Danger of dealer "free" washing

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tradertcb

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Got my SL500 back from a disasterous visit to the dealer in Fort Pierce, (which is another story) and a few days later when the sun was just right, I noticed swirls all over the car. We had detailed the car with Menzerna and polish and waxes a few months ago and it went into the dealer perfect. I couldn't figure out how the swirls got in the paint. It's never seen a car wash and I keep it extremely clean all the time and only hand wash.

Bam, the lightbulb finally came on and I realized what the dealer had done: obviously ran it through an automatic car wash.

I intend to call tomorrow to confirm and if the answer is yes, we will be having a rather interesting conversation on the cost of the detail to remove the "damage".

So the lesson here is: decline free dealer car washes. Make sure they write it down on the order sheet.
 
Got some news for you..........writing it on the sheet doesn't mean squat! Tape a sign to the steering wheel where it cannot possibly be missed in addition to the service writer's paperwork.
 
The sad news is . . . they probably didn't run your car through a car wash. They probably hand washed it. It's just that dealers are so inept at car washing that they swirl the heck out of the finish of every car they touch.

This summer I was at the dealer for service and I was walking around waiting for my car. I got to the side of the dealership where the wash bay was and BAM! There's my car being washed even though I asked they not wash it. The water in the wash buckets was black with dirt, I think I saw some guy washing with some sort of broom looking device, and there was another guy drying the cars with towels that looked like they've been in use since 1972. My car was pretty swirled up after that.
 
:iagree:with all the above. Tell them when you make the apointment. Write it on the sheet when you turn the car over to them. Tape a note to the steering wheel. Had an SLK in for anual survicing just after a full detailing...it came back with serious swirl marks and they thought they were doing me a favor:doh:
 
Honestly, the best thing you can do is re-polish your car and in the future tape a note to the steering wheel. If you seek repair through the dealership they'll likely insist on sending your car through their detailing department which will likely result in holograms, paint burns, and overall poor work.
 
I went as far as making signs and taping them on the interior ( dash, steering wheel, rear view mirror, radio) and told the dealer no wash and be sure he wrote it on the ticket. The service writer saw my signs and made the comment that some of them should have been in Spanish.
I only brought the car in for an oil change(part of the new car deal free oil change) and when I got it back there was a mass of filth on the hood where they opened and closed it, they spilled oil trying to get it in the engine, and the under carriage was a mess. I guess they forgot to give the guys rags!!!! The car had 1100 miles on it so you know it didn't go in dirty.:nomore:
Bottom line They didn't wash it and it did indeed need attention when I got home. I always do my own oil changes, but since this was a new car I thought I would give the dealer a try. Guess I'm back to doing it myself.:doh:

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
MrThumbs said:
... The service writer saw my signs and made the comment that some of them should have been in Spanish...
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Too funny. He's right though, no matter where you live, chances are there will be people who only speak Spanish.
 
That is frustrating to say the least! Good luck on getting reimbursed for the damage as the more time you let go by, the less chance you have.

Never had a problem with my car since I am good friends with everyone at the Saab dealership. That said, I have had numerous occassions where I had my mom or dad's Lexus' in the dealer for service and expressly said not to wash it (they made a note) and taped a sign to the steering wheel. I leave for an hour and guess what is in the car wash bay when I get back? Every single time I go, it happens; you would think they should jump for joy at being able to skip the time and cost of washing a car through a voluntary request by the owner.
 
Had the same type of "problem" a couple of months back. Went golfing with a buddy at his club. He wanted to do me a " favor" by having my car washed for me. He had taken my car keys out of the locker and had the caddy master take it for a wash. When it came back it looked like they had washed it with brillo.
I've learned 2 things:
1: always take the keys
2: Put a note a the steering wheel. "DO NOT WASH"
 
i am going to guess it wasnt the automatic car wash they ran it through as they are usually touch free high pressure washes....it was the dirty towels the porter used to dry it off with, after the high pressure wash that didnt get all the dirt off...some dealers dont even use an auto wash, they just have a porter use a pressure washer and rinse it off and then towel it off...how bad is that....
 
