So Your Car Got Flooded. Now What?
Look, I get it. You’re staring at a car thats been sitting in water and you’re wondering if its even worth anything anymore. Maybe it was the last storm that came through, or your basement flooded and took the garage with it. Either way – you’ve got a vehicle that probably smells like a wet dog and wont start.
Here’s the thing most people dont realize about flood damaged cars in Massachusetts: they’re actually worth more than you’d think. Not to drive, obviously. But the parts? The metal? There’s real value there.
Why Flooded Vehicles Still Have Value
Ever tried selling a flood car to a dealership? Yeah, it’s not fun. They’ll lowball you something fierce – like $200 for a car that’s worth way more in parts alone.
We see this all the time, especially after those Nor’easters roll through. Someone calls us up thinking their 2017 Honda Accord is basically worthless because it sat in 3 feet of water. But here’s what they dont know: the engine block, transmission, wheels, and body panels might be perfectly fine. Water damage is wierd like that – it’s selective about what it destroys.
Last month we picked up a flood-damaged Camry from a guy in Lowell. He was shocked when we offered him $1,847 for it. The dealership down the street had offered him $350. Big difference, right?
The Insurance Angle Nobody Talks About
Quick thing – if your car got flooded and you’ve already dealt with insurance, you might still be able to sell the salvage. A lot of folks think once insurance writes it off, that’s it. Not true. You can usually buy back the salvage from your insurance company for a few hundred bucks, then sell it to us for more. It’s a little complicated but we can walk you through it if you call.
What Makes a Flooded Car Worth More (or Less)
Alright so here’s the breakdown. And honestly, this probably applies to most flood situations in the Boston area and beyond:
- Salt water vs fresh water – salt water is way worse. If your car sat in ocean water during a coastal flood, thats going to eat through everything. Fresh water damage from rain flooding? Much more salvageable.
- How long it sat – a car that was underwater for 20 minutes is very different from one that marinated for 3 days
- Water level – up to the floorboards? Probably fine. Up to the dashboard? That’s gonna be rough.
- Year and make – newer vehicles with more electronics get wrecked faster. A 2008 truck handles water better than a 2022 sedan, ironically
The Process (It’s Actually Pretty Simple)
We’re not going to make you jump through hoops. Here’s how it works:
You call or fill out the form online. Tell us what happened – when it flooded, how bad, what kind of car. Be honest about the condition, we’re gonna see it anyway. Then we give you a quote, usually same day. If the numbers work for you, we schedule pickup. Could be tomorrow, could be this afternoon if you’re in a rush.
And yeah, we handle the towing. Free. You dont have to figure out how to get a car that wont start to us – that’s our problem.
Common Questions About Selling Flood Damaged Cars
Do I need the title?
Preferably, yes. But if you can’t find it, Massachusetts lets you get a duplicate from the RMV pretty quick. Usually takes about a week. We can also work with you on this – its not a dealbreaker.
What if the car is literally still in water?
We’ve dealt with this more than you’d think. As long as we can physically get to the vehicle with our tow equipment, we can make it work. Had a situation last spring where a guy’s car was half-submerged in his backyard after the Merrimack overflowed… we figured it out.
Will you buy ANY flooded car?
Mostly, yeah. There’s some exceptions – if its been sitting so long that it’s basically rusted through, or if there’s major structural damage on top of the water damage. But honestly, even then we can usually offer something. Scrap metal prices are pretty solid right now.
How fast can you pick it up?
Usually within 24-48 hours, sometimes same day depending on where you are. We cover pretty much all of Massachusetts, especially the greater Boston area. If you’re way out in western Mass it might take a day longer to coordinate.
Why We’re Different From Those “We Buy Any Car” Places
Look, I’m not gonna trash talk the competition too much. But those national chains? They have to go through a whole corporate approval process. You call them, they give you a quote that’s “subject to inspection”, then the inspector shows up and suddenly your quote dropped by $400 because of some technicality.
We’re local. We know what flood damage actually looks like in New England – the mud season flooding, the coastal storms, the occasional hurricane remnant that dumps 6 inches of rain overnight. And because we do our own parts resale and scrap processing, we can usually pay more than the big guys.
Anyway, back to the point – if you’ve got a flooded car taking up space in your driveway and you want it gone, give us a shout. We’ll give you a straight answer on what its worth, no games.
“Had my Civic flood during that big storm in October. Called three places and Junkar gave me the best offer by far. $1,250 and they picked it up the next morning. Super easy.” – Mike T., Somerville
Ready to get a quote? Contact us today or check out how our process works. We also buy other types of junk vehicles if you’ve got more than one to get rid of.
