Car Sat in Floodwater? What to Check on Tires and Wheels

When the water was around the car, not under it

Splashing through a flooded street is one thing. Coming out after a storm to find your car parked in water up to the hubcaps, or higher, is another. The water sat there for hours, maybe days, and some of it probably got into places it was never meant to go.

This post is about that second case: a car that sat in floodwater. (If you drove through tidal water on a king tide day, our post on salt water and your wheels covers the rinse-and-watch routine instead.) We'll start with what not to do, then what to have checked on the tires, wheels and brakes, which is the part of the car we know best.

First: don't start it, don't drive it

Two pieces of guidance come before everything else:

• Don't start the engine. AAA advises against starting a car right after it has been through a flood. If water got into the engine, turning it on can cause more damage.
• Don't drive it until it's been checked. NHTSA's guidance is not to drive a flooded vehicle until a qualified technician has inspected it, because flood damage isn't always visible.

If the car has to move, have it towed.

Hybrids and EVs

NHTSA adds a specific warning for vehicles with lithium-ion batteries. Don't park a flood-damaged hybrid or EV in a garage, or within 50 feet of a house or other structure, another vehicle or anything combustible. Tell the tow operator it's an electrified vehicle that sat in floodwater.

How high did the water get?

That question shapes everything a technician will check. Look for the high-water mark on the body, and then look inside.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau lists warning signs of flood damage, including musty odors, water stains, rust, silt or mud, and moisture inside the vehicle's parts. If you find those in the cabin or the trunk, the water got in, and the car needs more than a look at its tires.

A note on insurance: we're a tire and service shop, not an insurance advisor. Your insurer and your policy are the place for coverage questions.

The tires: clean, then inspect

Floodwater isn't clean water. A technical bulletin from Mickey Thompson, a tire and wheel maker, notes that it carries oil, grease, salt and other contaminants that can damage tires. Its guidance for tires mounted on a flooded vehicle:

• Clean them with a mild soap and clean water, without a pressure washer.
• Inspect them for physical damage such as cuts, tears, holes or scrapes that could let contaminants into the tire.
• If there's damage, the bulletin says the tire should be taken out of service.

Two more things are worth checking once the water is gone:

• Pressure, cold, against the door placard. A tire that sat against debris, or on a curb hidden under the water, may have a slow leak you can't see.
• The sidewalls. A car can drift or get pushed in moving water. A bubble on the sidewall means cord damage from an impact, and it can't be repaired. Our guide to sidewall bubbles explains what to look for.

Wheels, brakes and bearings

The tires aren't the only parts that sat in the water. The wheels, brakes, wheel bearings and suspension were in it too, and they're harder to check from the driveway. We'd have a technician look at them before the car goes back to regular driving, and more so if the water was salty storm surge. AAA notes that salt water is more corrosive to a car than fresh water.

Warning signs to mention to the technician, or to watch for once the car is cleared to drive:

• grinding, squealing or a soft brake pedal
• a new pull to one side
• a vibration through the wheel or seat
• a humming or growling noise that changes with speed
• a TPMS light that comes on and stays on

Extreme Tires does brake repair, suspension work and alignment at the Sunrise shop, and tire and TPMS service there or by mobile van in the local install area. For a car that sat in floodwater, call (954) 773-1896 before you bring it in, and ask what we can check and what belongs with the vehicle maker's service department or another specialist.

If you're replacing tires afterward

If the inspection says one or more tires need replacing, match them to your door placard: USTMA's guidance is the same size, load index and speed rating the vehicle calls for, with a load index equal to or above the placard. You can shop by size and have them fitted at the Sunrise shop or by mobile van where the car is parked.

The order of operations

And the best flood advice is the oldest: if a street is under water, turn around. Our hurricane car prep checklist covers what to do before the next storm.