HOUSTON – The images of hundreds of cars stuck in flood waters may be some of the most memorable from Houston's Memorial Day flooding.
But those pictures have some wondering what happened to all those flood-damaged cars and trucks.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB) estimates about 70 percent of the estimated 10,000 flooded cars have been totaled and are headed to an auto auction lot to be sold with a salvage title.
That means an estimated 3,000 more cars sustained damage that wasn't covered by insurance.
So where do those cars end up?
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"Wherever they want to get rid of them," said Don Betts, a Sr. Special Agent with NICB.
Betts says in most cases there will be nothing on those cars' titles indicating the vehicles were flooded.
That means the next owner may have no idea the cars were once underwater.
Betts showed the KHOU 11 News I-Team a 2012 Porsche Cheyenne.
At first glance, the SUV looked fine.
But when Betts popped the hood, a waterline was visible on the radiator.
"This car went underwater, but pushed out pretty quick" explained Betts. "That's one to be leery of."
Betts says used car buyers need to do some detective work.
He urges shoppers to look for condensation in a car's light covers, as well as any signs of mildew inside the car.
"It can be cleaned out, but a lot of times you may have some sand or whatever that will settle down in here," said Betts.He also suggests checking hard-to-reach areas like seat brackets and compartments in the center console and doors.
Betts also recommends being wary of sellers claiming they repaired a flooded car.
"The problem is, you still have your electronics in the dash and under the dash," said Betts. "So you may fix one problem and you may have a lot more."
Betts also warns that the Internet is a popular place for people looking to get rid of flooded cars.
"I want to see the title, look at the car, maybe have a mechanic look at it, because you never know what you're going to get," said Betts.
Both NICB and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles allow buyers to check a cars VIN online to see if it's ever been totaled. Betts said that probably will only happen if the car's owner submitted an insurance claim.
Betts says the best advice is to assume there's something wrong with any used car with a price that seems too good to be true.
