Flood, fire and crash damage warning signs for used car buyers

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Used cars can hide flood, fire, crash or theft damage that is not obvious. Consumer Reports outlines warning signs to help buyers spot trouble early

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Used cars carry a higher risk than in past years of hiding damage from floods, crashes, fires or theft. More frequent storms, millions of crashes each year and tighter used-car inventory all raise the odds that a damaged vehicle ends up back on a dealer's lot without full disclosure.

Consumer Reports outlined the warning signs for flood, crash, fire and theft damage, so used-car shoppers know what to check before signing anything.