Can a completely flooded car be directly scrapped?
2 Answers
A car that has been flooded may not necessarily be scrapped; it depends on whether the flooded vehicle meets the national mandatory scrapping standards. Whether the car meets the scrapping standards is primarily determined by an insurance company's assessor, who evaluates the extent of the flooding and the damage to the vehicle's components. If the car does not meet the scrapping standards, it can either be repaired or sold directly. According to Article 4 of the "Regulations on the Mandatory Scrapping Standards for Motor Vehicles," registered motor vehicles that fall under any of the following circumstances shall be mandatorily scrapped. The owner must sell the vehicle to a motor vehicle recycling and dismantling enterprise, which will handle the registration, dismantling, and destruction in accordance with regulations and submit the vehicle's registration certificate, license plate, and driving license to the traffic management department of the public security authority for cancellation: (1) The vehicle has reached the prescribed service life as stipulated in Article 5; (2) After repair and adjustment, the vehicle still fails to meet the national safety technical standards for in-use motor vehicles; (3) After repair, adjustment, or the adoption of control technology, the vehicle's emissions or noise still fail to meet the national standards for in-use motor vehicles; (4) The vehicle has not obtained the motor vehicle inspection qualification mark for three consecutive inspection cycles after the expiration of the inspection validity period. Levels of flooded cars: Flooded cars can generally be classified into three levels—water-damaged cars, semi-submerged cars, and fully submerged cars. These three levels of flooded cars cannot be completely repaired. This is because a flooded car is highly likely to develop internal engine faults, making it impossible to start the vehicle.
Whether a completely submerged vehicle can be directly scrapped depends on the situation. I believe water depth is the key factor: if the water level exceeds the roof, causing complete damage to the electrical system—such as corroded electronic components and a rusted waterlogged engine—the repair costs are often extremely high, typically two to three times the vehicle's value. In such cases, the insurance company may assess it as a total loss and recommend scrapping. However, if the flooding is minor, such as only reaching the wheels, it might still be repairable after inspection. Remember, never attempt to start the engine after flooding to avoid secondary damage. When filing an insurance claim, bring photos and an assessment report. Generally, scrapping is a common choice for severely flooded vehicles, but don’t rush to decide—let a professional mechanic inspect it first.
