I hope it’s okay to post here.
My 2019 Honda Fit was flooded on Christmas Eve. There were a few inches of water inside of the car but my husband was able to move the car to a dry area. Poor guy scooped all the water he could get out on his own. We noticed it was making a rattling noise when parked which we mentioned to the insurance when we called to file a claim and they got it towed to a mechanic shop.
The mechanic had the car for several weeks. We finally got it back early February but I noticed the airbag light was on (wasn’t on when it got picked up) and the rattling noise was still there. We had to drop it back off.
Fast forward a few more weeks and we’re in March. Finally they say the car is ready but didn’t hear a rattling sound when they worked on the car. We go pick it up. The airbag light is still on. (I don’t know why they told us to pick it up) They have it another week or two and then they said it’s finally fixed.
I pick it up on a Monday and drove it home. No light or sound. Then it’s Saturday and I’m driving it around when I hear and feel a really bad rattle. The car shakes whenever it isn’t moving. Ex. Stopped at a red light or in park. We call the insurance the following Monday morning and they said they need to tow it back to the shop. That it’s not safe to be driving.
A week goes by and my husband calls the insurance to see what’s going on. The guy who has been handling our claim this whole time says that it’s the motor mount and the insurance won’t cover it because they consider it normal wear and tear. He said especially since we “waited” a week to report any issues.
I’m wondering what our options are since we paid our deductible and the rattling started after the flooding. I’m so upset. I had just paid the car off earlier last year and we have been without our car since Christmas Eve. If you read this long, thank you. I’m just trying to make sense of what’s happening.
Posted by Accomplished-Ad-9843
3 Comments
This is why flooded vehicles are totaled in many areas and are branded irreparable and can never be licensed for the road again. Too many electrical problems and hard to make safe again.
your motor mount didnt get damaged from the flood, thats for sure. its a giant rubber bushing and water would not effect it at all unless the car was at the bottom of a lake or the ocean for weeks or years
are they 100% sure its the motor mount and not something else?
A torn or cracked motor mount will usually be [visibly damaged](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=6b7c40959298e02e&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1086US1087&sxsrf=ANbL-n7WCEypZML3SB6RIhYsXh1efCu1_g:1774319362655&udm=2&fbs=ADc_l-aN0CWEZBOHjofHoaMMDiKpaEWjvZ2Py1XXV8d8KvlI3p-ML-906rRL_m6h4jR-tdCH-vUIlZq9RzugLEcfjf51b4dfDKizXS4hTwRCZW2TyZwW6k_wIKU0xoAfR2f13LL5cHS83YN4lqolXqlirRy4v8mVvT1WcnK-OH-prNuM1wVg9wn-vZQThW5HchUR1d5PoP7vAuur64eJYIAGiJzsmdez1w&q=damaged+motor+mounts&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjD1dDavreTAxXjMdAFHS–CSMQtKgLegQIFxAB&biw=2294&bih=791&dpr=1.5), and if it is the cause of the rattle then the problem should be gone when you pick it up.
A motor mount would not be damaged by a flood. [It’s a hunk of rubber/gel and steel that is normally bolted to the frame rail on one side, and the engine block on the other.](https://www.ebay.com/itm/256815525696?_skw=2019+Honda+Fit&itmmeta=01KMETQ8QV77THWGR12WD7RKWZ&hash=item3bcb65ef40%3Ag%3AOEYAAOSwU59nrZR6&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA8DKQclQvzFwZQpmMrsO4LuqUGhw7NglTImKyfVaa%2Bt2WQcYewz8kgrssl5OlK2Maxj9lYv5gYPUkzZZa2VO1Qtnq7rrJjMKSpcW2QGJBuyMxLgmYMSvYoXR7JEUOILcMjjhcupNutGtItu7qBHr7%2FxvX9lwxlPI–AbjJ%2FXflN466EvbO%2Bc8pUlruUkftesTGHOgNF1f9ZLLNzPBsz2LbuPEv6ERQWqryXSVMJgMW2zrrANPZiqKVv1ta1PoDO9ac%2BiluE1Swg3WZLhTK9A%2BDLsIAhBaz%2BGhocSm2eGM1WcAfrsLx2ypFzm1GXnZ7ZCyTw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMtIzd2qNn&fits=Year%3A2019%7CMake%3AHonda%7CModel%3AFit) It has rubber bushings in it to dampen the transfer of engine vibration to the body of the car.