Thousands of vehicles damaged by Hurricane Sandy could be heading to used car lots in Oklahoma soon. AAA Oklahoma is warning drivers to be careful purchasing a used car in the months ahead.
Owner of KC Auto Repair, Kelly Clifton, said flood damaged on vehicles can easily be disguised.
He explained, "they can clean one up and cover it up, clean the interior, you can't even tell it was flooded.Sometimes they can even get the interior cleaned and get that musty smell out."
Clifton said many times the vehicle will have a musty smell when you open the door, but when a damaged car is cleaned really well it takes look underneath the vehicle to see if it's been in water.
The damage can be seen in the frame and near the engine. Also, the fuel, brake and power steering systems. Engine computers, sensors and other electronics
Clifton said sometimes holes are poked underneath, so the vehicle can dry out.
He said there is no quick fix for a water damaged vehicle. After time, they will rust and wear down and the owner will have to make continuous trips to the repair shop. You can avoid this from happening to you by bringing a used vehicle you are interested in buying to a repair shop first. It takes a mechanic a few minutes to spot a damaged vehicle.
