With Typhoon Nari leaving thousands of cars soaking in flood water, the Consumers' Foundation (
"You have to determine which parts are in disrepair ... and ask the mechanic to first issue a quotation," said Kuo Shou-sui (
According to preliminary estimates reported by automobile repair shops, up to 100,000 cars were damaged by flood waters brought by Typhoon Nari early this week.
No statistics on flood-damaged vehicles were available from the Disaster Operations Center under the Ministry of Interior.
One vehicle owner living in Hsichih said dealing with a damaged car is not only expensive but time consuming.
"It took me 10 hours to tow my vehicle from my muddy neighborhood to the repair shop, with an NT$10,000 towing payment tacked on to an estimated NT$ 170,000 repair fee. I am wondering if I should just abandon my car and keep my savings," a 28-year-old Hsichih resident surnamed Tsai told the Taipei Times yesterday.
On average, owners of flood-damaged cars will have to wait at least two weeks for repairs, Kuo said.
While most local auto repair shops offer generic auto parts, they are usually installed without any warranty, Kuo said.
The Executive Yuan's Consumer Protection Commission also warned against purchasing used cars in the coming months.
"Flood-damaged cars and parts are likely to appear in the used car market in the following months," said Wu Cheng-hsueh (
He suggested people who still want to buy a used car first ask for a "no water-damage" warranty from the dealers.
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