Flood damage title brand
A title brand showing a vehicle was damaged by flood water, which can hide electrical and safety problems.
A flood damage brand marks a title to show the vehicle was submerged or damaged by water. Depending on the state it may read “flood,” “water damage,” or appear as a salvage brand with a flood code. Flood water can corrode electrical systems, sensors and airbag components long after a car looks clean.
If you’re selling a flood-damaged car, disclose it. Most such cars end up with junkyards or parts recyclers, and a hidden flood history can lead to fraud claims.
Pennsylvania’s salvage application includes a checkbox for flood total losses; the resulting salvage certificate is branded with a “W.”1 The Department of Justice describes how flooded cars from Hurricane Katrina were moved to states that do not brand flood vehicles and sold to buyers who did not know that saltwater had made their electrical systems, including airbag sensors, more prone to failure.2
References
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Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, “Application for Nonrepairable or Salvage Certificate” (Form MV-6), https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/penndot/documents/public/dvspubsforms/bmv/bmv-forms/mv-6.pdf ↩
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U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, “For Consumers” (NMVTIS), https://vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov/nmvtis_consumers ↩