Per Montgomery County: After hurricanes with large-scale floods—such as happened in Florida recently with Hurricane Ian—flood-damaged vehicles often end up at salvage auctions and bought by rebuilders. The vehicles should be marked as “salvage” or “total-loss” on the title, but every year, thousands of severely water-damaged vehicles are resold to unsuspecting consumers—often in different market areas. The Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is warning local residents seeking to buy a used vehicle that they should take precautionary steps to avoid unknowingly purchasing one.
The Office of Consumer Protection says unscrupulous sellers know how to “wash” the titles and hide the damage. However, the damage caused by water will eventually impact the life of the vehicle. OCP recently added to its staff automotive specialist Dave Elswick. Elswick, an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified investigator with 17 years of automotive technician experience. The ASE certification covers 28 areas of expertise and three master designations. He is available to help residents who think they might be buying, or have bought, a vehicle that was water damaged.