Is There a 1-to-3 Compensation for Second-Hand Flood-Damaged Cars?
2 Answers
Buying a second-hand flood-damaged car qualifies for a 1-to-3 compensation. Here are specific methods to determine if a car has been water-damaged: 1. Smell: Upon entering the driver’s seat, there will be a musty odor of rotten mud. No matter how thoroughly a flood-damaged car is cleaned, traces of this smell often remain. 2. Copper Wire Oxidation: Look for oxidized copper wires on electrical lines and connectors. In severely flood-damaged cars, even after treatment, moisture in the engine wiring and transmission sensor connectors is hard to eliminate. Over time, these copper components react with air and moisture, forming green copper rust.
I helped my neighbor with this issue last time. He bought a cheap flood-damaged used car. Flood-damaged cars are real traps—wire corrosion is inevitable, and frame damage is beyond repair. Here's the key point: it only counts as fraud if the dealer didn't proactively disclose the flood damage. You'll need to first get a flood-damage inspection report from a third-party agency, then take your purchase contract to consumer arbitration. Only if you can prove the dealer intentionally concealed the damage will the court support returning the car plus triple compensation. But the used car market is full of pitfalls—it's best to record audio/video evidence. My neighbor spent six months fighting before getting compensation, and his hair turned half gray in the process.
