A few years ago, Cars.com discovered Mississippi has more title-washed used cars than any other state, and by a wide margin! As many as 1 out of every 45 used cars here has been title-washed.
Title washing is a dishonest tactic where someone takes a car with a salvage title (or in this case, a flood title), and sends it to another state to be issued a new title that doesn't mention the prior damage. It looks like a clean-titled car, but it is hiding severe problems.
After Hurricane Harvey shook up the coast of Texas, we can expect to see many used vehicles damaged by the floods arrive in the Oxford area. Not all of them will be honest about the presence of flood damage on their titles.
To protect yourself:
- Always check vehicle history reports, like CarFax and AutoCheck
- Check the vehicle's identification number on VINCheck, a free service by the National Insurance Crime Bureau
- Perform a thorough inspection, checking the car for signs of flood damage
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