What Happens To All The Flooded Cars In Florida?

Floridians have to deal with extreme weather on a regular basis, and so are well versed in preparing their houses and vehicles to withstand damage. However, the most extreme weather will cause damage no matter how much preparation they do. One of the most common causes of vehicle damage in Florida is flooding, which can cause all kinds of costly issues for owners. If too much water gets in the car's engine, the engine can become hydrolocked, and water ingress can also damage a vehicle's electrical systems and lead to excessive corrosion. Some flood damaged cars are written off and subsequently scrapped, but others are repaired and sold on to used car buyers.

If you're looking to buy a used car, you'll want to steer well clear of flood-damaged cars in most cases. Even if it has been repaired and appears to be in working order at first glance, the car's electrical systems may still have been damaged, and hidden rust might become an issue in the longer term. Unfortunately, identifying a flood-damaged car isn't always straightforward. In Florida, cars that are reported as having flood damage will have an identifying brand on their title. However, if a car is damaged by flooding and then repaired in another state, it won't always be clearly marked.

If a flood-damaged car has a Florida title, then state law requires that title to be marked with a flood damage label. As well as being on the title itself, the FLHSMV keeps a Motor Vehicle Information Check database where you can search for a vehicle's title number and will be able to see if it's marked as flood-damaged. When a flood-damaged car is rebuilt, it will be inspected by the DHSMV before it's retitled, but only to check if parts have been stolen, and not to verify how well a repair has been carried out. If you're buying a used car in Florida, dealers are legally required to make it clear in writing that the car has been branded as flood damaged before it is sold to a customer.

Not all states have the same regulations when it comes to identifying flood damage. It's possible that a car could be flooded in another state, repaired, and then registered in Florida with a clean title to be sold. Some cars can also be repaired without insurance companies needing to brand the car as flood-damaged, either because the repair bill was relatively small or because the owner didn't have the correct insurance in the first place. So, as well as checking to see if a used car has a branded title, it's worth checking for signs of previous water ingress and suspicious patches of rust to be as careful as possible.