My Car Got Flooded. Now What?

AAA Offers Tips for Car Care and Insurance Claims

As too many drivers across Greater Hartford learned last evening, driving your vehicle through a flooded roadway can be both dangerous and expensive. 

“Driving through a flooded intersection or roadway is putting yourself, your passengers and anyone who then must come to your rescue at unnecessary risk”, says Amy Parmenter, spokesperson for AAA in Greater Hartford. “Even if you make it through, the damage to your car could be costly”.

AAA in Greater Hartford recieved about a 100 calls during the height of the flooding Wednesday night, though it is unclear whether all those calls were specifically flood-related.

Depending on the vehicle year, make and model, the cost of repairing flood damage can easily exceed a car’s value. When dealing with an automobile that has been in a flood, the first step should be to contact your insurance company (provided you have comprehensive coverage) for help in determining the best course of action. Do NOT drive your vehicle if there is a possibility that water damage has impacted brakes or other components that would render it unsafe. 

Flooded roads may also damage your car by:

• Flood your engine
• Warp brake rotors
• Cause loss of power steering
• Cause shorts in electrical components

Mechanical components, computer systems, engine, transmission, axles, brake system and fuel system impacted by water contamination may render the vehicle unfit to drive and in many cases vehicles sustaining significant water damage will be determined to be a total loss. 

AAA encourages any drivers with flood-damaged vehicles to find a trusted mechanic at any one of our AAA-Approved Auto Repair centers across the state. Here’s a list of AAA-Approved Repair facilities. 

Is flood damage to my car covered by Insurance?

Becoming stranded in flood waters may be much more than just an inconvenience, it could represent a significant expense. Damage caused by floodwaters is only covered for drivers who have the OPTIONAL comprehensive portion of an auto policy.

AAA Tips on Auto Insurance Claims:

• Any vehicle sustaining flood damage should be fully inspected before being allowed back on the road.
• Physical damage to a car caused by flooding is covered under the optional comprehensive portion of an auto policy.
• Car owners should contact their insurance company to determine the extent of coverage before seeking repairs.
• Take photographs of any visible damage.

Follow us on Twitter: @AAAHartfordNews