My fathers HDJ101K VX limited land cruiser got flooded that it reached inside our seats. engine model is 1HD-FTE. so im asking for your help. What should we do first in car? It already has stains on it outside and on the headlights including tailights. Do you think this would cost a large amount to fix? please advice :( thanks
Cars & Trucks - Toyota - Land Cruiser
Answers & Comments
Water damage to a vehicle is much more than just appearances. Typically, if a car is flooded to the point that it gets inside the vehicle, it is considered a total loss. If in the US, his insurance may cover it under the Comprehensive policy.
The problems are two-fold:
1. You will never get the moisture out from under all the carpets and in the frame rails. It will rust much more quickly, because these places were not designed to be rust proof.
2. More importantly, there are so many electronics in a car, and they are hidden in all sorts of unexpected places. Body control modules that control the lights, engine control modules that control the engine, dash control modules that control the dash - the list is endless, and all are damaged by water.
The damage is not always immediately evident either. Like the interior parts not designed to be rust free, the internal electronics will also begin to rust or corrode, and what works today may not work tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Eventually, all flood damaged vehicles are besot with gremlins. Saltwater gremlins usually appear within weeks, freshwater gremlins within years.