Wheel ScoutWhy flood cars are a problem
Water gets into wiring, connectors, computers, airbag sensors, bearings and the inside of the body. A car can run fine for months and then start failing one electrical part at a time while rust works from the inside. That's why insurers total so many flooded cars, and why sellers try hard to hide a flood.
How to inspect a car for flood damage
Pull a seat-belt all the way out: a belt that's stained, musty or slow to retract at the bottom of its run has been wet. And have a mechanic look at the connectors and the underside before you buy.
How states brand flood cars
There is no single national rule. Examples from the state rules we read for our plate pages:
| Arkansas | Water up to any level above the dashboard makes a car salvage, whatever the repair bill. |
|---|---|
| Illinois | A car is salvage when repairing the water damage costs more than 50% of its value without that damage; the salvage certificate then reads "flood." |
| Florida | A flooded car with repairs of 80% or more of its value is totaled, and can't be sold until a salvage title or certificate of destruction is applied for and the title is branded flood. |
| New Jersey | After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the state published a database of more than 13,000 vehicles given flood or salvage titles. |
| Texas | TxDMV brands water-damaged cars and points buyers to its title check before they buy. |
How to check a VIN for flood damage
- The title record. The $5 report reads NMVTIS, where states and insurers report flood and salvage brands, so a flood brand from another state still shows.
- Insurer total losses. The report includes insurer total-loss records. Many flood cars are written off by insurers even when no state brand was added.
- NICB VINCheck. The National Insurance Crime Bureau's VINCheck shows theft and total-loss records from member insurers.
- Where it lived. A car titled in a state that just had a hurricane, then retitled somewhere dry a few months later, deserves a close look.
A flood that was never reported to an insurer or a state can't show up in any record, so the in-person check above still matters.
The reports
The basic report shows flood brands and insurer total losses. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
Flood car questions
How can you tell if a car has flood damage?
A musty smell, damp or new carpet, silt under the seats and in the spare tire well, rust on seat rails and under-dash screws, water lines in the lights, and electrical faults that come and go.
Can a flood car have a clean title?
Yes. If the flood was never claimed, or the car was retitled in a state with different rules, the paper title can be clean. A VIN check reads the federal record, where a flood brand from another state stays.
What's wrong with flood-damaged cars?
Water corrodes wiring, connectors, computers and safety sensors, and rusts the body from the inside. Problems can take months to appear.
Can you drive a car that has been flooded?
Don't start a car that has had water in the engine; it can destroy it. Have it towed and checked. A flooded car's safety systems, including airbags, may not work.
What is a flood title?
A title brand some states use for a car with water damage, usually after an insurer total loss. Other states record it as salvage with a flood note.
More ways to check a car
Buying guides
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency.