BUFFALO, N.Y. — December’s blizzard left roads in Western New York a mess for days. Many cars were abandoned in the streets and had to be removed. Some of them were likely damaged in the process.

“I've been in the car businesses right out of high school," said Marty Pecoraro, owner of Riverfront Auto Salesf "[from] 1977 'til now.”

Pecoraro knows cars. He also knows the cold.

“[It could] cause batteries to go dead and could have caused a lot of damage to the inside of the engine and the car paint itself,” he said.

December’s blizzard brought a new factor into the mix when cars had to be pulled off the roads. There were 324 removed by the city of Buffalo and 498 by Erie County.

“We were in a state of emergency, so we were just trying to get cars out of the way so the police can get down here and save people," Pecoraro said. "I don't think anybody would care about a car when you're talking about human life, you know?”

Crews used everything from bulldozers to specialized equipment like the Rook to move cars. They worked quickly.

“Most of the cars nowadays are just unibody, so there's just small sections of supports or frames where you should lift the car,” Pecoraro explained as he pointed to supports under a car.

It’s possible the forklifts used to move vehicles weren’t on those supports, which could do damage to the car’s frame.

“If I were to put my lift just another six inches over here, that could damage this floorboard and be a big problem," Pecoraro pointed out. "You're liable to go right through the floorboard, or at the very least crush it, and that's very easy to do.”

Officials say all the cars moved by the city and county were accounted for. Pecoraro says it's possible people have those cars at home, damaged, and the owners don't even know it.

“It doesn’t handle right, it’ll pull to the left or it’ll pull to the right," Pecoraro explained. "You could not feel it or sometimes you can feel it. [It] depends on how much damage [there is].

For Pecoraro, the main thing is that owners who have concerns get their cars checked out. If you’re in the market for a car and have worries, there’s good news there, too.

“We supply all free Carfaxes on all of our cars, so if you were to just click on here [on our website], it brings you up and it'll tell you if there was any accident, if there was any frame damage,” Pecoraro said.

Unlike concerns with flood cars, drivers in New York are required to have insurance that would ping those issues, so buy from a reputable dealer or take your chances.

“A private individual — very easy to sell that car and not disclose it to the new person," said Pecoraro. "[A buyer] may not know what he's buying. [It's] buyer beware.”

Many used car dealerships offer a Carfax on their inventory, but Pecoraro says he’s happy to help anyone pull up a report on a car they’re looking into. Just reach out.