New figures show that about 75,000 vehicles were wrecked by Floyd's floodwaters, says AAACarolinas spokesman Tom Crosby, and about a third of these are believed to be heading for the open market. AAACarolinas and the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association say most of the cars are being sold outside North Carolina. Easley's office says about a dozen complaints have already landed on his doorstep during the past few weeks from people who believe that they were sold cars once destroyed by Floyd's floodwaters. The dealer selling the vehicles had never revealed their wet pasts, said the complainants. Attorney-general spokeswoman Cari Hepp said three of the vehicles that the new owners complained about had indeed been wrecked by the hurricane, and their buyers got their money back.
Prospective buyers can also get a copy of the vehicle's title from that site.
But complaints aren't limited to North Carolina, says AAA's Crosby. And, he says, cleaned up vehicles can be hard to spot. A vehicle can leave this state and go through several auctions and the title can become very blurred. If the upholstery is brand-new but the car is old, that may be a clue. And make sure you get a signed and witnessed record of the sale.