Truck flooded

[riven1950]

Anyone have any experience with an insurance claim on a vehicle, F150 in my case, being partially flooded in salt water.

The hurricane got mine. Water up to top of the tires, plus or minus a couple of inches. Don't think water got in the engine but horn started blasting in middle of the flood and would not quit till the battery did. Water inside under seats, don't think it made it to the seat bottoms.

I don't want the truck back. Don't think you can ever get all the salt issues out. Told the insurance company that. Of course they want it inspected by a body and dealer. Told they by time inspections are done truck is toast. Guess I will see what they say.

Anyone with a similar experience?

Thanks

[Lwiddis]

“Of course they want it inspected by a body and dealer.”

Reasonable. What is the issue?

[prichardson]

Don't accept any determination other than totaled. Find the Kelly Blue Book value and use that to determine if they place the proper value on it.

[Grit_dog]

Drive it into fresh water for a nice flush?
Sorry, tongue in cheek...
I'd first see if it runs and everything works. If it appears fine, then I'd do anything I could to make sure it doesn't run and work when the appraiser shows up! (Not tongue in cheek) Remove ECM, soak in nice bucket of salt water and replace?

[Michelle_S]

With salt water, even if they flush everything and get it running, the first rain all sorts of strange things will happen because of the remaining salt that didn't get totally removed.

[p220sigman]

You may also need to be prepared to have your own appraisal done. Depending on the value of the truck, insurance companies will sometimes total a vehicle, but undervalue it on the pay-out.

[harryjr]

I had a friend who serviced fd pagers. When someone called and said they dropped their pager into water he'd ask, "Toilet (ie. fresh water)? Bring it in and I'll look at it. Ocean (ie. salt water)? Who do I bill the new pager to?"

Either way I'd consider the truck totaled. Remember the adjusters don't pay out of their own pocket, but I've been told they have a monthly budget and if they routinely exceed their budget, it's reflected in their job performance reviews. Don't let the adjuster bully you just to get a gold star at his next review.

[Tyler0215]

Don't clean or move the truck before the inspection. It's probably totaled if water got into the computers.

[dodge_guy]

If it got up inside the car, even just the carpet, it’s totaled. No questions. And since the horn started to go off, it got into the electronics.

Bottom line, it’s done!