Mainers Warned to Stay Away From ‘Flood’ Cars

January 16, 2013

Maine residents in the market for a new car are being warned to stay away from deals that appear too good to be true.

Experts say some of the estimated 250,000 vehicles damaged during flooding caused by Superstorm Sandy are starting to show up on the market. Some of the vehicles may have spent a week under sea water.

Chris Basso, spokesman for Carfax, a company that provides used car history reports for buyers and dealers, tells the Sun Journal the vehicles may look pristine to the naked eye but are riddled with problems that may not show up for months. He calls those cars “ticking time bombs.”

Maine law requires car sellers to disclose whether the vehicle has sustained considerable damage. But there are loopholes to the law.