PHOENIX — There are more than 300,000 flood-damaged cars on the roads right now nationwide according to Carfax.
More could be on the way after recent floods in California and Hurricanes in Florida and Texas last year.
Some will end up for sale, all cleaned up and waiting for an unsuspecting buyer.
"If you smell any type of funky mildew smell, there was probably water there," says AJ Allen.
Allen is District Manager for Big Brand Tire and Service.
We asked him to help spot water-damaged cars before you buy.
Allen says water can cause problems you may not see for a while, serious issues that may involve your electronics system.
"You get in a wreck, that module doesn't work. Your airbags don't get deployed," he says.
It is legal to sell flood and water-damaged cars if it's titled that way.
But you can't count on disclosure. Flood histories can be removed, and titles changed.
So, if you're buying a car, any pre-inspection should include looking for past water issues.
"A lot of the obvious signs get wiped off really fast from someone trying to get it through and sell it," Allen says. "But you can find other signs deeper that they can't get rid of."
He brings us through a car looking for hidden water signs.
"We can take all of the pieces out, get under the spare tire," Allen says as he goes through the tire area.
He advises checking for dirt, small rocks and rust from the trunk through the cab.
He looks for rust in the tracks that move the front seats back and forth.
And he looks beyond just pulling the front floor mats up.
"We actually get part of the trim piece off. We get into the secondary installation for the carpet," Allen shows us.
Check weather stripping and tire wells for caked-on dirt.
Examine door hinges and any metal parts for rust.
Under the hood, check for brittle wiring in case the car was submerged in water.
Look for signs that the fuse box, the electronics that run the car, were damaged.
He uses a tool to pull out fuses and check connections.
"We want to look at the metal contacts as well as the receptacle where the fuse goes to see if there's any corrosion," Allen says.
Allen says a little dirt is expected.
It's the pebbles, sediment and rust that are giveaways the car may have flood damage.
Carfax reports can also help in your car search by showing a history.
While flood cars are cheap, you won't be able to insure them unless they're rebuilt.
The Arizona Department of Transportation advises how to spot a flood-damaged car.
