold as the 2016 Scion iA, this model is currently marketed as the Toyota Yaris iA now that the Scion brand has dissolved.

As for Mazda, the automaker is certain to benefit from Toyota hybrid technology, although as of this writing we haven’t seen such a model in the U.S. market. Toyota might also aid Mazda in all things hydrogen, yet another Toyota strength.

Auto Industry Buzzword: Collaboration

Industry collaboration is growing and will likely expand further as automakers deal with two matters that Toyota described as the “sweeping, once-in-a-century changes.” Specifically, these involve vehicle electrification and autonomy.

In June 2018, General Motors and Honda announced the second component of their earlier agreement, which builds on a joint venture to produce hydrogen fuel cell systems as early as 2020. The latest agreement covers electric-vehicle batteries, which is something GM will supply to Honda, according to Bloomberg. By doing so, GM will lower its own costs as both manufacturers ramp production of electric vehicles.

Waymo Google Chrysler Pacifica
Automakers are also collaborating with tech companies, such as FCA with Waymo.

For Honda, the agreement with GM enables the company to forge a partnership as its chief domestic competitors build their own. We already looked at Toyota’s stake in Japanese manufacturers. Nissan, however, has the most aggressive alliance going as the company has a significant stake in Renault and Renault has a significant stake in Nissan. In 2015, Nissan also purchased a controlling interest in Mitsubishi. The three companies currently form an alliance that sells more vehicles worldwide than any manufacturer.

Other areas of collaboration include GM and Ford working on automatic transmissions for the second time this millennium. In the early 2000s, the two manufacturers partnered to develop the six-speed automatic transmissions which were common in Ford and GM vehicles for more than a decade. Later, the two companies developed new nine- and 10-speed automatic transmissions, which are widely used today.

Getting it Done

So, although Toyota and Isuzu have officially ended their partnership, the collaborations will continue. As with many such efforts, the agreement is usually temporary and is sometimes fluid. As long as both parties see a benefit in working together, then these will continue. After all, lowering costs is the dictum of our day. Finally, consumers will benefit too, as those savings are passed on, making new technologies affordable for most.

See Also — Chrysler, Google Project: Start of Something Big?

Photos copyright the respective manufacturer except for the Fiat 124 Spider, which belongs to Auto Trends Magazine.