Car full of mold.

[Anonymous]

At some point in late 2019, my car ended up with water in the trunk, under the spare tire. Nothing visible inside was damp and actually, I didn’t even know the water was there until I heard it slosh when I hit the breaks one day. I took it in and was told the drain around the sunroof had gotten clogged resulting in the accumulation. They “cleared the drain” and said it shouldn’t happen again. Fast forward to now. The car has been driven only a handful of times since covid began, as we’re all still at home and have a second vehicle that’s kind of the default primary. I went to move it earlier this week and found it covered entirely in mold. Like all of it. Maybe it was there before and I didn’t see it on the dark interior? I don’t know. But it’s on the steering wheel, console, seats, everything. And yep, there’s water in the trunk.

I’m pretty sure insurance won’t cover anything mold related in an auto - and I can’t imagine what it would cost to “clean” it (nor do I think I’d feel safe driving my kids or myself around in it afterwards).

I realize this sounds ridiculous. May well be up a creek. But does anyone have any experience or ideas? Car has otherwise been fine. We are second owners, have had it about 3.5 years. It’s a 2014, mid range.

Thanks, DCUM. My resource for all things.

[Anonymous]

Sell it for parts.

[Anonymous]

Get a portable steam cleaner. Spray with carpet cleaner, scrub, suck up water. Repeat. Mine leaked and got mold all the time.

[Anonymous]

I think your insurance might cover it under comprehensive coverage. You can call to ask without officially filing a claim. I think it would be worth it to try this first - it’s going to be impossible to get rid of all that mold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think your insurance might cover it under comprehensive coverage. You can call to ask without officially filing a claim. I think it would be worth it to try this first - it’s going to be impossible to get rid of all that mold.

It's worth a shot but the fact that OP didn't discover it until more than a year after the leak work was done might be trouble.

If OP is trying to declare a total loss they will figure out the time frame.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all!

[Anonymous]

I flooded my car once and cleaned it three times with bleach vinegar etc. No matter what, I still got mold. I lived in Texas and heat and moisture make mold. Get rid of it. It will always have a mildewy smell.