Dealer installed swirl marks

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When the service writer writes up the job, they should put "No car wash" on the order.

When they give you the paperwork to sign, you should verify it has that on there. Don't hand over the keys unless it doesn't.

If it's on the paperwork, then you're legally covered to recover the damages.
 
Originally Posted by Reddy45
next time put the 'do not wash' taped to the steering wheel. impossible to miss.

Exactly. When I ordered my Jeep Liberty and Rubicon I had the sales manager write across the top of the buyers order DO NOT WAX OR DETAIL THE VEHICLE!!!!!!!! I called to remind him when I got a date when the vehicles were going to be delivered to the dealership. The past thing I wanted was a lot monkey with dirty towels, or a buffer going for it on my new ride.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
I would have asked to discuss it with the service manager - it is likely he would have made good on paying for a detail. You're pouting. Stop doing that, and handle the problem.

The car should have been looked over at pick-up and the issue addressed then and there.


It was pouring down rain when I picked it up and it had been all afternoon. I noticed it looked usually clean but the ceramic is pretty hydrophobic and I was hoping that it just looked clean from being deluged in hours of rain. Here and at work it is garaged so it is rarely in that kind of condition. It was only the next day when it was dry and I had better lighting that it was obvious it had been washed. Do you even have a clue what is involved here? I can't control the rain, and I don't carry a shop light around with me. 99% of customers would have no problem with the car being returned like this.

They would make good on paying for my guy---you are joking! They don't even pay their own people decent wages(it's all piece-rate), they sure as [censored] ain't paying my guy.
EVERY car on their lot has these swirl marks---they occur when you use any machine wash where the bristles make contact with the paint. They are not going to reimburse me for doing what they do to every other car in their possession. And to everyone else, they did note on the invoice not to wash it! They put a laminated placard on the dash that said "do not wash"! And still some of you are acting like it's my fault. Wow.

The service manager left a voicemail the next morning after he saw my google review. There is nothing for he and I to talk about. I have written them off. In the event I have to go back in for something I will use someone else and make it a point to be up their *ss. I have an appointment with my guy next Friday. He will get it back to the condition I want (he has removed the dealer installed marks for many clients). It was almost time for the annual inspection anyway. Now he just has another 1-2 hrs of work to put in.
 
Originally Posted by SLO_Town
Originally Posted by dishdude
rooflessVW said:
dishdude said:
rooflessVW said:
I would have asked to discuss it with the service manager - it is likely he would have made good on paying for a detail. You're pouting. Stop doing that, and handle the problem.

The car should have been looked over at pick-up and the issue addressed then and there.



Curious to know your thoughts if the factory fresh paint on your new SRT came back with swirl marks after a visit to the dealership.

Scott


Of course it did. All dealers do it because they all use machines to wash it. There is a reason people this picky who take delivery of a brand new vehicle send explicit instructions to receive the vehicle dirty. They have to take it off of the truck and do the dealer inspection without detailing/washing it. It is very unusual for them to do this and anytime you ask creatures of habit to deviate from their standard practice you are at risk of it getting screwed up.

Every other owner takes proud delivery of their brand new vehicle with a bow on it in the shiny "delivery" area and I could walk right over there and point out all of the flaws in the paint. I'm fun at car shows;) In the 2018 show my "most hideous orange peel" award goes to Acura. I love my Hondas but GD man.

There are guys on youtube who have recorded the process if interested. Of course any detailer worth his/her salt can buff it back out but why not skip marring it in the first place. Every car finish has imperfections. It is a matter of what level you want to go here. For instance for $2Gs and 30 man hours of labor and mine I would say was a 90% paint correction. You want that last 10%....if you have to ask what that will cost....
All of this is above the dealers head...thus I see no point in arguing it with them. It would be like me trying to tell my 8 yr old how to implant a pacemaker.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Which coating did you have applied and how long ago?


About 10 months ago and it was Ceramic Pro. I had the Gold level so that is 4 coats after the intensive paint correction. My guy assures me the swirls will only be in the top coat so a light buff will rectify it. I'm going to have him do a coat of Sport to protect in case his buffing takes the top layer down too much.
 
This dealer must be behind the times. A growing number of customers are requesting not to have their cars washed after services. Dealerships have gone from the high school kid with a dirty rag to the scrub-o-matic car washes where they make a deal with the owner to get the cars washed. Especially in the winter months these car washes are assured to scratch your coating what with all the dirt and debris.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
This dealer must be behind the times. A growing number of customers are requesting not to have their cars washed after services. Dealerships have gone from the high school kid with a dirty rag to the scrub-o-matic car washes where they make a deal with the owner to get the cars washed. Especially in the winter months these car washes are assured to scratch your coating what with all the dirt and debris.


But people are oblivious.. Watched a soccermom proudly scrub the crap out of her brand new dark gray Acadia.

