Can I buy it?, This batch of flooded cars is starting to enter the market: Tesla, which has been in operation for two years, sells 100000 yuan and flows towards used cars and flooded cars

After this round of rainstorm and flood disaster, the water soaked vehicle is quietly entering the market after maintenance. Can I buy a cheap water immersion car?

The repair of the soaked car is coming to an end

Some time ago, Beijing Tianjin Hebei and other places suffered from severe rainstorm and flood disasters, resulting in a large number of "water soaked vehicles" soaked in water to varying degrees. Where have these "water immersion vehicles" been flowing so far?

"Over the past two days, we have worked overtime to repair more than 40 cars, and the remaining 20 are nearing the end." On August 29, Huang Shuai, a master of a car repair shop in Mentougou District, Beijing, told Zhongxin Jingwei that after the rainstorm, there were so many cars to be repaired due to wading into the water, and his repair shop only had 6 repair stations, but he still accepted the entrustment of more than 60 car owners.

According to Huang Shuai, the degree of damage to "water soaked cars" can be divided into four levels. The lightest case is that only the chassis and interior of the car have problems, and there is no need for major repairs. Only air drying, sterilization, and deodorization are needed; A slightly more serious issue is that the engine has problems, which not only require air drying but also inspection and maintenance; The most serious issue is that the entire vehicle's electrical appliances are damaged, requiring not only replacement of relevant appliances but also cleaning of all soaked plugs; The most serious situation is that the entire vehicle is scrapped and cannot be repaired.

According to the evaluation standards released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers in 2011, a vehicle that is soaked in conductive liquids such as water and causes damage to its core components and electrical components is generally referred to as a flooded vehicle when the water level exceeds the bottom of the vehicle seat.

The degree of damage to vehicles submerged in water can be divided into various situations: the first is that the waterline has just crossed the sliding track, which is called low-level water immersion. The second type is that the waterline has reached the dashboard, which has a significant impact on the overall performance of the vehicle. The third type is a car with no roof, where water has already submerged the roof.

"The maintenance of water vehicles is a long process," Huang Shuai explained. "Water vehicle maintenance is not only as simple as drying and checking the engine, but also needs to determine whether the water is urban waterlogging or flooding, which determines the subsequent maintenance methods.".

Huang Shuai introduced that if the vehicle has been submerged in floods, the inspection steps for the vehicle will be much more extensive, starting with dismantling. "After the water recedes, some parts cannot be distinguished from the appearance, but after dismantling, there will be a lot of sediment, leaves, and even garbage inside. This type of flood truck is the most difficult to repair."

There are also differences in maintenance time between waterlogged and flooded vehicles. According to Huang Shuai, the repair time for "waterlogged cars" is usually about a week, while the repair time for "flooded cars" is about two weeks. If the car's appearance is scratched in the flood, an additional 5 days are needed for painting.

In addition, there are significant differences in the maintenance of new energy vehicles and fuel vehicles. "In terms of water related issues, overall, the maintenance difficulty of new energy vehicles is relatively small, but the cost is higher than that of gasoline vehicles because the battery and motor replacement costs of new energy vehicles are higher." Huang Shuai said.

However, some new energy vehicle brand customer service representatives suggest that if the car is submerged in water, it is still recommended to go to the brand's dedicated after-sales service for repair. "The new energy circuit is quite complex," they said

Where did the repaired soaking car go?

According to Luo Lei, an expert from the China Association of Automobile Dealers, as long as a flooded car has not entered the scrapping process, it can flow into the second-hand car market after repair. "Water soaked vehicles still have value, and most of them can be used normally after parts replacement, cleaning, and comprehensive repair, which can meet some travel needs," said Luo Lei.

After this round of rainstorm, Zhang Jun, a second-hand car dealer, has been collecting water tankers everywhere and plans to repair them and resell them. According to Zhang Jun, he only accepts water soaked cars that have not been repaired, and the price depends on the brand, model, and degree of damage. "Generally, what you receive cannot be insured, and the price ranges from thousands to tens of thousands of yuan. I will repair it before selling it, and I will also earn some repair fees. If it really cannot be repaired, I will dismantle and sell the parts."

On Zhang Jun's social media, he updates several newly received or repaired flooded cars every few days and writes, "If you're flooded, you'll lose money.".

Zhang Jun said that he recently received a Tesla Model 3 with a high cost performance ratio of only 100000 yuan. "Fully charged, supports 390km mileage, original paint, seat heating, overcharging, in car 4G, autonomous driving AP, and update system functions are all normal, and there are no fault codes. The original owner has driven it for 2 years, strictly speaking, it is not a flooded car, but a flooded car. After repair, there is no major problem, and the battery health level is 100%." Zhang Jun said.

At present, the market price of the all-new Model 3 starts at 231900 yuan, while in the second-hand market, the cheapest Model 3 also starts at 150000 yuan.

"The price of a flooded car often drops significantly. Buying a used car may cost 100000 yuan, but buying an equivalent flooded used car may only cost 30000 to 40000 yuan, and some people may be attracted to buy at a low price," said Luo Lei.

Zhongxin Jingwei conducted a search on a second-hand platform with the keyword of "water soaked vehicles". The results showed that there were many posts selling water soaked vehicles and collecting water soaked vehicles recently. Zhongxin Jingwei found that the posting IP addresses of the above posts were mostly displayed in Hebei, Beijing, Jiangsu and other places. The word "rainstorm" frequently appeared, and the cheapest water soaked vehicles could even be bought for thousands of yuan.

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Luo Lei stated that there are no clear restrictions on the circulation of soaked second-hand cars in relevant regulations such as the "Management Measures for the Circulation of Used Cars". There are various situations in the circulation of automobiles, including normal second-hand cars, second-hand cars that have experienced accidents, and second-hand cars that have suffered total losses. As long as someone is willing to purchase, they can be auctioned off. But there are clear regulations in the industry that if the vehicle being sold is a flooded vehicle, whether it is a low level flooded vehicle or a total loss flooded vehicle, consumers should be clearly informed of the important defects of the vehicle and the possible consequences it may cause.

Can I buy it?

Is there a difference between a repaired water soaked car and a regular car?

"There will definitely be a difference," Huang Shuai said. Over time, the sponge in the seats of the soaking car will harden, and the electrical appliances will slowly oxidize, leading to malfunctions.

Luo Lei also holds the same view, stating that as long as it is a flooded car, there will be safety hazards. Even vehicles that are submerged in water at a low position may generate incorrect signals and become a safety hazard when the water passes through the sensing components of the brake system. In addition, there are many high-tech applications in cars nowadays, such as safety aids, navigation equipment, etc. After being immersed in water, the reliability of electronic components will be greatly reduced. If not all parts are replaced during repair, there will be a safety hazard.

How to identify a water scooter? Luo Lei pointed out that second-hand cars will undergo mold and have a rotten odor after being soaked in water, especially the adhesive part. In addition, you can also check if there are any watermarks or mud on the interior. If there are, there is no doubt that it is a flooded car.

Huang Shuai also introduced that vehicles can be identified by checking insurance. "If the soaked car has taken out insurance, you can check it through insurance information. If it is repaired at your own expense, third-party inspection companies or second-hand car inspectors can see it. After dismantling and drying the soaked car, all seat screws will have loose marks, which can be seen," said Huang Shuai.

Luo Lei said that currently, most car dealers will clearly inform consumers whether the vehicle is a water soaked car. Otherwise, once consumers detect or prove through certain evidence that the car was soaked in water before purchase, the merchant will bear corresponding legal responsibilities. If you find a used car soaked after purchasing it, you need to retain relevant evidence from the original transaction, especially recordings, videos, and signed contracts, and use legal means to protect your rights.

For consumers who plan to purchase used cars in the near future, Luo Lei directly suggests, "Non professionals should not buy such flooded cars."