You might not live in a coastal area, but you still could feel the affects of hurricane Katrina as far away as Nebraska. Used car buyer beware!
February 18, 2006 (Press Release) --
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/18/2006
Is a Flood Car Damaged By Katrina In Your Home Town?
You might not live in a coastal area, but you still could feel the affects of hurricane Katrina as far away as Nebraska. Used car buyer beware!
Houston, TX - 2-18-06 - No One is safe from Katrina's aftermath!
Hurricanes have done major devastation to the southern coastline, and the clean up project will likely take years to return things to some what normal. What one should be concerned about is the potentially HUGE number of vehicles that will soon come on the market to be sold as used cars. The problem is not that the vehicle is used, but that it is potentially a casualty of the hurricanes and high water. These used cars are generally known in the business as “flood cars.”
Now you are probably saying to yourself, “I don’t live in these Southern areas, so I am not at risk of unknowingly purchasing one of these flood cars.” Sorry, but you are dead wrong…actually the farther away you live from the hurricane damage, the greater you are at risk for being scammed into buying one of these cars.
Why are you more at risk? Think about it. The flood damage took place in New Orleans, don’t you think that the residents there know that used cars on the market in that area have a HUGE potential to be flood cars? You bet they know that.
But do you think the used car buyers in Arizona would suspect flood cars were brought into their area? Probably not, and the scam artists behind these flood cars know this. I would suspect these cars will be on the used car market for about a year…maybe more. This issue is huge and will hurt many people who purchase one of these vehicles.
So what can you do to protect yourself from buying a flooded time bomb?
1. Be cautious of every used car on the market.
2. Inspect under all seats for obvious signs of rust on the seat tracks and metal seat frame.
3. Look at the headliner (the fabric on the roof inside the car). Once wet, the glue that holds this fabric in place will begin to weaken, and the fabric will begin to sag or fall down completely.
4. Use your nose. If the inside of the vehicle smells damp and moldy, or feels damp to your skin…run!
5. Remove the wheels and inspect the brakes. This should be done anyway if you are inspecting a used car, but rust damage will really show itself on the brake components.
6. Inspect all under-hood fluids for water contamination. Oil and water will look like a chocolate milkshake, oil and transmission fluid will look like a strawberry milkshake.
For a printable used car check list http://www.trustmymechanic.com/usedcarlist.html
More information about flood cars can be found at: http://www.trustmymechanic.com/flood_car.html
Contact:
Austin Davis
austin@trustmymechanic.com
http://www.trustmymechanic.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/18/2006
Is a Flood Car Damaged By Katrina In Your Home Town?
You might not live in a coastal area, but you still could feel the affects of hurricane Katrina as far away as Nebraska. Used car buyer beware!
Houston, TX - 2-18-06 - No One is safe from Katrina's aftermath!
Hurricanes have done major devastation to the southern coastline, and the clean up project will likely take years to return things to some what normal. What one should be concerned about is the potentially HUGE number of vehicles that will soon come on the market to be sold as used cars. The problem is not that the vehicle is used, but that it is potentially a casualty of the hurricanes and high water. These used cars are generally known in the business as “flood cars.”
Now you are probably saying to yourself, “I don’t live in these Southern areas, so I am not at risk of unknowingly purchasing one of these flood cars.” Sorry, but you are dead wrong…actually the farther away you live from the hurricane damage, the greater you are at risk for being scammed into buying one of these cars.
Why are you more at risk? Think about it. The flood damage took place in New Orleans, don’t you think that the residents there know that used cars on the market in that area have a HUGE potential to be flood cars? You bet they know that.
But do you think the used car buyers in Arizona would suspect flood cars were brought into their area? Probably not, and the scam artists behind these flood cars know this. I would suspect these cars will be on the used car market for about a year…maybe more. This issue is huge and will hurt many people who purchase one of these vehicles.
So what can you do to protect yourself from buying a flooded time bomb?
1. Be cautious of every used car on the market.
2. Inspect under all seats for obvious signs of rust on the seat tracks and metal seat frame.
3. Look at the headliner (the fabric on the roof inside the car). Once wet, the glue that holds this fabric in place will begin to weaken, and the fabric will begin to sag or fall down completely.
4. Use your nose. If the inside of the vehicle smells damp and moldy, or feels damp to your skin…run!
5. Remove the wheels and inspect the brakes. This should be done anyway if you are inspecting a used car, but rust damage will really show itself on the brake components.
6. Inspect all under-hood fluids for water contamination. Oil and water will look like a chocolate milkshake, oil and transmission fluid will look like a strawberry milkshake.
For a printable used car check list http://www.trustmymechanic.com/usedcarlist.html
More information about flood cars can be found at: http://www.trustmymechanic.com/flood_car.html
Contact:
Austin Davis
austin@trustmymechanic.com
http://www.trustmymechanic.com
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