Hurricane Helene left as many as 138,000 vehicles flood damaged after it tore through at least six states, CARFAX estimates. Floodwaters swamped communities in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. That's on top of the estimated up to 89,000 vehicles already hit with water damage so far this year, according to CARFAX estimates. Thousands of these flood damaged cars will be up for sale within weeks, cleaned up by potential scammers to be sold nearby, or thousands of miles away from the original incident.

"After cleaning up the cars and moving them across the country, these scammers will try to lure unsuspecting buyers into thinking they're getting a great deal," said Faisal Hasan, Vice President for Data at CARFAX. "These cars may look showroom fresh, but they're literally rotting from the inside out." Floodwater can cause costly mechanical and electrical issues and pose risks to health and safety.

CARFAX estimates these six states have the most water-damaged vehicles due to Helene:

1. Florida 60,700

2. South Carolina 27,500

3. North Carolina 22,900

4. Georgia 16,800

5. Tennessee 4,900

6. Virginia 4,900

Consumers looking to purchase a used car who want to avoid flood-damaged vehicles should do three things:

1. Use the free CARFAX Flood Check® tool at carfax.com/flood.

2. Inspect the car, looking for these 7 signs of flooding:

   • Damp carpets

   • A musty odor inside, sometimes covered up with a strong air-freshener

   • Upholstery or carpeting that may be loose, new, stained or mismatched

   • Rust around doors, under the dash, on pedals or in hood and trunk latches

   • Mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats

   • Brittle wires under the dashboard

   • Fog or moisture in interior lights, exterior lights or on the instrument panel

3. And have a trusted mechanic inspect the car and take it for a test drive.