Hurricane Sandy damaged cars head for auction
Hurricane Sandy, the storm that cost US $65.6 billion, which is only second after Hurricane Katrina, damaged hundreds of thousands of cars as well. Some of these cars are still in good shape and can be reused.
The least damaged of these vehicles are now heading for auction to the highest bidder. Those vehicles damaged beyond repair will be picked up or scrapped. However, though these vehicles are heading for auction a New York law states that titles of damaged vehicle must be stamped “flood” to warn prospective owners of potential problems which may or may not be seen in the auctioned vehicle. Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) and National Consumers League have issued warnings to potential buyers of these auctioned cars.
Flood cars are declared unsafe. Saltwater can ruin computer controlled fuel and braking systems while heating and air-conditioning and other components may also be adversely affected. Airbag deployment and other vital safety systems may be contaminated and will fail. Consumers throughout the US have been warned to take special steps to protect themselves from inadvertently bidding for these vehicles.
Source: AutoBlog
