Flood-Damaged Car: Repair, Claim or Junk It?

1. Stay out of the water

   Do not wade to the car if water is still high, and do not go near downed wires. Flood water can hide debris and contamination. If it is a hybrid or EV, tell your insurer and anyone who tows it, and read our hybrid and EV guide, since a damaged high-voltage battery needs extra care.

2. Do not start it

   Water in the engine can bend parts when you crank it. Wet electronics can short. Even turning the key may do harm, so leave it off.

3. Photograph the water line

   Get the outside, the seats, the footwells, the trunk and under the hood. Put a ruler in a photo to show height. Save these before cleaning.

4. Call your insurer

   Ask whether your policy covers flood damage, and whether it wants to inspect before the car moves. Comprehensive coverage is the part of many policies that handles non-collision damage, but check yours.

5. Have it towed to a shop

   Ask your insurer where to take it. Mention the flood so nobody tries to start it. Wet cars get worse quickly, so do not let it sit closed up.

6. Watch for leaks

   If fuel or oil reaches water, Ecology’s spill page says to report it immediately to both 1-800-258-5990 and 1-800-424-8802. For other spills, the number is 1-800-OILS-911.

Three more things make it worse: dirty water or salt water, a long time sitting wet, and a modern car with a lot of electronics. Ask a shop how each one applies to yours.

• Was water in the engine, transmission, fuel tank, axles or brake system? How did you check?
• Which control modules and connectors were under the water line?
• Has the airbag system been checked? Are any sensors or modules affected?
• Which fluids need changing, and is that in the quote?
• Will the carpet and padding come out, and how will you dry everything?
• Is any of this a problem that may show up later? Corrosion can develop over time.
• What warranty can you give on a flood-damaged car?

Use our guide to reading a repair estimate to check the numbers, and electrical problems for what can come later.

• Claim first

  If you have coverage, this usually comes first. The insurer may pay for repairs or call it a total loss. Under the total loss rule, it must provide its valuation report if you ask. See what totaled means.

• Repair

  The better call when the water stayed low, the car got dried quickly, the shop has checked the electronics, and the quote makes sense against what the car is worth.

• Keep the car after a total loss

  Possible, but read keeping the salvage first. A salvaged car cannot be driven or parked on public roads until it has a new title.

• Let it go

  Sensible when the water reached the seats or above, or if corrosion is already causing trouble and there is no claim to pay for repairs.

Watch out for mold if the interior stays damp, whichever route you choose. If you do not have comprehensive coverage, the no insurance guide may help.

Flood cars are a known problem for buyers. The Washington Attorney General has issued a scam alert on flood-damaged cars. A car can look clean and still hide corrosion that shows up later. So tell any private buyer about the flood, plainly and in writing.

If you are on the buying side, DOL explains how title brands can be removed through transfers between states, which is known as title washing. A check at vehiclehistory.gov shows reported title, insurance loss and salvage information. The Federal Trade Commission also advises using NICB VINCheck and vehiclehistory.gov, and reporting problems to ReportFraud.ftc.gov or your state Attorney General.

Selling to us avoids handing the problem to another driver, since cars we buy go to auto steel recyclers: fluids drained, tires and batteries removed, crushed, then melted down. We need your Title, an Affidavit in Lieu of Title or a Junk Vehicle Affidavit, and it must be your car to sell. Check that your claim is settled first. Our non-running car page explains the pickup. A car that has been flooded does not need to start, and the tow is free.