Beware buying new, but cheap, Jeeps and Dodges in the next few months

LVSteve · #1 06-27-2021, 05:42 PM

They might be flood victims. Apparently Detroit suffered some biblical flooding this weekend, including the Stellantis shipping yard. Oops.

Rain Puts Vehicles Underwater at Detroit Stellantis Shipping Yard

Rustyt1953 · #2 06-27-2021, 05:59 PM

Throw some rice in 'em.

Squarebutt · #3 06-27-2021, 07:55 PM

I doubt they'd try to sell any of those vehicles. As soon as word got out their sales would drop like a rock. Fiat has plenty of money, and probably insurance, too. It's a shame, all those new rides, but they have so many computers and electronic gizmos they would never be right, and the service calls would be endless.

Muss Muggins · #4 06-27-2021, 08:39 PM

Bunch of 'em showed up after the Missouri River levee breach in 1993. Car dealers everywhere in the flood plain, and their inventory was covered. I remember running over several roofs in a Zodiac (or what passed for it back then) doing search and rescue. Granted, it was almost 30 years ago, and records were not quite as available, but I guarantee they'll show up on the secondary auction sites. Used cars are like gold now. All I can say is that CarFax is your friend . . .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squarebutt

I doubt they'd try to sell any of those vehicles. As soon as word got out their sales would drop like a rock. Fiat has plenty of money, and probably insurance, too. It's a shame, all those new rides, but they have so many computers and electronic gizmos they would never be right, and the service calls would be endless.

pawngal · #5 06-27-2021, 09:49 PM

My guess is the insurance companies will send them to auction under salvage title.

bushmaster1313 · #6 06-27-2021, 11:39 PM

The general rule in buying and selling is “Buyer Beware.” One exception is fraud. Unfortunately, the legal system is so cumbersome and expensive that even if a buyer is defrauded it can be too difficult to jump through the legal hoops to recover in court.

gregintenn · #7 06-28-2021, 08:49 AM

As I bought the last Chrysler product I'll ever buy years ago, I'll be immune to this as well as myriad other problems associated with the brand.

Czechvar · #8 06-28-2021, 09:45 AM

There were big floods in Houston the year before I bought a new 1979 Honda Accord in Austin…The exhaust system had to be replaced within 6 months due to rust. I don’t believe I ever made the connection…but they did give me a hard time getting the repair done under warranty. Very unusual for a Honda back then…

mckenney99 · #9 06-28-2021, 11:38 AM

I'm not sure it is still true but not that long ago there were certain states that did not issue "salvage titles". Regular titles just had some sort of notation to that effect. Problem was that brokers who dealt in salvaged vehicles would get the salvaged vehicle transferred through those states with the "non-salvage" titles and then begin to wash the vehicle titles through several other "friendly" states and eventually the "salvage" notation would be washed from the paperwork trail.
Flood damaged vehicles from insurance sales are notorious for this process. The totaled vehicles are typically transferred and sold on the opposite side of the country from where the "totaled" vehicle originated to help conceal it's origin.
I used to do salvage title inspections and was always suspicious of "salvage" vehicles that had no telltale signs of physical damage until you started to look at electrical connections and low wells in the floors and doors.
Do you really think the insurance companies are going to just write off those vehicles and eat the loss? I firmly believe they can and will use all means to recover as much money as they possibly can. The chances of the "fraud" being traced back to them is very slim.

Retired W4 · #10 06-28-2021, 05:01 PM

My 2000 F-150 was a victim of Floyd and Ford tried to pawn it off to me as new. When I discovered what had happened I wrote a letter to the president of Ford explaining Georgia's lemon laws. As you might expect, every thing turned out well for me. A few up-grades were included in my new truck.

LVSteve · #11 06-28-2021, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckenney99

I'm not sure it is still true but not that long ago there were certain states that did not issue "salvage titles". Regular titles just had some sort of notation to that effect. Problem was that brokers who dealt in salvaged vehicles would get the salvaged vehicle transferred through those states with the "non-salvage" titles and then begin to wash the vehicle titles through several other "friendly" states and eventually the "salvage" notation would be washed from the paperwork trail.
Flood damaged vehicles from insurance sales are notorious for this process. The totaled vehicles are typically transferred and sold on the opposite side of the country from where the "totaled" vehicle originated to help conceal it's origin.
I used to do salvage title inspections and was always suspicious of "salvage" vehicles that had no telltale signs of physical damage until you started to look at electrical connections and low wells in the floors and doors.
Do you really think the insurance companies are going to just write off those vehicles and eat the loss? I firmly believe they can and will use all means to recover as much money as they possibly can. The chances of the "fraud" being traced back to them is very slim.

We have a dealership here in Vegas that deals in almost nothing but salvage titled nearly new cars. Many have been flooded, allegedly. Co-worker has a Kia K900 and a Genesis G80 from that place that were supposed to be flood cars, but his prodding around under the carpet revealed nothing. They are still going strong at the moment.