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Old 30th August 2012, 11:26   #1
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Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

Hi Friends,

Just got some information regarding availability of about 20 flood ridden Honda cars in MP region.

This is only for the inner circle so cant share too many details.

Cars - civic , city & Jazz

Price - 1/3rd

Status - working but with Soggy interiors and potentially few scratches here and there

Is it worth taking a risk buying such a car? I have a sparingly used alto and am planning to sell it and buy a Jazz

Has anyone bought such cars in the past? Please help!!
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:30   #2
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

I guess you should skip this deal . Offering the car at a third of its price itself undelines the risk in the deal.


Cheers!

Last edited by volkman10 : 30th August 2012 at 11:32.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:39   #3
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

This can be a lucky deal or the most unlucky deal, only time will tell and that is the problem.

If you are lucky enough, you get a vehicle which is as new as it is and for 1/3rd of the price.

If you are unlucky, you get a vehicle at 1/3rd price, then spend 2/3rd on getting it working over a period of time, numerous garage visits and still underconfident about the vehicle (read lack of peace of mind).

Decision is a no-brainer.

I would have picked up this deal only if i was in travel business.

Last edited by rajeshchand : 30th August 2012 at 11:56.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:41   #4
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

1/3rd price sounds too tempting but the risk is also big to buy such a car.
I assume they won't be offering any warranty on the car.
You should consider the expenses that you would have to shell out if many major part goes wrong.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:41   #5
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

Will Honda offer standard and extended warranty on these vehicles, if so then it can be thought of as long as the structural integrity is intact. If not, forget about the option. Better buy a new one for that peace of mind.

I guess Honda is trying to push off these flood ridden vehicles in the Tier 3 cities where they would find some gullible customers.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:42   #6
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

Quote:
Originally Posted by volkman10 View Post
I guess you should skip this deal . Offering the car at a third of its price itself undelines the risk in the deal.


Cheers!
I agree, its not worth it. Apart from the Soggy interiors the effect of flooding might start showing in the long run, plus for me I think that the interiors of the car hold an important part.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:45   #7
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

You should skip this deal in my opinion.

You might love the car initially but the electronics would definitely haunt you over the time.

Also the rust would be a problem due to excess water seepage.

You wouldnt want to spend even that much of your hard earned money on buying Trash.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:48   #8
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

Quote:
Originally Posted by harishnayak View Post
Hi Friends,

Just got some information regarding availability of about 20 flood ridden Honda cars in MP region.
Are these Hondas from the Thailand factory which was affected by severe flood last year?
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:51   #9
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

Buy only if you have your own car workshop where you can fix issues etc.Typically such cars are bought at cheap prices by garage owners refurbished ,fixed and sold off at higher prices to customers.Since this car was in a flood it should be considered as a car which has met with a accident and has been repaired.

Last edited by sumeethaldankar : 30th August 2012 at 11:52.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:55   #10
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

umm....short answer- NO!

Stagnant water is the single biggest enemy of a car- more than rust, the danger is to the elctronics of the car and with modern cars being so tech heavy, this is a risk not worth taking. this is especially true if some critical safety feature like ABS sensor or Airbag sensor has malfunctioned- this could be life threatening.

If budget is a constraint, you are better off going the pre-owned way or look at a segment lower.
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Old 30th August 2012, 12:09   #11
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

I would have gone and checked the cars first. If standard warranty is also offered, would take it. Also made sure that I was the first one to be there or else I would have to choose from the worst of the lot.
Check the status of the cars by taking along a trusted mechanic with me.
Single out the one with least damage and work out the costs involved in getting them revived. If its more than 50% of what you need to pay, let it go. Or else take it and drive it for a few months. If it gives trouble sell it off.
You will anyways get more than what you paid even after a year.
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Old 30th August 2012, 12:12   #12
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

When you say it is working, is it possible to test drive for a small distance say 5 km or similar. At least you could
- check the running sound, any unusual sound
- check rpm vs speed
- check ac, heater, blower speed
- check electronics (PW, PS, locks, wipers, lights, defogger, all dash lights and indicators)

If possible, tag along a Jazz owner and another couple to fiddle around with everything accessible while you drive.

At 2.5 lakhs OTR, it is sure tempting.
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Old 30th August 2012, 12:20   #13
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

I agree with Altocumulus and dipen. Dont just write it off. Have a closer and detailed look before taking any decision. It might be worth more than they are charging! Moreover, Honda is letting you know that they are flood ridden, others might have refurbished the interiors and sold it at the original price.

If you do not find a jazz owner TD a fresh Jazz and compare your experience with the offered one. You will be in a better position to decide.
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Old 30th August 2012, 12:26   #14
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

as for me i'd take it, considering the car is running means that ECM is not damaged which is the most expensive and most likely part to get damaged in a flood. get all the oils changed asap, ie engine and gear box as water can get through the breather pipes easily. check the power steering, windows and central locking. except the power steering the rest is quite cheap to fix, as EPS units are expensive. and just for your own peace of mind remove all the wire sockets spay it with WD40 and re fix it. remember to do this with the battery disconnected or you may end up with a check engine light on. as i said before if it were me i'd do it and i'll go for the civic.
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Old 30th August 2012, 12:26   #15
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re: Buying a flood hit car for cheap - Is it worth the risk?

Yes, the deal is very tempting, but it is not worth it!

The peace of mind that you get with the assurance of knowing your Alto will in all probability not break down anywhere in the middle of the road is way more worth than buying a flood ridden car and then having to worry about not knowing when your car can break down.

Imagine, you with family going on a highway trip; I can think of many situations where you would not feel comfortable or even feel scared to take the car on this trip! (Although Jazz will gobble up much more luggage than Alto )

You wouldn't want the vehicle to break down in the middle of no where, still worse - you wouldn't want some part failure while saying taking a hairpin turn or during an overtaking maneuver!

If you are too keen on Jazz, go for a pre-worshipped one.

Last edited by noopster : 30th August 2012 at 12:42. Reason: PLease don't copy paste from an external text editor
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