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Buyer Beware - U.S. Flood Damaged Vehicles May Be Entering Canadian Marketplace |
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Written by Wire Services
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Tuesday, 10 January 2006 |
"Beware of vehicles being sold from the U.S. and imported into Canada that may be flood damaged vehicles from the recent natural disasters in the southern U.S." warn CCMTA, Canada's road safety administrators.
The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), an organization comprising federal, provincial and territorial governments responsible for road safety in Canada, cautions consumers on purchasing used cars with origins along the U.S. Gulf Coast that may be flood damaged vehicles.
According to a recent article from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Transport Administrators, more than one quarter of the two million vehicles in the Gulf Coast area are estimated to have sustained flood damage from Hurricanes Katrina or Rita. To help protect consumers from buying flood damaged vehicles, the states of Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama are branding these vehicle records with variations of "Flood - Salvage".
Under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act administered by Transport Canada, vehicles imported from the United States are processed through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program. The RIV captures the branding shown on the US Vehicle Titles and makes this information available to all licensing jurisdictions in Canada. Flood vehicles will be treated in the same manner and any branding applied to them in the U.S. will be carried forward in Canada.
Individual provinces and territories have different rules on how to treat these vehicles. Depending on where a vehicle is licensed, the province or territory may consider these vehicles "NON REPAIRABLE". In other words, these vehicles may not be licensed, and could only be used as scrap or parts only. Other jurisdictions may allow the vehicles to be licensed following inspections to ensure the vehicles have been adequately repaired.
According to the RIV, there are a number of practical tips to help consumers when checking vehicles for flood damage including researching the vehicle's history from a registry Agent and having it inspected by a certified automotive technician.
Flood damage may be detected by:
-Checking for damp or musty odours inside the vehicle and in the trunk.
-Checking for any signs of rust and mud in the trunk, glove box and beneath the seats and dashboard.
-Checking for rusty brackets under the seats or carpets.
-Looking for any discoloured upholstery or carpet that fits poorly or doesn't match exactly.
-Checking underneath the hood and look for a water line that was marked by mud or silt or for evidence of a recent engine shampoo.
-Looking in the vents for signs of water or mud.
The general public is advised to check with their province or territry before buying a flood damaged vehicle in or from the U.S. Information can be obtained at the Registrar of Imported Vehicles at www.riv.ca or by calling 1-888-848-8240. |
