Why does nobody talk about checking junkyard VINs before you pull parts

I was at Pull-A-Part in Phoenix last Saturday grabbing a alternator for my 94 F-150. Got it home, bolted it up, and the thing was DOA because it came from a salvage title truck that was flooded. Now I ALWAYS check the VIN on the junkyard's app to see why the donor car ended up there before I even grab a wrench. Has anyone else gotten burned by parts from wrecked flood cars or am I just the unlucky guy?

2 comments

2 Comments

king.lisa15d ago

You got burned the same way I did a few years back with a starter from a flood car. Now I run the VIN through a free history check on my phone before I touch anything. Most of the yards around here let you look up the vehicle info on their website or app before you even go out to the yard. Flood damage is the worst because the water gets into everything and the corrosion shows up later, not always right away. I also look for any signs of water line marks inside the car, like a dirt line on the door panels or rust on the seat tracks. Better to spend an extra five minutes checking than waste a whole afternoon swapping parts that are junk anyway.

haydenp9515d ago

Flood damage is the worst because the water gets into everything" - yeah that's the truth. I read somewhere that flood cars can have hidden corrosion in wiring harnesses for years after they dry out. Even if the part works now it might crap out later.