Attorney General warns against buying flooded cars

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Following flooding in Texas and Oklahoma, NC Attorney General Roy Cooper is warning consumers to inspect new or used cars for flood-damage.

In past storms, sellers have tried to trick consumers into buying flooded vehicles without revealing their true history. Sellers can clean the cars to make it difficult to spot water damage and the damage can take weeks to appear.

Under North Carolina law, sellers must disclose flood-damage in writing before a sale. A flood vehicle has been submerged or partially submerged in water that damaged the body, engine or transmission.

Cooper said thousands of cars have been flooded in Texas and Oklahoma. His officer recommends buyers ask the seller directly whether a car has been damaged in any way.

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