Jan 19, 2009 5:42 pm US/Eastern
3 On Your Side: Water Damaged Cars Warning
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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With the economy hitting a bump in the road, more and more people are looking to save anyway they can. When it comes to car buying, Your Money Team finds that some people are opting for used instead of new. But 3-On Your Sides Jim Donovan reminds us, you n
AP
With the economy hitting a
bump in the road, more and more people are looking to save anyway they can.
When it comes to car buying, Your Money Team finds that some people are opting
for used instead of new. But 3-On Your Sides Jim Donovan reminds us, you need
to do your homework or you could be taken for a ride.
College student Ryan
Robinson was on a mission. He says, "I commute back and forth to school so I
wanted a new car." Ryan found a used 2007 Mustang for sale and paid over $12,000
for it. Everything was smooth driving for the first few days until Ryan noticed
something odd. He says. "I was cleaning it out and I noticed that the underside
of the seat were completely rusted out. So that was the big red flag."
Mechanic Steve Ruch spotted
it right away. Ruch says, "The seat tracks are rusted, you notice a little
mildew smell and as you'll see as we dig even farther there is water damage to
the vehicle." The Mustang had been exposed to water and lots of it. Ruch
pointed to the corrosion building inside the wiring terminal. He says, "Over
time this is going to cause electrical issues."
"From all indications this
vehicle has had a lot of flood damage, water immersion and damage as a result
of that, rusted parts, evidence of problems, mold, mildew and other things
which will not be covered under factory warranty. would void most factory
warranties and certainly would make this car worth a whole lot less than it was
sold for," says Lemon Law attorney Craig Kimmel. Kimmel says it is common for
water-logged cars to pop up far away from where they were damaged. He suggests
looking out for abnormal smells, mildew or condensation on the windows, and
rust on bolts or something out of place. Or even better yet, he suggests having
a professional look at the car first. According to Kimmel, "It's better to know
in advance, pay the money, have a mechanic look at the car and avoid that
vehicle all together."
For a checklist on what you
need to do and ask before buying any used car, log on the link below:
http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemondodger.html
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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