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Buyer Beware: Used Car Buyers Should Watch for Warning Signs in Flood-Damaged Cars

CENTREVILLE, Va. , Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Hurricane Season begins to ramp up, CARFAX estimates as many as 45,000 vehicles have been damaged by flooding from mid-year storms.

Devastatingly heavy rains and flash flooding between April and July swamped thousands of cars in states such as Texas, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and many of those vehicles are expected to soon resurface for sale in the used car market. These deadly storms may only be the beginning: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean this year. This influx of flood-damaged vehicles is on top of the estimated up to 482,000 water-damaged cars that CARFAX data shows were already on U.S. roads at the start of 2025.  

"Flood-damaged cars don't just stay in storm-hit areas; they show up all over the country, putting unsuspecting buyers at serious risk," said Faisal Hasan, Vice President of Data Acquisition at CARFAX. "The same vehicles pictured in one state, floating in floodwaters, can get cleaned up by scammers and sold elsewhere. And while these rehabbed cars may look showroom fresh, they're literally rotting from the inside out."

Here are the top 10 states that are estimated to have the most water-damaged cars:

Florida and Texas lead the nation in the number of flood-damaged cars already on the road. But CARFAX research shows these vehicles often turn up in states where flooding isn't top of mind for car shoppers — including places such as Pennsylvania or Illinois.

Consumers who want to avoid buying a flood-damaged car can use CARFAX's free Flood Check® tool at carfax.com/flood. Used car shoppers can also get a free CARFAX Vehicle History Report on Carfax Car Listings from CARFAX.com to see if a vehicle has a record of water damage. 

Consumers should look for these signs of flooding when considering any used car:

• Damp or loose carpentry, or carpentry that's mismatched from the upholstery
• Rust around doors, under the dashboard, on the pedals, or inside the hood or trunk latches
• A musty odor, potentially of mold or mildew
• Mud or silt in unusual places such as the glove compartment, under the seats, or up high
• Brittle wires under the dashboard
• Fog or moisture beads in the interior lights, head- and taillights, or in the instrument panel

Editor's note: We have estimates on the number of flooded cars currently in each State and Top DMAs. Interviews with a used car expert from CARFAX are also available at any time. Please contact Em Nguyen at emnguyen@carfax.com .

About CARFAX

CARFAX, part of S&P Global Mobility, helps millions of people every day confidently shop, buy, service and sell used cars with innovative solutions powered by CARFAX® vehicle history information. The expert in vehicle history since 1984, CARFAX provides CARFAX Car Listings, CARFAX Car Care, CARFAX History-Based Value and the flagship CARFAX Vehicle History Report to consumers and the automotive industry. CARFAX owns the world's largest vehicle history database and is nationally recognized as a top workplace by The Washington Post. Shop, Buy, Service, Sell – Show me the CARFAX®.

S&P Global Mobility is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets.

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SOURCE CARFAX