"Avoid Used Cars for Now"…Anxious Consumers Amid 'Chimsucha Warning'

Start of Full Monsoon Season... Vehicle Flood Damage Across Seoul Metropolitan Area
Over 100 Vehicles Submerged at a Used Car Market in Suwon
"Avoid Used Cars for Now"... Consumer Anxiety Spreads
Some Prepare 'Flooded Car Identification' Self-Help Measures
Experts Urge "Government to Confirm Physical Scrapping of Fully Flooded Vehicles"

On the morning of the 0th, heavy rain exceeding 50mm per hour poured down in the southern Gyeonggi region, causing continuous damage such as road flooding and fallen street trees. The photo shows the flooded used car complex in Suwon. Photo by a reader, Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] As heavy summer rains pour down, concerns among consumers planning to purchase used cars are growing. This is because some unscrupulous used car dealers disguise flood-damaged cars as regular vehicles and sell them. As a self-help measure, consumers have started sharing 'ways to identify flood-damaged cars.' Experts emphasize that the responsibility to check for flood damage should not be shifted to consumers and stress the urgent need for government policies to prevent the illegal distribution of flood-damaged cars.

On the 30th, with the start of the full rainy season, heavy rains fell across the country. In particular, some areas experienced very heavy rainfall exceeding 80mm per hour, causing numerous cases of road and vehicle flooding.

In Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, where 50mm of rain fell per hour, about 100 vehicles in a used car sales complex were submerged. Due to the sudden rise in water, about half of the vehicle bodies, including the hoods, were submerged.

Such vehicle flooding damage is concentrated in July and August, when localized heavy rains frequently occur. According to the Korea Insurance Development Institute last year, in 2020, there were 21,194 cases of flood damage caused by the rainy season and typhoons such as Bavi, Maysak, and Haishen. The estimated damage amounted to 115.7 billion KRW.

As news spread that used cars were flooded due to heavy rain, concerns among consumers planning to buy used cars increased. Various online communities were flooded with posts such as "Avoid used cars for the time being" and "Flood-damaged car warning issued."

Due to the influence of the monsoon front, a heavy rain warning was issued for the Seoul metropolitan area on the 30th, and a vehicle near Jeungsan Bridge in Seoul is creating a spray of water. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Consumers' concerns stem from distrust of the used car market. This is because some unscrupulous used car dealers may illegally distribute flood-damaged cars disguised as regular vehicles. According to the Korea Consumer Agency in 2020, the number of consultations regarding flood-damaged vehicle purchase damages over the past four years was 118 cases in 2019. The numbers were 241 in 2016, 263 in 2017, 193 in 2018, and 118 in 2019, showing a steady increase in related damages each year.

As a result, voices urging caution when purchasing used cars during the rainy season have emerged. It is advised to suspect flood damage if a vehicle is priced unusually low compared to the market and to use the Korea Insurance Development Institute's Car History 'Free Flood Accident Inquiry' service to check whether the used vehicle has received insurance compensation for flood damage. Other methods include ▲ pulling the seatbelt to check for stains and moisture ▲ checking if the fuse box inside the engine room has been replaced ▲ inspecting the seats.

However, there is a problem that flood damage cannot be confirmed through Car History if the damage was not reported to the insurance company. Also, corrosion caused by flooding starts inside the vehicle body, making it difficult for ordinary people to distinguish. Recently, as many vehicles are equipped with electronic devices, even if repaired, malfunctions may occur, which is directly related to safety issues.

As cases of illegal distribution of flood-damaged cars increase, avoiding flood-damaged cars has become the best method from the consumer's perspective. Consumers have shared 'ways to identify flood-damaged cars' as a self-help measure or advised not to buy used cars after the rainy season or in areas affected by heavy rain. However, since it is unknown when and where flood-damaged cars will be distributed, this cannot be a definitive solution.

Experts point out that the government bears the greatest responsibility for managing flood-damaged cars. Professor Kim Pil-su of Daelim University's Department of Future Automotive Studies said, "Thousands of flood-damaged cars occur every year, and the problem of selling them disguised as regular cars repeats annually. This is actually a problem that the government should solve, but currently, the responsibility to check for flooding is left to consumers." He added, "For completely flooded vehicles, it is appropriate to physically scrap them. Currently, they are deregistered on paper and then sold, which leads to a vicious cycle of illegal distribution without proper maintenance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.