Is it inevitable? Cars and other vehicles damaged in hurricanes – more than half a million of them – are showing up in auto lots, web sites and auctions across the country. And it’s not just Joe Blow down the street trying to hustle his soggy car. There are switched or cloned serial number plates or cosmetic repairs of visual damage. 
Some insurance companies are declaring cars a total loss, “but don’t register the car with a salvage title that would tell a prospective buyer that it’s been deemed beyond repair.” There are even “title washing” schemes that let salvaged cars be sold “without the ‘salvage’ title.”
"These cars should never have been put back on the road," said James Watson, president of the Automotive Recyclers Association. "The impact of corrosion from being submerged under 20 feet of salt water for several weeks cannot be reversed."
No kidding. If you’re in the market for a used car, take a look at the full story and tips to avoid buying a floodmobile. And whatever business you’re in, don’t stoop as low as these bottom-dwellers.
