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Cars that suffered water damage could end up in used dealerships for resale

Unfortunately, later down the road, a water-damaged car could end up in someone else's hands without them even knowing what happened.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Attorney General's Office warns that flood-damaged cars could show up at dealerships, and some sellers may not disclose the damage on the title. 

There are some things to look out for if you're in the market for a used car.

"You know, it's, it does happen, and sometimes it's important to define what it means for a car to be flood damaged," Brian Moody said. 

Moody, the executive editor of Auto Trader, said an automobile might not suffer from water damage unless wholly covered in water. 

"Well, you want to be careful about a car that's either been completely submerged or submerged up to the hood," Moody said. 

Moody also said, unfortunately, later down the road, a water-damaged car could end up in someone else's hands without them even knowing what happened. 

“And so sometimes these cars make their way back onto the used car market, sometimes a person did their best to fix it. and sometimes, you know, the damage is still there. So it is important to be aware of those types of things," he said.

Moody said the best way to know is to check the car's history. 

"Always take it to a mechanic and have it inspected; the mechanic is going to be able to tell, hey, here are some issues with the car that you think you might want to buy," he said.

Megan Cooper from AAA said there are signs that a car could have suffered some water damage. 

"You know, one of the telltale signs of a flood-damaged vehicle, of course, is the smell," Cooper said. "Some places to look are the headlights and tail lights. moisture can get trapped in those areas."

Moody added, that if the price of a car sounds too good to be true, then there is a chance it was water damaged along with other defects. 

"You're not going to get a 2-year-old Cadillac for $8,000," he said.

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