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r/askcarsales•
popctrl

Is this car cheap because of water damage?

Earlier today I looked at a 2012 RAM 1500. It has 80k miles on it and is being sold for $17k, which is about the same price as other trucks with 130k+ miles on them in the area. There is a decent amount of cosmetic damage, which is fine by me. The car history had nothing on it and was bought at an auction.

I noticed a few red flags though:

  • The roof liner is almost definitely new, the floor looks new and is a water-proof plasticy material

  • They forgot to clean the DC outlet, and there was a thin layer of dirt on the inside of the cover and in the outlet that looked a lot like dried muddy water

  • The engine and other major components looked well-cleaned...Many of the tubes and conduits in the engine compartment had the normal layer of dirt you'd expect, but you could see water-runoff-ish lines in the dirt

  • The frame didn't look rusted, but the exhaust pipe and driveshaft had a layer of orange on them. Is that alarming?

It's a truck and I don't mind it having gotten dirty in the past, but is it possible this vehicle was submerged (or something like that) and does that even matter? Are weird dirt patterns a red flag? Was this truck maybe just used for mudding, and if so is that a red flag?

EDIT The car is being sold in Washington state

Posted Mar 28, 2021, 1:12 AM UTC · edited

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TheRealMeatloafMaple Flavoured Ford Finance Manager•

That sum'bitch has been under water. Look at the Carfax history - has it spent time in any region that suffered major flooding in its lifetime? Was it from Texas?

Remember flood water contains salt, dirt, silt, bacteria, feces, raw sewage, rotten fish, etc. You won't know the extent of the contamination and mold throughout the vehicle and haven't begun to experience the electrical gremlins that are going to plague that truck for the rest of its life.

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popctrlOP•

It's from Washington - I don't think they have much flooding here, but maybe it was moved?

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nottheotherone4Independent Car Buyer •

Sounds like an oilfield truck to me... the fine layer of dirt EVERYWHERE and the cosmetic damage is the give away for me.

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popctrlOP•

Would an oilfield truck have the bedliner removed?

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nottheotherone4Independent Car Buyer •

If it was a drop in and damaged or very worn...sure. I buy at auctions in North Texas and we see a lot of them. Nothing wrong with them per se...just know that they have spent a lot of time on dirt/gravel roads and not parked in the garage after it’s weekly car wash. Might have to replace some wear items ahead of schedule.

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popctrlOP•

What about the rust? Is it normal to have a light layer of rust on the thing in the middle that I'm guessing is a drive shaft?

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wild_bill70•

You should pay the $150 to get a mechanic to do a pre purchase inspection. Had my son get one on a suspiciously good car and the mechanic found all kinds of flood evidence.

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Way2evilUsed Car Manager•

Yes. The driveshaft comes rusted like that from the factory.

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nottheotherone4Independent Car Buyer •

I inspect and appraise thousands of vehicles per year... real flood damage (or submersion damage) is very rare. Almost all result in insurance claims and are destroyed...but my go to trick is to either remove the interior door panel or shove a flashlight between the side window rubber where the glass goes with it rolled all the way down. Nobody cleans the inside of the doors and if it is truly a flood/submersion damaged vehicle there will be a clear silt line visible.

Surface rust on fasteners, driveshafts, seat hardware, etc is dependent on environment and can happen to vehicles in a desert environment due to the sandblasting they experience on a daily basis... or any coastal area with salty air... or a wet climate like a snow belt vehicle. But the silt line never lies and I have yet to see a flood car (even at training events for insurance adjusters and arbitration inspectors) that has had the interior of the doors cleaned.

I initially thought oilfield truck because I see them frequently... it could also be a generic construction truck but they will have the same issues. Look at suspension rubber bushings and shocks, alignment, etc... they may need some attention. You might also consider a GOOD detail...not like the best detail the auction offers, but a comprehensive, take the seats and carpet out level detail. Nothing wrong with a construction or oilfield truck, as long as you know what to expect and try to get caught up/ahead of the maintenance.

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