Concerns cars damaged by Sandy could be bought by Cdns
Posted December 3, 2012 11:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It may seem like you’d be saving a lot of money, but right now isn’t the best time to buy and import a car from the US.
There are tens of thousands of cars that have been damaged by Hurricane Sandy, and there are concerns they could end up on our roadways.
US Motor Vehicle Transport Administrators say the East Coast cars have been submerged in salt water and contaminated by bacteria and other toxins from Sandy. Mark Francis with ICBC says there are probably 200,000 cars affected by the storm.
“We’re worried about people potentially becoming a victim, buying one of these cars unknowingly, then being stuck with a vehicle that they will have nothing but problems, and probably serious ones, with,” explains Francis.
He notes there are ways to protect yourself. “[There are] companies that provide information on a vehicle history, such as CarProof and CarFax. So, that is something that we would always recommend that people do before they buy a vehicle from the US.”
Francis adds it is very important to do your homework before you make a purchase.
Flood-damaged vehicles are classified in Canada as “non-repairable” and don’t qualify for road use.
Those who buy from a private seller are urged to watch for damp or musty odours inside the vehicle and to look for signs of rust in the vents and test all electrical aspects of the vehicle.
