Used cars from Germany, which were flooded during the floods in the summer months of last year, have started to be sold on the Czech market in recent weeks. Sellers are making tens of thousands of crowns on them. The company, Cebia, which deals with verifying the origin of the cars, said in a press release.
“In recent weeks, we have seen cars in our Autotracer vetting system after an insurance claim that the insurance company assessed as a total economic loss based on damage from the summer floods. Later, these flooded vehicles were advertised as already repaired on Czech advertising portals, “said Cebia director Martin Pajer.
Pajer said the risk of buying such a car is increased because it does not always have to be an outright scam. Some sellers may buy an already repaired vehicle without knowing its history and offer it to customers without informing them that it has been flooded.
Delay problems
The tricky thing about flooded cars, according to Cebia, is that electronics or engine problems can come months after the vehicle has been cleaned and dried out. The most sensitive components are the electrical and emissions systems. Therefore, the company says inspection should focus on wiring harnesses and connections (connectors), especially in hard-to-reach passages and channels inside the body.
According to data from CarVertical, more than 63 percent of used cars are imported to the Czech Republic from Germany, followed by Belgium, with a share of more than six percent, and the US, with 5.5 percent. In January, used car imports into the Czech Republic increased by 30% to 13,403 passenger cars.