Just wanted to throw out some info that I received today - while shopping NJ dealerships for Prius Primes. Toyota World of Lakewood says that the majority of their Primes are flood-damaged, and that they only have a few they can sell, even though they have 35 listed active on their website. NJ has some of the best rebates I can find on the Prime ($3500) for September. I'm hoping these extend through the end of October.
N.J. weather update: Nearly 8 inches of rain pounds N.J., flooding roads, creating a waterspout | NJ.com
I always figured they (the insurance company) just auction them off. They will be written off, the insurance company will own them, and then they'll auction them off or crush them.
Insurance salvage...they'll sell for about $3-5k, and some poor unsuspecting person will think it's a great deal, and live with a nightmare of problems for their ownership of the car. I have progressive for my auto insurance, and they will not ensure a vehicle with a salvage title. You want no part of an electric/hybrid vehicle that's been submerged in water. If you recall, hurricane Sandy is what put Fisker out of business. There were a bunch of them sitting on the dock in New Jersey and they got flooded and they shorted out and burst into flames. As it represented most of their inventory, it destroyed them financially. Not to mention the public perception of watching electric vehicles burst into flames in water Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Hmm, if I had a big backyard, I might be willing to spend that much just to have a non-functional one to play with.
It's been a very rainy fall, so the soil was saturated to begin with. Had at least two flash flood warnings in the past month.
Beware a Flood of Flooded Cars - Consumer Reports "Thousands of cars are damaged or destroyed by floods every year, but don't assume they all end up in a junkyard. Some, in fact, are repaired and resold in other parts of the country without the buyer being aware of the car's water-logged history." This is certainly crooked, and it happens all the time. A friend had an F150 with a continual stream of weird problems. After we saw the rust that was starting from the inside of the door exterior panels (not winter salt damage), we were guessing it was a flood damaged vehicle. It was from Canada, but it may have been a U.S. truck taken through Canada to "wash" the title history, excuse the pun. Fortunately he had bought an extended warranty when he bought it, but all the repairs were a huge aggravation. Flooded Cars | CARFAX Telltale Signs of Flooding: A musty odor in the interior, which can sometimes be covered with a strong air-freshener Upholstery or carpeting which is loose, new, stained or doesn’t match Damp carpets Rust around doors, under the dashboard, on the pedals or inside the hood and trunk latches Mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats Brittle wires under the dashboard Fog or moisture beads in the interior lights, exterior lights or instrument panel Flood Damage Checklist Turn on the ignition and check all instrument panel lights illuminate Test the interior and exterior lights, air conditioning, windshield wipers, radio, turn signals and heater repeatedly View the full CARFAX Vehicle History Report to check for reported flood damage or signs of salvage title fraud Get the car checked thoroughly by a trusted mechanic
