Local car dealership warns flood damaged cars are potentially heading to sale

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- If you're in the market for a used car right now, listen up! New warnings are coming in, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

A warning, issued by the Indiana Attorney General, that used car lots may have some flood damaged cars, sent up from the storm-ravaged regions.

"People can be bringing them up from the South, from Texas and Florida, with a lot of damage that might not be easily noticed at first," says Steve Huddleston, the General Manager of Header's Auto Sales in Mishawaka. "And then, [they're] selling them to people who might not know any better."

It's a scary reality.

"It's kind of a scary thing when you think about it. People trying to pull something on other people," says Huddleston. 

What's worse, he adds, is that the damage may not be so apparent.

"They might blow out the engines or clear out the fuel line so that it's running right," explains Huddleston. "And then, before the rust sets in, they might ship it up here."

Huddleston says, it's a good idea to check for rust on the seat tracks and seat belt buckles. 

He advises that people should always check vehicle histories, for any insurance claims.

But another red flag, is taking note of where the car was located previously, just in case it was in a region during a storm.

The best thing people can do? Get cars checked out.

"We always recommend to our customers to get the vehicle checked out, so that you're comfortable with the purchase," he explains. "But now, more than ever, it's probably a really good idea to go to a service tech you trust and have him check it out."