Vehicles that have been flooded and sent by insurance companies for repair cannot be repaired to make them safe. Vehicles that are rated as “total cars” end up at auctions and will one day be on the roads again, warn dealers and servicemen at the GZS.
Authorized car repair shops are faced with cases of assessing damage to vehicles that were flooded in this year’s catastrophic floods. They are dealing with a number of vehicles in which water also entered the passenger cabin and a large part of the engine part of the vehicle was covered with water.
“Here, experts in the car service industry point out that, according to the rules of the industry, many vehicles cannot be repaired in such a way that they can be safely included in further traffic. In most cases, the damage caused cannot be undone,” they announced from the Chamber of Commerce, within which the section of authorized dealers and repairers with motor vehicles at the GZS operates.
They also warn that they have no influence on the assessment of damage to the vehicle, so the supervisory institutions warned of the consequences of ordering repairs to vehicles that are not suitable for repair from the point of view of reliability and safety. At the same time, they also highlight cases when the insurance company calculates the economic full damage (i.e. total) during the damage assessment, whereby the owner of the damaged vehicle is assessed a certain amount of compensation and such vehicle is sold at a public auction. “The car service industry warns that vehicles from public auctions will one day hit the roads again after many are repaired in ‘garage workshops’‘,” they stated.
All those who have had flooded vehicles are recommended to follow the explanations of the Insurance Supervision Agency (AZN) when claiming damage to their vehicles. They should carefully review the insurance company’s decision regarding the amount and method of eliminating the damage, and if they think it is not appropriate, they should use the option of appealing according to the procedure provided for in the Insurance Act. If they believe that there is deception or unfair business practice in the handling of the claim, they should contact the market inspectorate for help.
They also warn that many vehicles that were flooded should never be put on the road again for safety reasons. “Water that has entered the vehicle affects the entire vehicle and causes various defects even after the vehicle has been completely dried and repaired. Even more damage is caused by flood water, because in addition to mud, it also brings other dirt and fecal sewage into the vehicle. In the case of vehicles that have come into contact with water above the level of the seat, the reliability of pyrotechnic safety belts and airbags is highly questionable, even after the repair has been carried out, and unplanned deployments may also occur.,” they wrote, adding that uncontrolled behavior of electronics or sensitive sensors is also possible (e.g. electric hand brakes, automatics for controlling the direction of the vehicle, automatics for automatic emergency braking).
“It is undeniable that moisture spreads to all wiring in the event of water intrusion into the vehicle and causes damage to the components installed in the vehicle (engine, starter, brakes, catalytic converter, electrical system,” they emphasized.
Source: Rtvslo
