Buying a Water Damaged Car?

So I'm in the market for a newer car. Doesn't have to be brand new, but I don't want something with a lot of miles on it. I found this car on Autotrader:



http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=389410473&hideBackLink=true&Log=0



2014 Mazda 3 iSport with only 500 miles for only $11,900? They go for $21K+ brand new. Seems too good to be true. I called the guy up and he told me that the car got water on the floor while in transit to the dealership and that's it. Says he replaced the mats (and some other minor stuff) and that it's been checked by a mechanic and runs great. There's no manufacturer warranty.



I know I know, never buy a water/flood damaged car. But, IF it was only the floor that got wet/damaged should the car still be ok?



Before buying I'm going to:

1. Get in writing get a complete list of everything that was damaged and fixed/replaced

2. Have MY mechanic that I trust check it out

3. Negotiate a lower price - maybe $5K pending what my mechanic says



What do you guys think? Any car salesmen or car gurus out there? This could be a steal if I'm buying a car with only a "ding" on it. Or it could be a lemon and a piece of junk.

1. How do you know that you can trust the representation that it was "just some water on the floor?" If the guy has no reputation whatsoever what would he say to sell the thing?



2. I have a friend who had water come into his car through the sun roof and he spent years on wiring issues in the dash - eventually the entire dash and wiring had to be replaced



3. Given how good cars are built today - I'd buy a car with 100,000 miles on it before I'd buy a water damaged one



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Just a little bit of water on the floor says to me that there was probably 6 inches of standing water across the entire interior of the car.



My vote would be to walk away.

Shoot, if it's a car you've been wanting to get anyway, may be worth a good long look. They'll probably take some more money off the top I'd imagine.



If ONLY the interior of the car was affected you'll need to check all the electronics carefully. Obviously take it to a trusted mechanic for a thorough inspection.



Let us know what you decide.

Thanks for your input, guys. I knew I needed some sense talked into me. I've decided to not further pursue the car.

byufan4ever wrote:
Thanks for your input, guys. I knew I needed some sense talked into me. I've decided to not further pursue the car.

Most likely a wise move. There are reasons why you must be wary around "horse traders" and "used car salesman". Even though you take it to your mechanic - it is a crap shoot with slightly damaged cars. I think your cautionary judgement here was well placed.



Good luck in your endeavor.

Hey, it was just over the floorboards...



http://www.dumpaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/car-stuck-in-flood-funny-pictures.jpg" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Ddawg wrote:

Thanks for your input, guys. I knew I needed some sense talked into me. I've decided to not further pursue the car.

Most likely a wise move. There are reasons why you must be wary around "horse traders" and "used car salesman". Even though you take it to your mechanic - it is a crap shoot with slightly damaged cars. I think your cautionary judgement here was well placed.



Good luck in your endeavor.

I concur that this was a wise move. My wife and I test drove a used minivan a few years ago. It was way cheaper than Honda Oddyseys usually are, and it had very few miles, even though it was about 8 years old. The car salesman was saying the low miles could have been explained by it being owned by an old person who didn't drive it much. Something didn't add up, though, because it looked like some of the writing on the interior buttons had worn off. That doesn't happen in a lightly driven car. Also, it clearly pulled to the left when you drove it, and was even worse after they supposedly did an alignment on it. We walked away and never looked back.



If it sounds too good to be true it is too good to be true.