AAA Responds to Sandy, Helps Members in Aftermath

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, AAA Mid-Atlantic is actively working throughout our service area to provide AAA members with safe, prompt and efficient service in a variety of ways. Despite roadway closures and areas that were off limits for safety reasons, AAA Mid-Atlantic responded to more than 19,600 calls in our New Jersey service area since the storm, an increase of 16% compared to the same time period last year.
While the prolonged recovery has presented numerous challenges that have made roadside service delivery very difficult, if not impossible in some situations, AAA is doing everything we can to serve our members needs and that includes AAA Insurance.
“AAA is awed by the resilience and hope demonstrated by our members,” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “We are available and ready to respond to our members’ needs during this challenging time.”
AAA Insurance stationed a Catastrophe Response Trailer in Monmouth County to assist with relief efforts and did so by providing hot meals and care packages to those in need. To date AAA has received 2,048 homeowner’s insurance claims and 625 auto insurance claims in New Jersey.
Flooded cars accounted for the majority of auto insurance claims but not all were total losses. AAA Mid-Atlantic warns potential car buyers that flood-damaged vehicles may soon be making their way to used car dealers throughout our region and across the country for resale.
Flood-damaged vehicles can be shipped anywhere for resale, and they often continue to appear in the marketplace for up to a year after a major flood. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, vehicles that were flood-damaged in the hurricane affected areas were shipped throughout the United States for sale as both new and used cars. Unfortunately, consumers may not have known that the vehicles had been subjected to a flood that made the vehicles’ electrical systems more prone to failure, its metal parts to rust or fabric to mildew.
AAA Tips…How to Spot a Flood-Damaged Vehicle:
• Engage your sense of smell – are there any damp or musty odors inside the vehicle?
• Has the carpet or upholstery been replaced or recently shampooed? Pull back the carpet at different areas and look for mud, dirt or signs of water stains.
• Look under the vehicle for corrosion. It is uncommon to find corrosion in newer vehicles and those that are owned or sold in southern states.
• Open all doors, hood, and trunk to inspect for corrosion, mud and dirt or discoloration on the door frames, hinges and under the weather stripping. Pay special attention to small spaces and crevices that are difficult to clean, and inspect the dashboard underside for signs of mud and dirt.
• Check all warning lights, window motors, and all electrical components to ensure they are working properly. While a non-working part alone does not mean the vehicle was flooded, it combined with other difficulties is a cause for concern.
• Obtain a CARFAX Vehicle History Report – This report can potentially reveal if the vehicle has been involved in a flood, major accident, fire, or uncover odometer fraud (but does not apply if the VIN has been cloned).
• Always have the vehicle inspected by a quality repair facility prior to purchasing. AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities are located across the United States. Nearby locations can be found at AAA.com/Repair.
If a car has been completely submerged, extensive disassembly may be needed for a thorough cleaning. Many parts of a car are difficult to clean and dry because they are hard to access. Door locks, window mechanisms, wiring harnesses, heating and air conditioning components and many other small devices are tucked away in hidden spaces. Initially, these items may operate properly following a flood only to fail at a later date due to contamination.
Electrical systems are particularly vulnerable to flood water damage. Engine computers, sensors and other electrical devices can sometimes be salvaged but unless they are thoroughly cleaned and dried, problems caused by corrosion may occur months after the flood.
“You never want water inside a vehicle but that’s only part of the problem,” noted Noble. “Abrasive dirt, sand and contaminants can also cause major damage, working its way into every seam and crevice of a vehicle.”
In an effort to prevent flood-damaged vehicle histories from being “washed” when the vehicle travels from one state to another, the United States Department of Justice created the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) that links state motor vehicle departments together. NMVTIS, operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, is key weapon in protecting consumers from title fraud.
Nationally, 32 states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and the District of Columbia, both enter vehicle history data and also query the NMVTIS system before issuing new titles. Additionally, 8 states including Maryland provide data into the system but do not make title inquiries before new titles are issued. When all 50 states are fully on board with NMVTIS, it will become extremely difficult to “wash” a vehicle title to remove a flood or salvage designation when a vehicle is registered and sold in another state.
The objective of NMVTIS is to prevent cloning a “clean” or legal VIN number from one state onto a stolen or salvaged vehicle of the same make and model in a different state. A VIN plate with the cloned new identification number is then placed on the vehicle and, when matched with false ownership documents, it can be registered and then sold to an unsuspecting buyer.
“Consumers should always have a used vehicle inspected by a quality repair facility prior to purchasing,” says Noble. “In the case of a cloned stolen vehicle, check to see if the dashboard VIN plate has been tampered with and have your trusted mechanic look at the hard to find VIN markings elsewhere on the vehicle to make sure they are the same as the plate on the dashboard.”