Consumers warned to avoid flood-damaged vehicles

CALGARY- Damaged vehicles are pouring into salvage yards across the city following the devastating floods—prompting a warning for car buyers.

The Calgary Parking Authority has already towed 54 cars to the impound lot, and hundreds more are sitting in a field near High River. Alberta Transportation estimates thousands of vehicles could eventually be written off.

They have since asked 9,000 inspectors to keep an eye out for impacted vehicles, in an effort to keep them off the market.

“We saw it in the U.S. after Hurricane Sandy, these cars get moved around North America,” explains Heather Mack from the Insurance Bureau of Canada. “It’s just really important that consumers protect themselves.”

Vehicles are considered a salvage if water reached their dashboards, as that damages electronic, mechanical and safety systems. They can only be used for resale of certain parts.

If consumers unknowingly buy a vehicle declared a salvage, they cannot register it—losing the money they paid for the car.

To avoid that, a database of flood vehicle VIN numbers is being created, which used car buyers will be able to search.

“We’ve got about 200 vehicles already on the system that the insurance companies have reported to us that are unrepairable,” says Mike O’Connor from Alberta Transportation.

The database should be ready in a few weeks.

Click here for more information on what you need to know about flooded vehicles.