Buyer Beware: Flooded Vehicles on the Market - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
He also found rust - lots of it. He told Miller the rust was an indication the car had been sitting in water. "You can't explain the rust underneath the seats and the rust underneath the door handles," said Miller. Consumer Investigator Deanna Dewberry, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, visited the dealer and asked to see the Jeep. Dewberry told the salesman she wanted to see the Jeep on the website. He showed it to her saying the Jeep had just come in. He said it was being cleaned before sale. When asked if it had been in an accident, he said no. But when asked whether there had been flood damage he said, "Not that it shows on there. And coming out of New Mexico and Texas, it shouldn't be. ". But consumers must keep in mind that North Texas and Houston saw torrential spring flooding this year. And the Jeep came from an area near Albuquerque, New Mexico, that was plagued with flooding last summer. When asked if consumers can spot a flood-damaged vehicle, the salesman said, "Sometimes, not always. But Collins says in the case of Jeep Patriot in question, the evidence is clear. "One of the first things I noticed on the actual vehicle computer that's mounted under the hood there's a lot of oxidation," he said. Source: www.nbcdfw.com
