Check where the car lived. If it’s from a coastal region recently hit by a hurricane, be ten times more skeptical.
Close all windows and doors for five minutes. If it smells like heavy perfume or cleaning chemicals, the seller is masking mold. If it smells musty, the battle is already lost. what to look for when buying a flooded car
Check the trunk, glove box, and under the dashboard for a literal line of silt or mud. Check where the car lived
Open the engine’s air intake. If the paper filter is stained, wavy, or contains dried mud, the engine likely "gulped" water while running. or contains dried mud