CARFAX offers a free way to check if a vehicle has been reported as flood-damaged before you make a purchase. Go to CARFAX.com/flood and enter the VIN and your email address. CARFAX will send you a notification about whether it is flood damaged.

Vehicles damaged by Helene could soon end up for sale at metro Atlanta used car dealerships. Often cars with lasting damage get shipped many states away to unsuspecting buyers. They can be cleaned up and made to look good but with major problems lurking under the hood.

Legally, cars affected by floods must disclose so on their records. But some car owners manage to hide water damage. Here's how to tell.

When vehicles are damaged by severe storms or floodwaters, they don’t always end up in a junkyard. Some of them end up on a used car lot without all of the needed repairs. “Scammers will often take cars from regions that have been flooded,