What does flood water do to a car?
Flood water leaves mud, silt and debris in places that never drain. That means under the carpet, in the tight gaps of the engine bay, and behind wiring harnesses. Salt water is the worst. It keeps corroding electrical connections after everything looks dry, so parts can fail months later.
What kind of repair does it need?
A check of the whole car before anything cosmetic. That covers the wiring and electrics, the seatbelts, the carpet and the closed-in parts of the body. Paint comes last, and may not matter. What the check finds decides whether the car is worth fixing at all.
Wiring, seatbelts, carpet and the closed-in parts of the body all come before paint. Salt water keeps eating electrical contacts after the car looks dry. So the check is about what can fail later, not what you can see today.
What to do next
Do not start it if it is still wet. Do not let anyone quote for paint before the car has been checked. Tell them how high the water came and whether it was salt or fresh. The higher it came, the closer the car is to a write-off. If you are thinking of buying a car like this, walk away.
Sources
- Kelley Blue Bookmedia
Check tight crevices for dried mud and debris, especially near the starter motor, power steering pump, and behind wiring harnesses.
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