May 10

Friday, May 10, 2019 

Did you know that damage to a vehicle caused by flood waters can be difficult to spot and can sometimes take months to show up?

A flood-damaged vehicle can be dangerous

Flood damage can cause corrosion inside a vehicle’s sensitive electronics or safety components. The results could be catastrophic: air bags could fail to deploy; engines could shut off at highway speeds or steering could fail—flood damaged vehicles are not safe for the road. If you’re shopping for a used vehicle, it’s imperative that you learn to spot the signs of flood damage.

The safer way

There are other steps that consumers can take to protect themselves. Purchasing a vehicle from an OMVIC-Registered Dealer is the safest way to ensure you are not buying a flood-damaged vehicle, as dealers are required by law to disclose the following:

• If the vehicle has been branded a total loss
• If the vehicle has been registered in another jurisdiction, and if so, where
• If the vehicle “sustained any damage caused by immersion in liquid that has penetrated to the level of at least the interior floorboards
• If the vehicle has been branded irreparable, salvage or rebuilt (in Ontario, flood-damaged vehicles are branded ‘irreparable’ and cannot be registered for driving.)

Remember, do your research!

Whether you buy from a private seller or an OMVIC-Registered Dealer, do your due diligence! An educated consumer is a protected consumer. For more car buying tips check out the OMVIC Academy for resources, videos and a downloadable OMVIC Car-Buying Guide! Visit OMVIC.ca to learn more.

About OMVIC

As the regulator of motor vehicle sales in Ontario, OMVIC protects the rights of consumers and maintains a fair and informed marketplace by:

• Maintaining strict registration requirements for Ontario's dealerships ans salespeople
• Regularly inspecting all Ontario dealers (new and used)
• Providing free conciliation services for consumers
• Developing/delivering consumer and dealer education/awareness programs
• Investigating and prosecuting industry non-compliance and illegal sales (curbsiding)
  

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  www.ontario.ca/page/consumer-protection-ontario

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