August 2, 2022—Historic flooding in the St. Louis, Missouri, area has led to many cars faced with damages that, in some cases, cannot be fixed.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, hundreds of cars have been flooded.
Richard Cox, owner of Danmark Tire and Auto, has had to evaluate some of these flooded vehicles that are being brought in with the hope of repair. Unfortunately, he has discovered that some are beyond saving.
“I’ve always had bad experiences with cars that have been in a flood. All the wiring’s going to rust. Everything is going to rust in the car,” Cox said in the article.
Greg Damon, company manager of Sparks Tire and Auto in St Charles, said that some vehicles are able to squeak by without being deemed as totaled. If the water doesn’t go more than halfway up the tires, he said that the vehicle should be relatively safe from costly repairs.
“When you get higher than that, it starts destroying electronics — underneath the dash, underneath the seats, in the heating and air conditioning, the computer, any number of things.” Damon said in the article.
Damon has been cautioning drivers not to drive in any water at all, seeing as the depth can often be difficult to determine. He also noted that, even though some vehicles can run after being exposed to flood damage, the impact of mold later down the line could damage the vehicle along with potential corrosion issues.
Towing companies have been understandably busy due to the flooding as well. Brian Seiber, owner of Tactical Towing and Recovery in Belleville, said that he actually had to turn down business due to the uptick in calls.