Sounds like a lot of us have had this happen.

Sure would be nice if a company in the detailing business would design us a custom sign to put in our cars while they are in service. I sure would not mind advertising for this company if they were to design and post this colorful sign including their logo and web address for download. Jpeg and PDF would really be nice. Lets see now, who could make something really cool available to us?
 
MrThumbs said:
I always do my own oil changes, but since this was a new car I thought I would give the dealer a try. Guess I'm back to doing it myself.:doh:
Click to expand...

This part just about sums it up, unless you have to take it to the dealer (such as warranty work) do it yourself or go to a reputable stand alone mechanic shop. Independent mechanics generally do not wash cars, atleast not the ones I go to.
 
I was a service writer at a dealership that offered the free wash "service" with all service work. Some people liked the service, but people who really took good care of their cars hated it. I would write on the repair order not to wash them if they requested, and sometimes people would stick the signs on the steering wheel. It didn't matter what was done, more often than not the car got washed.
It was bad when the dealership employed the guys who washed the cars. It got worse when they had an outside company come in and wash them. The washers were paid 5 bucks per car they washed. Imagine your $50,000-$80,000 dollar car washed in 5 minutes for 5 dollars.
Guess who got to try to deal with the angry customers every time this happened.
 
Must have been at Coggin Osteen!
We just got a new truck (at a dealership a couples miles south of Coggin) and I asked them several times not to detail it, salesman even asked me tell the manager. He said the manager would not believe him that we did not want it and I needed to tell him. Needless to say when we picked up the truck you could see white dried wax in several cracks.
 
Meghan said:
Must have been at Coggin Osteen!
We just got a new truck (at a dealership a couples miles south of Coggin) and I asked them several times not to detail it, salesman even asked me tell the manager. He said the manager would not believe him that we did not want it and I needed to tell him. Needless to say when we picked up the truck you could see white dried wax in several cracks.
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thats an easy fix.


refuse delivery of the truck, make them get another one, exactly the same.

then, if it happens again...make them do it again...and give you a rental for your time (assuming you get the "no wash" clause in your contract, lol)


start costing them money, and they will learn.
 
tradertcb said:
Got my SL500 back from a disasterous visit to the dealer in Fort Pierce, (which is another story) and a few days later when the sun was just right, I noticed swirls all over the car. We had detailed the car with Menzerna and polish and waxes a few months ago and it went into the dealer perfect. I couldn't figure out how the swirls got in the paint. It's never seen a car wash and I keep it extremely clean all the time and only hand wash.

Bam, the lightbulb finally came on and I realized what the dealer had done: obviously ran it through an automatic car wash.

I intend to call tomorrow to confirm and if the answer is yes, we will be having a rather interesting conversation on the cost of the detail to remove the "damage".

So the lesson here is: decline free dealer car washes. Make sure they write it down on the order sheet.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the heads up. This is so ironic because I have a client with a brand new (not even washed) black S550 that I'm doing a new car prep on it this weekend. When I looked at her car there were swirls all over it which obviously was incurred at the dealer(Palm Beach MB) when they did the prep. Man, what damage they did to this car....

Amazing how they can charge $150/hr to repair a $100,000++ car, but they fail miserably at doing a elementry car wash.

Regardless, I'll forward her this thread so she know not to let them wash her car next week when she brings it in for service.

Moral of the story.....

Don't let dealers wash, detail and especially do body work on your car!!!
 
if you need written quote for repair let me know I'm sure glad to help
 
It is horrible!

I'd definitely put a no wash clause in my contract, stating that if the car has been washed or waxed or detailed in any way, I will not accept the vehicle and they will have to get me another one.

One day they will learn, especially when it's costing them tens of thousands of dollars!
 
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