That's the estimate from the National Insurance Crime Bureau which is a division of the Insurance Services Office Inc.

According to the bureau, New York State was the hardest hit with more than 130,000 vehicles affected; New Jersey trails in second with 60,000 claims.

The rest of the damage is linked to Pennsylvania and other states in the Northeast.

The bureau said it promotes the number as a warning to consumers to be aware that any vehicles for sale may have been damaged, but not advertised as so.

It did note that there is no determination as to the extent of damage to these vehicles. Affected vehicles could have sustained minor paint scratches from flying debris, or have been under water for days and rendered total losses.

The bureau's message to car buyers: be careful when considering a used vehicle purchase in the weeks and months following a disaster like Superstorm Sandy.