HARTFORD — In the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Senator Richard Blumenthal will join several Connecticut auto dealers on Monday to demand federal action to protect consumers from purchasing flood-damaged cars.
AAA estimates that up to one million cars suffered flood damage from Hurricane Harvey, and that number grew once Hurricane Irma hit. That is twice the number of cars destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and Ssuperstorm Sandy combined.
AAA urges consumers to be on the look out for:
Fog and moisture inside of car lights
The smell of mold or mildew, or disinfectant used to mask odors
Stains on seatbelts, upholstery, or inside of trunk
Rust inside of car
The Federal Trade Commission adds that most consumers don’t know the difference between a salvage title, and a flood title. A salvage title means that the car was declared a total loss by an insurance company because of a serious accident, or some other type of problem. A flood title means that the car has damage from sitting in water deep enough to fill the engine compartment.
Remember to get a vehicle history report or a free VIN report.
