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from the random-and-intermittent-failures dept.
https://qz.com/1066966/how-many-cars-were-destroyed-by-hurricane-harvey/ and also at other news outlets.
For Harvey victims, it's going to be rough if they lost their car, Houston is a very car-dependent city. Like many states, Texas only requires liability insurance — only those that bought comprehensive coverage will be able to claim the loss on insurance.
Ideally most of these flooded cars will be scrapped, as it's very likely water damage to electrical systems and other parts are not cost effective to repair professionally. However, there will be "new" and used cars on the market that have been underwater (to a greater or lesser extent). Many will be sold "as is" and some of them will be cleaned up and sold fraudulently as if they were not damaged. Buyer beware, these cars will be shipped all over in search of buyers (marks?)
After Katrina, friends of mine with time on their hands bought several new-flooded Honda Civics (which they were familiar with from building "street stock" race cars). They pulled out the interior and then the full wiring harness. Bought new harness from Honda and replaced everything, and had perfectly good near-new cars for pennies on the dollar (and a few days of hard labor).
(Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Sunday September 03 2017, @08:40PM
Being used in Northern Climates is not the same as being flooded.
CarFax does indeed know about officially flooded cars. https://www.carfax.com/press/resources/flooded-cars [carfax.com]
The problem being discussed here are flooded cars, and unscrupulous dealers hiding that fact.
Unless someone files an insurance claim on these cars or it gets towed at public expense (police) the title might not indicate flooding.
Tow companies will buy (or haul away for free in exchange for the title) a flood damaged car from uninsured motorists (who have no other prospect of any recovery), spirit it out of the flood zone, do a minimal restoration, and sell it on without the SALVAGE designation on the title.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.