Hurricane Sandy has impacted the United States in many ways, from power outages to destroyed homes. One of the smaller issues people have been dealing with in flooded areas is vehicles that have suffered from water damage.
If your car has been damaged due to the Hurricane Sandy Superstorm, there are many things you should consider doing before just getting rid of the vehicle:
Insurance:
The first step you should do is to call your auto insurance company.
If your auto insurance only includes liability coverage than you're not covered to get money for a new car if your car was damaged this past week according to CNN. If you have comprehensive insurance, then you'll be able to do something about the damage.
The next step is to take pictures of the car and the damage the storm caused to it. Don't try to fix anything that has happened to the car since the storm occurred because you won't be repaid for the cost. Only thing you may want to consider doing is covering damaged windows to make sure more rain or even snow doesn't get in the car causing further damage.
Interior Damage:
Any damaged caused inside the car will need professional help by a mechanic so make sure to call your auto insurer right away. The interior carpeting can keep water stored and pressed against metal body underneath it. This could cause rust and even mold, and the longer it stays this way the worse it will get.
Your auto insurer will most likely tell you to bring it to an auto body shop, where they will work to replace the entire carpeting setup. Don't expect a quick fix however if you want the same style of carpeting put back into the vehicle, the process could take weeks to finish.
CNN also reports that just leaving your car windows open to dry the moisture could make things worse for you in the long run as it can still cause mold and rust. Rust underneath the carpeting could cause bigger problems in the future.
If your seats are the only part of the car that is wet, then it is not likely that moisture got underneath the carpeting and shouldn't cause too much damage to the vehicle.
Engine and Ignition Worries:
According to Yahoo, if you feel your car may have problems under the hood, it is best to not start your car until getting it inspected by an auto mechanic.
The same study reports that most mechanical parts can be dried out if they suffered water damage from the storm. The main issue with newer cars is that they include modern electronic devices installed to make driving easier. These devices will most likely be damaged and will have to be replaced.
One of the last steps you should take is draining out your power steering and brake fluids. These aspects could have been contaminated by the water that entered the car and should be replaced. Have a mechanic do it to make sure all of the liquid is properly drained out.
How To Avoid Purchasing A Water Damaged Car:
Something that was popular shortly after Hurricane Katrina was the amount of water damaged vehicles that appeared on the used auto market. People were trying to sell their cars that had been water damaged from the hurricane but failed to alert interested customers before being purchased. People were then stuck with cars that had a number of different problems but had no idea why.
There are stricter measures that interested customers can take now like viewing the specific vehicle's Carfax report which would state any repair work, accidents the car has been in, or in this case if it has had water damaged.
It is very hard to get rid of mold inside of a car, and if someone hasn't had a car repaired you will be able to smell an unpleasant aroma inside the car. Taking a test drive in the car is also important, because any defects the car may be suffering from might show while taking it out for a spin.
Make sure to do your homework before purchasing a used car, because getting stuck with a water damaged vehicle could wind up costing you more in repair fees than it would have to just purchase a new car.
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