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AAA: How To Tell If Your Vehicle Has Flood Damage

AAA wants to let drivers know how to tell if their vehicle has flood damage, and this advice doesn't just apply to these people who drove through the flood waters.

It's something officials pleaded for you not to do for the past week: driving through flooded roads! For some of the drivers who chanced it - they got stuck.

AAA wants to let drivers know how to tell if their vehicle has flood damage, and this advice doesn't just apply to these people who drove through the flood waters. Perhaps your car was parked in a low-lying area here in the Triad, or maybe your family members left a vehicle after they evacuated from the coast.

RELATED: Devastating aerial photos show NC farmlands under Florence's floodwaters

There are some pretty obvious signs that your car is water-logged, but, in many communities, flood water begins to recede - and you might come back to a car, that doesn't look like it was impacted. Here's what AAA says you should check for:

  • Open the doors - and smell the inside - to see if it's musty or damp.
  • Pull back the carpet to find stains, and check for mud, dirt or water stains inside other parts of the car too, like under the dashboard.
  • Look for signs of corrosion under the vehicle, or to door frames and hinges
  • See if there's moisture stuck in the lights - they'll look fogged up, or have moisture beads trapped inside.
  • Check all warning lights & electrical components. If one part isn't working, that not mean damage, but combined with other factors it's a cause for concern
  • You'll want to take your car to a mechanic you trust to look into other potential problems.

RELATED: Major NC highways, Triad roads closed due to flooding

Flood waters can ruin the engine, warp brake rotors, mess up power steering and of course, short out electrical components.

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