Cars are designed to withstand rain, snow and bad weather, but they are not made to be submerged in water. Floods are the #1 natural disaster in the United States, and often time they damage vehicles in the process. Used cars with flood damage are typically given a salvage title, as they are deemed a total loss by the insurance company. Flooding damages the entire vehicle, including the engine, interior, exterior and potentially the frame depending on how long the car was submerged. Unfortunately, used car dealerships often try to sell flood damaged vehicles without disclosing the salvage title status to the buyer.
Used cars with flood damage are likely to have many issues. Many times, dealerships have to rebuild the car with aftermarket parts in order to make it presentable and ready for sale on their lot. Once the car looks to be in decent shape, they will try every dealership trick they know to sell it to an unsuspecting consumer at a much higher price than the vehicle is now worth. Selling a used car without disclosing flood damage or a salvage title is Auto Fraud, and you can sue the dealership to get your money back.
When done properly, a dealer will have the buyer sign paperwork acknowledging that the used car has flood damage, and cannot ever be entirely repaired. If a dealership does not have a buyer sign these documents, it can take weeks – even months for the new owner to discover the truth about the car’s history. In some cases, owners don’t realize that there was flood damage until they try to re-sell or trade in the vehicle, which can cost them thousands of dollars in the end.
When Arguing with the Dealership Doesn’t Get You Anywhere…
Used car dealerships that sell flood damaged cars without disclosing the vehicles history to the buyer aren’t likely to fess up and fix their mistake. If they are willing to scam you during the buying process, they will likely do everything they can to avoid giving you your money back. There are auto fraud attorneys in Los Angeles that can help you sue the dealership for selling you a car with flood damage.
Auto Fraud has become more prevalent as the economy continues to recover, and more consumers are buying used vehicles from car lots again. You deserve to be driving in the car you expected to be buying at the time of purchase, and if the dealer misrepresented the vehicle in order to increase the price, filing a lawsuit is the best way to get your money back.
Find an Auto Fraud Attorney that Can Help
Flood damage will shorten the life of the vehicle, and cost the owner thousands of dollars in constant repairs. Most consumers find out that there car has flood damage from a vehicle history report, like carfax or autocheck. Call us today to run a full vehicle history report on your vehicle to determine if you used car was damaged in a flood. We’ll fight to get you the deal you deserve.