Scratch on new car question

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lburgguy

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I apologize if my post is miscategorized but I really need to ask others' opinions on this:

My wife bought a new Honda Accord Saturday. We left the dealer Sat with the agreement that we'd return it Tuesday for them to apply the new car sealant/protectant package and then pick it up on Wednesday. I know it's of dubious merit but she insisted and that's not where the question comes in.

We drove the car exactly 100 miles before bringing it in for the protectant application.

So... we go to pick up the car Wednesday and we notice several problems. 1. Apparently when they applied the sealant (whatever you call it) they had not removed all of the squished bug residue from the front of the car and those spots were evident. 2. There were swirls on the hood and rear deck from the application of the protectant. 3. There was a three inch scratch right in the middle of the hood.

We were asked to leave it one more night and pick it up today - that it would be perfect. Here is my question:

What if that scratch is still there? I mean how can I prove that it's their fault? I don't want to take the car if it has a scratch from them but I do not know with 100% certainty they scratched it. How insistent should I be before leaving with the car?

How should I play this when I go to pick up the car this afternoon?

Many thanks, and again, sorry if this is not the right category for the post, I agonized over where to post this.
 
This stuff makes me so upset.

The thing is, they probably applied some bulk sealant with a rotary and wool pad and charged you $500 for the DISO (deal instilled swirl option).

People who care about their paint shouldn't even let their dealers wash the car, let alone buff it with anything.

What's done is done though and unless you make a big stink about it, nothing will change.

Short of demanding a new car, your options are to take it to a professional detailer who can do scratch repairs and buff out the swirls then get the dealer to pay for it. Obviously, you also wouldn't be paying for the paint package that actually damaged your car to begin with.

I've read a couple stories here where a new car was demanded since the swirls were so bad that it would require the removal of quite a bit of clear to get rid of them which was unacceptable for a new car.

Honda's are also notorious for having thin paint to begin with so I'd look into putting a coating on yours if you go the professional dealer route (that could be something you pay for separately after the swirls and scratch are fixed).

IMO, things like this shouldn't happen, but they will continue to do so until people start demanding better.

Good luck.
 
never let the dealer wash or detail your car under any circumstance.

Contact Honda corporate.

Have your dealer read this thread.
 
Stealerships. Find out how long you can return the car and void the sale in your state, might have a week, might have 30 days. Can you "catch" the scratch with your fingernail by gently running it (thumbnail)over it (the scratch)? If so return it and get another different one.
 
Thank you all. As it turned out, the scratch is gone. The swirls I mentioned were not like you'd see from an orbital polisher but more that they simply did not remove the coating properly. As far as I can tell, it's done and I can't find any flaws in the finish. I'm just so relieved that it turned out okay. Thanks again for everyone's input.
 
Your first mistake was buying the protection package from the dealership. You can do it yourself for a lot less than what you paid. Find out what brand the protection package is. Most dealer installed protection packages do not go on like a typical wax or polish. The sealant may have gone on like a quick detailer would. Mist on, wipe off. I worked for a Honda dealership a while back, and they used Xylon. total waste of time and money, in my opinion.
 
lburgguy said:
Thank you all. As it turned out, the scratch is gone. The swirls I mentioned were not like you'd see from an orbital polisher but more that they simply did not remove the coating properly. As far as I can tell, it's done and I can't find any flaws in the finish. I'm just so relieved that it turned out okay. Thanks again for everyone's input.
Click to expand...

you still wasted money on this.

Detailing from the dealer is like getting surgery in a third world country while paying American prices.
 
Sealant said:
Detailing from the dealer is like getting surgery in a third world country while paying American prices.
Click to expand...
Knee slapper!

Why is this? Why don't dealers care? Who's doing the "detailing" for them? Minimum wage flunkies?
 
Most dealerships have porters to do most of the "cleanup" on used car trade-ins or new car deliveries. Most porters are paid by the hour, as apposed to a detailer who is more likely working on a flat rate system. I have seen 3 porters working on one car at a time, and not one of them cares about making the car look right. Pporters are the ones who will take a service customer back to work, wipe down showroom cars, or sweep up cigarette butts.
I left the dealership scene because I was not given the time to do things the "right" way.
 
Toy_Cam_Ed said:
Knee slapper!

Why is this? Why don't dealers care? Who's doing the "detailing" for them? Minimum wage flunkies?
Click to expand...

I am going with don't care. I realize the people doing the damage may or may not understand, but someone at the dealership (business of selling cars :P ) should understand what is being done to the cars.
 
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