Hello. Are there any Volvo Mechanics that can advise me. There are a few 2016,2017 XC90 on copart that have a water line on the door. There from Texas. The vehicles got water inside about 1 foot. Are the cars worth buying or are they shot. Thank you for your time and Information.

 

I would avoid almost any flood car.

 

Here is the issue. If it was fresh water then the key is how quickly it was out of the water. If the car sat for a sufficient time then the electronics probably got wet. If that happened then their failure is probably predictable. So how high the water got inside is the issue. The engine should be ok. If just the floor of the interior got wet most of the electronics are in the dash other than seat controls etcetera. It is really hard to test. If it works now no certainty it will work in six months. If the water was salt water then you would be taking a really big chance. Salt is evil when it comes to electronics. If connectors became wet then the salt is there. When the humidity builds so will the flow of salts occur. They kill electronics. So the key is to verify how high the water was inside the vehicle. If you can figure that out then you might have a chance. Most likely these cars will be treated as salvage vehicles. Technically a salvaged vehicle no longer must be covered by a manufactures warranty. So if Volvo finds out it is a salvage car they won't cover anything. The car is no longer their responsibility. That is the downside. Having said that, I recall purchasing a Jeep Wrangler that had been stolen and repaired to new. It was a salvaged title. Auto Club insured it and would replace it with a non salvaged car if it was destroyed in an accident. They took a look at it before insuring the car. However, Jeep did not have to repair under warranty. A lot of the new Volvo is electronics and sensors. So it is not longer a simple Jeep.