Great Video Cars Damaged From Katrina Now Flooding California

[Guest guest]

Cars Damaged From Katrina Now Flooding California

Damaged Cars Have Become Major Public Health Concern

POSTED: 8:18 pm PST March 24, 2006

UPDATED: 8:34 pm PST March 24, 2006

http://www.10news.com/news/8243572/detail.html

SAN DIEGO -- Cars damaged by Hurricane Katrina are now flooding

southern California, 10News reported.

10News investigative reporter Thom Jensen reported that these so-

called " Katrina cars " have become a major public health concern.

It's estimated as many as 600,000 cars damaged during hurricanes in

the Gulf states are now back in circulation. Some are already on the

roads with new owners, and others are still for sale, 10News

reported.

They are cars that are much more than just mechanical and electrical

hazards, and many may actually carry diseases.

State officials are keeping their eyes on auction yards across

California packed with used cars.

" We've told the insurance companies if there's been flood damage,

you'd better be darn sure those cars don't end up back on the

streets, " said Garamendi, with the California Department of

Insurance.

A warning was issued by the state after it was discovered a 500,000

cars flooded by Hurricane Katrina are being sold as perfectly good

cars.

But Katrina cars have already been discovered in California.

10News became suspicious about a 2001 Toyota Sequioa in National

City.

It was decked out with all of the amenities but was covered in rust

from the top of the engine to the bottom of the frame and filled

with odors of mold and mildew.

Jensen: " Is it a Katrina car? "

Auto Access owner Bahar Nemetulla: " It's not a Katrina car. I told

you. "

Jensen: " How you do know if you don't know what state it's from? "

A day later, Nemetulla came up with a title for the SUV.

" I showed you all of the documents and the title -- everything. It's

not a Katrina car, " said Nemetulla.

Nemetulla did show 10News documents, showing the car was titled less

than three months ago in Michigan.

10News did its own research on the Toyota on Carfax -- an online

service that checks a vehicle's background.

It showed the Sequioa was a fleet vehicle in Ohio -- possibly a

rental car.

Was it damaged in New Orleans or another Gulf Coast state and then

sent back to the Midwest where the title was washed?

Or was it sent to another state and cleaned of history of damage?

It's not just the dangers of cars breaking down on a busy freeway or

the air bags and brakes failing when you need them most.

What the car sat in is more dangerous than a breakdown.

The Katrina cars are considered toxic, 10News reported.

" They can kill you with the bacteria, with the toxic mold, " said

Rosemary Shahan, with Consumers For Automobile Reliability And

Safety.

Area mechanics are also on the lookout, worried about their health

and that of customers.

" Certainly that water is going to have a real potpourri of germs in

it, " said Greg , with Greg's Automotive.

A Mississippi firefighter died from infection just days after

cutting himself on a Katrina car, 10News reported.

Insurance companies fought efforts to destroy the cars and won, so

the Katrina cars are flooding the country.

There's no proof insurance companies are washing Katrina car titles

to hide their histories, but they have been caught washing titles

before, 10News reported.

Last year, State Farm was caught concealing more than 32,000 cars

that were supposed to be totaled but instead were repaired and put

back on the roads registered as clean cars that were never wrecked.

For more information on this issue, click here.

Previous Story:

March 23, 2006: 10News Goes Looking For Katrina Cars At Local