Water damage - 2000 Hyundai Sonata

Call your insurance agent and start looking for a new car. If electrical got wet, more problems will show up over the next few months as connector corrode, etc.

Agreed. Insurance companies routinely total out flood damaged cars for this very reason.

Can anyone suggest how much this car can sell for (*as* a water damaged car). The car does not run but is definitely good for parts or if someone can fix it. I am looking to sell it to an auto-repair-shop- kind-of place. The car has never had any engine or mechanical trouble. Has 96K miles on it. The water did not rise upto battery or engine level. So at the most components attached to the chassis of the car can be considered ruined. I am just looking for a ballpark number so that I can negotiate with someone. Thanks.

-mm

About $100

No auto repair facility is going to touch that car. For one, they seldom use used parts in most repairs and with almost 100K on it, it's about a guarantee that no one will want to touch it. If you could get a couple of hundred for it I'd be surprised. If you can - I'd sure take it.

If you have comprehensive insurance on the car, then turn it in to the insurance company. It may not have a lot of value by the book, but that's probably the best deal you're going to come across.

The other thing you can do is part out the car. That's probably the most profitable route, but it's also the slowest route to financial freedom. An engine and a tranny for a car with that kind of mileage can go for $200 each, on up - depending on what part of the country you're in. Doors that have zero rust on them might be worth $50 apiece. Same with hood and trunk deck. It's hard to sell parts on your own, but if you can afford to wait on the people that need the parts, it's probably the most money you'll get out of the car.

You could see if the local Fire Department wants to use it for extradition training. You could assign some reasonable value to it, and get them to sign off on it - hey it's worth what it's worth to them - and you get about 25% of whatever value that you can agree upon as a reduction in income. It doesn't wind up back on the road, and it serves a purpose.