She lightly sprayed it off.. then the foaming brush.. she saved time by doing tires and wheels.. then a fender.. then a tire and wheel.. then the roof..
oh it ran out of money.. keep scrubbing dry.. for another min to save 25cents.

The flamer in the bay next to her driving his "mint" white prelude was LEANING into the foaming brush.. drops it on the ground.. picks it up and continues...

Was like one of those bad car wash youtube videos...

this is 80% of the public.

I do feel for you OP, and many of the responses in here were inappropriate if you put yourself in his shoes.
 
My Hyundai dealer is too small to offer a car wash service. I guess you don't get much with the $26 oil change.

When I had a new toyota they used to wash it every time with dirty water, and leave the paint spotted with water marks.
 
Meh. "Ceramic" coating is an aftermarket application (goes to show you what sort of BS people peddle with regards to "Cermaic" whatever). While annoying I would just move on. That hill ain't worth dying on.
 
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Originally Posted by double vanos
Another inspiring dealership story. Had same thing with my 330ci. Took it to dealer for tires, told them not to wash it, paint survived but car got parked into a concrete bump stop scarring the lower valence. I always stopped short of those things but I guess if you work with so many BMWs every day you just can't figure out how to park them. Haven't been back to a dealer for service since.

Unfortunately the $10 an hour lot attendant moving customers cars really don't care its a BMW.

Sometimes these folks are jealous of the yuppies being able to afford such a fancy vehicle.
 
Originally Posted by Cardiobuck
Had the pleasure to take my '18 A4 to the local Audi dealer to investigate if I had a slow coolant leak. I don't have a leak but they did manage to leave the coolant reservoir dramatically overfilled. They also put her through the car wash and left those nice little swirl marks in my $2000 dollar ceramic coating. This was after I told them specifically not to wash the car. I also had the "don't wash" hangtag in the rear view mirror--tag was provided by the company who did the coating.

Here's to hoping my guy will only charge me $3-400 to buff the swirls back out. He and his partner spent the better part of 15 hrs about a year ago getting it to a pristine mirror like finish and Audi of Columbus(Ohio) totally screwed it up. Thanks guys!

I haven't even bothered to tell the dealer about the machine washing marks. I figured if they are too stupid to know any better I wouldn't get anywhere with them. I did leave a nice 1 star review on their website with a picture of the overfilled radiator reservoir though.
Mostly just venting here because of how frustrated I am....trying to get over it.

The takeaway, F Audi of Columbus!


So the Audi dealer has a carwash that installs "swirl marks" on luxury cars? OK-call me skeptical.
 
Originally Posted by CKN
So the Audi dealer has a carwash that installs "swirl marks" on luxury cars? OK-call me skeptical.

Yes, they do. It's a nearly universal fact.
 
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Meh. "Ceramic" coating is an aftermarket application (goes to show you what sort of BS people peddle with regards to "Cermaic" whatever). While annoying I would just move on. That hill ain't worth dying on.

I'm not sure what your comment adds. Yes, "ceramic" coatings are aftermarket - he said as much.

Yes, they work and yes, they have value. Yes, they can be scratched and need corrected just as paint would. His may need reapplied.

So you would do what he already did? Move on and come out of pockey to have your paint corrected and your coating reapplied?

Or you would move on and deal with the ruined finish - which could have easily cost $1000 or more?
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by CKN
So the Audi dealer has a carwash that installs "swirl marks" on luxury cars? OK-call me skeptical.

Yes, they do. It's a nearly universal fact.




Most dealerships nowadays drive the cars to a car wash. They make a deal with one nearby. That car wash might be touchless or it might be the scrub-o-matic kind.
 
For those curious the image link below is a picture taken of the cars hood after the paint correction was done and coating was applied. The image you see is my garage ceiling reflected onto the hood. It is so clear it can play tricks on the eye. The only down side is maintaining such a high level finish. When you get it so perfect you can really see anything that is off or wrong with it very easily. Most people I guess just don't care so much about these things but I did post it on the Detail and Wax section rather that the maintenance one figuring those here would understand.

As an aside, the fam and I went to Costco this morning. On the way in a guy was driving by the entrance in his 3.0T A6 so we are talking about $65,000 give or take. From 10' away I could see all of the nice spider-like swirl marks...I just smile and whisper to my wife "oh this guy has been through dealer wash a few times"



open
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Meh. "Ceramic" coating is an aftermarket application (goes to show you what sort of BS people peddle with regards to "Cermaic" whatever). While annoying I would just move on. That hill ain't worth dying on.

I'm not sure what your comment adds. Yes, "ceramic" coatings are aftermarket - he said as much.

Yes, they work and yes, they have value. Yes, they can be scratched and need corrected just as paint would. His may need reapplied.

So you would do what he already did? Move on and come out of pockey to have your paint corrected and your coating reapplied?

Or you would move on and deal with the ruined finish - which could have easily cost $1000 or more?


Why do you think the paint is swriled and not the coating
 
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