Serious downpours, torrential rain and flooding can wreak havoc on homes, roads, parks and businesses. And while you can stay indoors and put a bucket under a leaking household roof to avoid serious consequences, being caught in a car during a flash flood is sometimes unavoidable. Cars are designed to handle a bit of rain, but when they are submerged in water (especially for long periods of time), this can signal a swift farewell to your beloved wheels. For the insured, a flood-damaged car can equate to a written-off or salvage title vehicle (and a payout), but for the uninsured, it can spell disaster.
But fear not! There is a quick cash solution to your flooded-vehicle woes.
Let’s unpack the basic questions you can consider when your car is flood-damaged:
#1 What are the signs of a flood-damaged ride?
It’s not always easy to spot a flood-damaged car with the naked eye, but with the help of a mechanic or car sales professional, the signs will become apparent.
Some of the obvious problems with previously flooded vehicles are:
- Foul odours (no matter how much air freshener is used)
- Rust (though this may take time to show up)
- Odd noises
- Engine smoke
- Electronic damage (which a mechanic would quickly be able to diagnose)
- A discoloured interior
- Sand or dirt in unusual areas.
Honesty is the best policy and if you are insured, the matter will immediately show up in the vehicle history report, making it more challenging to sell your car through the regular means (via second-hand showrooms, trade-ins etc).
While there are varying degrees of flood-damage, sometimes it’s best to have your vehicle assessed by a mechanic to assess the full extent of the destruction and cost of repair, which moves us swiftly along to our next point.
#2 Is it worthy of repair?
Just like one car accident is more destructive than another, so is the extent of flood damage on a vehicle.
While insured drivers can make a simple call to determine whether their vehicles are deemed repairable or will be written-off, uninsured motorists have a more challenging conundrum.
A third-party inspection by a trusted mechanic is one of the surest ways to assess whether a repair job will be worthwhile. This will include:
- A careful inspection of the inside and outside of the car. Search for visible signs of water damage, for example, signs of mud or silt residue
- An electrical and mechanical inspection by a certified mechanic. This will determine whether the car is salvageable and how much this will cost.
Armed with this information, car owners need to make the decision of whether the time, effort and money involved in repairing the flood-damaged car is warranted or whether it’s time to sell up.
#3 Where and how can I sell my flood-damaged car?
If the answer to question #2 was ‘I need to sell my flood-damaged car’, don’t lose hope. There are trusted options out there that won’t leave you high and dry.
Here are 5 non-negotiables when choosing the right place to sell your damaged car:
- A fast, safe and easy online process
- Free towing of your flood-damaged vehicle
- An industry player that handles all the paperwork of deregistering your car
- Instant cash for your wheels
- A competitive cash offer.