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There was a day where it rained extremely hard like buckets of water at a time. It flooded like crazy in a matter of 10-15 minutes literally. The floods were insane and I panicked driving through light floods until the corner street of my destination--which I shouldn't have drove to because it had a few feet or water. It was deep probably around this level:

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I know it was a mistake going through water this deep and I didn't realize until it was too late. The distance was only about 10 meters lasting about a couple seconds and I heard gurgling as I passed by the flooded street, but I had to keep going because in my head I just can't stop or my engine will die.

Then before entering the next street I hit a physical object that caused my front bumper going loose (near the headlights) because I had to pass by a narrow street and I couldn't see the street due to the water level and I was in a panicked state. Luckily I was able to re-attach it by hitting it in after I parked, but what I did not notice until I got home was that a plastic element below toyota logo was pushed inside the car which we later removed at home so there is a empty space in this area of the car. This is the part that was pushed inside:

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What I also noticed was that there was a kind of plastic hanging in the front side below the car. I believe it is the splash shield but I am not sure. It looks like it is flapping. I am not sure if it was because of water level or because I hit the car that caused the front bumper and the plastic below the logo to get dislodged.

Also checked the engine oil for signs of water entering the engine after being parked and the oil was not milky and there were no water that made the carpets wet or entered the car, but I still fear of car damage due to that brief moment since the water level was indeed deep and it was a first time I ever had to encounter that and it was a mistake to go through it.

I am not sure also if my car air conditioning had a slight problem with cooling also, but when I was on the way home from the flood experience, I believe it was functioning, but the aircon was not cooling as much despite lowering the temperature. I also could have smelled some musky smell like moisture, but it could have just been my imagination. But it started cooling about 40-50 minutes later (if I remember correctly) and has been working properly since then. I don't believe there are any moldy smell or musky smells

I am not experienced enough to know which caused the damages seen in the car and what the best choice of action should be. Currently, we are not able to take it to a repair shop due to the COVID-19 situation but we have been using it to go to nearby places with no issues at all. But safety is am important thing, so I just want to make sure what we are the critical aspects of the car that we should fix.

Is the plastic below the toyota logo important (how to re-attach if ever)? Is the plastic flopping below the car needed to be re-attached ASAP (how to re-attach also if ever)? Is the car permanently flood damaged (what should we check besides the engine oil)?

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My primary concern would be electronics, if they seem to be working, that is a good sign. Things like the speed sensors on the wheels to manage traction and brake control . And tire pressure. Maybe try hard braking on an empty road to see what happens. There are so many possibilities I think I would just drive it and try to be aware of any unusual responses. Two considerations ; over time electrical connectors that got wet may corrode and cause faults . And if it was salt or brackish water, all the electrical/corrosion possibilities will be worse.

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  • Right it's an old car probably about 10 years old given the model. Just concerned about the things we should check since it may be some time before we get it serviced. I guess the maintenance people will be able to spot some things in the future when we get it checked at Toyota service center. But electronics and the stuff below the submerged area is what I was concerned about despite the short exposure
    – Pherdindy
    Commented Sep 18, 2020 at 20:14
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You haven't hydrolocked your engine, which is good. I'd go as far as changing engine oil immediately, transmission (and, if it is separate module, also the differential oil). I'd also check if the radiators are damaged - specifically, if lots of ribs are bent, which will prevent it from cooling off properly. Everything else should be fine for the time being.

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  • It was what I was worried about initially if the oil was contaminated with water but it seems fine but may consider replacing it. I'm also concerned about the corrosion of the electronics like mentioned as well
    – Pherdindy
    Commented Sep 18, 2020 at 20:05
  • You can't do much about the electronics.Hopefully, it'll just dry out. Changing oil would be good in case there are traces of water, cheap insurance against a whole lot of possible trouble.
    – EᑎOT
    Commented Sep 21, 2020 at 16:54

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