What problems may occur after repairing a water-flooded vehicle?

[DelIsabelle]

If it is a water-flooded vehicle where a large amount of water has entered the interior, achieving a complete and thorough repair without replacing parts carries relatively high risks. Common issues include moldy odors, loss of certain functions, and in severe cases, vehicle self-ignition, damage to original components such as the engine, transmission, and airbags. Below are additional details: 1. Repair as needed: During the repair process, ensure that all necessary repairs and replacements are carried out. All water-soaked parts should be either replaced or repaired based on their specific conditions, and electrical system wiring connectors should be properly dried and rust-proofed. 2. Check all vehicle fluids for water contamination: If water is present, it must be replaced. If there is excessive water ingress, a thorough cleaning of the system to remove all moisture is also required.

[MacKevin]

Hey, I've seen plenty of headaches with flood-damaged cars after repairs. The most troublesome issue is the electrical system—like the dashboard going haywire with random error lights, power windows suddenly jamming, or the stereo cutting in and out. It's downright scary when life-saving systems like ABS and ESP fail after water damage. The car might seem fine for the first couple months post-repair, but wire corrosion creeps in gradually. The engine may appear fixed, but residual moisture in the cylinder block often leads to scoring over time. Frame rust is invisible to the eye—only a magnetic thickness gauge reveals uneven metal erosion. The worst? That stubborn mildew stench from sewage-soaked carpets keeps intensifying; only complete removal and replacement solves it. Buying such a car means preparing for frequent garage visits.

[JaxsonLee]

We used car enthusiasts all know flood-damaged cars are a deep pit. After the oxidation of wiring connectors leads to poor contact, the ECU may inexplicably crash, and even after three or five repairs, the issue persists. The mechanical parts are even more unpredictable—if the transmission fluid isn't completely replaced after water ingress, gears will wear out metal shavings within a few thousand kilometers. If the waterlogged chassis bushings aren't replaced, you'll hear a loud clunk over speed bumps. Critical safety components like a rust-seized brake booster pump are extremely dangerous—a friend of mine nearly had an accident on the highway because he couldn't press the brake pedal. In the used car market, refurbished flood-damaged cars can be spotted by the sandpaper marks around the VIN area. While they can be repaired enough to drive, the vehicle's lifespan may only last three to five years.

[LeTanner]

Old Zhang, my neighbor, bought a flood-damaged car on the cheap and now regrets it every day. During rainy drives, he found water leaking from the roof, and the sunroof tracks weren't properly cleaned of mud, causing the seals to deform. The most annoying issue is the air conditioning—even after repairs, it still carries a fishy smell, as the mold growing in the evaporator box from sewage contamination can't be fully cleaned. Even scarier is the airbag situation; the repair shop skipped replacing the water-damaged crash sensors to save effort, and during a rear-end collision, none of the airbags deployed. Such cars also tend to have rusty steering column bearings—once, he couldn't turn the wheel at an intersection. Now, he'd rather take the bus than drive that car.

[DelDaniela]

In the auto repair industry, the most dreaded job is dealing with flood-damaged vehicles. If the interior isn't thoroughly disassembled and dried, water can still be squeezed out from the seat foam, and moldy carpets hidden beneath can cause allergies for everyone in the car. The oxidized pins in critical wiring harnesses increase resistance, leading to frequent misjudgments by the onboard computer. Once, a customer's newly replaced alternator burned out inexplicably—after hours of troubleshooting, it turned out to be poor contact in a flood-damaged ground wire causing abnormal voltage. If the engine isn't disassembled and cleaned, sewage that entered the crankcase can emulsify the engine oil, turning it into a milky tea-like substance. Before selling such cars, thick paint is often sprayed in the wheel arches to cover rust, and a flashlight inspection of the spare tire well can reveal traces of welding repairs.