BATON ROUGE, LA – In the aftermath of the devastating
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has issued a Public Service Announcement to protect
consumers from purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle.
“Hurricane Harvey caused unimaginable damage in Texas,
including flooding over 1 million vehicles; and more vehicles in the Southeast
have been impacted by Hurricane Irma,” said General Landry. “These
flood-damaged vehicles could end up on the streets and sold to unsuspecting
Louisiana citizens.”
It is estimated that there are over 300,000
flood-damaged vehicles on the nation’s roads from past storms. General Landry
is issuing this PSA to help prevent even more of
those vehicles from traveling Louisiana byways and posing a greater danger to
Louisiana citizens.
“I do not want our State’s consumers to get taken for a
ride,” said General Landry. “Just because we were not in the storm’s eye does
not mean we are not at risk. Fraudsters tend to cross state lines to avoid
scrutiny, and they work to obtain false titles to hide flood damage.”
If you are shopping for a used vehicle, General Landry
encourages you to follow these tips:
- Be suspicious
of unrealistically low prices.
- Check for
musty smells, silt, or rust which could indicate a past presence of
moisture.
- Pull back the
carpet for signs of water and also take notice if the carpet looks like it
was recently replaced.
- Make sure the
power locks and windows are working.
- Observe the
headlights and taillights for signs of fogging.
- Get a
mechanic’s trained eye to inspect the vehicle for water contamination.
- Obtain a vehicle history report for free from the National Insurance Crime Bureau and know the difference between “salvage title” and “flood title.”
If you suspect a dealer is knowingly selling a flood-damaged vehicle and advertising it as a good-conditioned used car – please contact your auto insurance company, local law enforcement agency, and General Landry’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-351-4889.