In connection with the floods in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, flooded used cars could enter Central and Eastern Europe, which the owners will want to get rid of. The AAA Auto bazaar network draws attention to this.
“In our experience, flooded cars start to appear in dealers or in advertisements shortly after the floods. Due to the flash nature of the floods, especially in Germany, which is the most popular country for importing used cars, it can be expected that a large number of cars were flooded. rapid flooding even directly on the North Rhine-Westphalia motorway, and an even greater number of attempts to sell it east can be expected, “said Petr Vaněček, operations director of Aures Holdings, operator of the AAA Auto car center network.
It is from Germany that a large number of cars are imported to the Czech Republic, and second-hand cars originating in other affected countries, such as Belgium or the Netherlands, are also no exception. It can also be a luxury car, on the Internet photos of the flooded Porsche dealership in Heilbronn have already appeared. With regard to the fact that the floods also affected the Děčín region, flooded cars of Czech origin could also appear on the market.
Jakub Šulta, the founder of the Carvago online marketplace, disagrees with Vaněček. According to him, the washed-out car is so badly damaged that it cannot be overlooked. In the past, however, in-house dealers tried to offer flooded cars in the Czech Republic, as the magazine Svět motorů reported. Now they can be great motivated by the lack of cars in Czech car bazaars and rising prices.
Deposits of sand or mud can damage the mechanical components of cars, and high water will then affect all electrical installations: from connectors to printed circuits of control units. Given that the electronics in modern cars control virtually everything from the engine to assistance systems, airbags to the removal of windows, many functions may not work immediately or in the foreseeable future. Floated cars can even be life-threatening.
Thorough repair after flooding the car is very expensive, ideally, in addition to thorough cleaning, the entire electrical installation should be replaced, which is a matter for tens or even hundreds of thousands of crowns. The motivation to get rid of such a car will therefore be great and it can be suspected that many such cars will be cleaned, at least in the eye.
When inspecting the car, it is necessary to focus on hard-to-reach places under the upholstery, dashboard or door seals, where mud remains in the form of dust, in many places there may also be hidden corrosion (for example, pedals, under the rear seats, under the carpet in luggage compartment). The smell or, on the contrary, the intense smell that is supposed to cover it can also help.
However, it is not always possible to detect a flooded car, which is why it is important to have your purchase legally insured in this regard. The purchase contract should explicitly state that the seller declares that the car has not been flooded. If it turns out so, the buyer should have the right to withdraw from the contract and get his money back.
Therefore, always check the contract thoroughly before purchasing and insist on your right to withdraw. This is true for both small and large dealers, because no used car can thoroughly filter flooded cars. The biggest risk of buying a flooded car is, of course, just on the street without a thorough inspection by a service center.
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