Dealer scratched my car!!!

[brettd03]

So, long story short...I dropped off yesterday a.m. for break squeak. De-glazed the pads, was the official service? So, I pay $28 at the check-out....go back to the car to check it over and notice about a 6in scratch above the rear driver wheel well.

I point it out, they take it back to body shop and buff it out. Everything's cool right? Wrong. I live in Ohio, so the weather hasnt exactly been beautiful. I see some "dirt" on the back bumper (the horizontal surface), and think nothing of it.

I get to the gym, pull my bag out of the trunk, and notice that this is not dirt at all. There are 8 one inch scratches. It almost looks like someone took a hard bristled toothbrush and scraped the bumper. I called the SM immed. and he told me to bring it back in today to fix it.

This is the second time this has happened to me. First time it was a wheel (they replaced) and now this.

Not only are they going to fix it, but what else would you think I would be entitled to for all of the hassle?

[samsonskeg]

They dont wash the car for you?


Every time i leave the dealership if it gets work/checked out. they do a complimentary car wash

[accord4daddy]

+1. I go to Roush Honda in Columbus and they are great! They wash the car for anything it goes in for. When I did my radio recall they washed the car just for me bringing in the car to get the numbers off the radio to order the new unit. LOL!!! I was in there for 30seconds and the car was gone for 5 minutes to be washed. Find a new dealer.

[brettd03]

Originally Posted by accord4daddy

+1. I go to Roush Honda in Columbus and they are great! They wash the car for anything it goes in for. When I did my radio recall they washed the car just for me bringing in the car to get the numbers off the radio to order the new unit. LOL!!! I was in there for 30seconds and the car was gone for 5 minutes to be washed. Find a new dealer.

HAHA! They did wash it...but there was still some dirt/road grime on the back bumper. Automatic car washes are only sooo good.

The funnier thing is.....IT WAS ROUSH HONDA!

Accord4daddy- you better be sure to look your car over when you go in...i think they ARE blaming it on the car wash.

[lebomb]

That is another reason I found an independent certified Honda/Acura repair shop. There is the owner and one mechanic........ they are extremely careful with your car. They usually only work on 3 or 4 Hondas a day, so they dont have to rush cars in and out. They work by appointment only.

[Accourse]

I never accept complimentary car washes from repair shops. In fact, I always specifically ask the service manager to NOT wash the car. The guy washing your car is not a professional detailer, he's a shop guy, a runner, and you have no idea how he's washing your car or what he's using to wash it. My worst fears were realized when I took my car into a body shop last week and asked the shop manager to forgo any complimentary washes or any other courtesy detailing (I just had my car professionally detailed a week earlier). When I arrived last Thursday morning to pick up my car, I was pissed to see one of their shop guys giving my car a dry wash (wet cloth followed by chamois rubdown). The "wash" resulted in huge ugly swirls in my paint. Now I have to take my car back to my detailer to have the paint cleaned and polished. The body shop is reimbursing me for the cost, but it's a pain in the ### and my car looks like #### until I can get it done.

[honeygee2]

Originally Posted by Accourse

I never accept complimentary car washes from repair shops. In fact, I always specifically ask the service manager to NOT wash the car. The guy washing your car is not a professional detailer, he's a shop guy, a runner, and you have no idea how he's washing your car or what he's using to wash it. My worst fears were realized when I took my car into a body shop last week and asked the shop manager to forgo any complimentary washes or any other courtesy detailing (I just had my car professionally detailed a week earlier). When I arrived last Thursday morning to pick up my car, I was pissed to see one of their shop guys giving my car a dry wash (wet cloth followed by chamois rubdown). The "wash" resulted in huge ugly swirls in my paint. Now I have to take my car back to my detailer to have the paint cleaned and polished. The body shop is reimbursing me for the cost, but it's a pain in the ### and my car looks like #### until I can get it done.

My other car is a 03 lexus..the lexus policy is a free car wash anytime you want just drive it in..the dealer i use not only washes and hand dries the car they also vacuum and clean all the windows by hand inside and out..great job. The car wash guys are independent contractors who get paid by how many cars they wash so it behooves them to do a good job.

[BenjiBoy650]

You took your car out, it got dirty then you noticed scratches...and they are going to fix it? And you're asking for MORE? I don't know any dealer around here that would have fixed that for you...you left, it's your problem now! The fact that they're taking responsibility already blows my mind Oh how I love dealers here...

[HereforInfo]

Originally Posted by brettd03

So, long story short...I dropped off yesterday a.m. for break squeak. De-glazed the pads, was the official service? So, I pay $28 at the check-out....go back to the car to check it over and notice about a 6in scratch above the rear driver wheel well.

I point it out, they take it back to body shop and buff it out. Everything's cool right? Wrong. I live in Ohio, so the weather hasnt exactly been beautiful. I see some "dirt" on the back bumper (the horizontal surface), and think nothing of it.

I get to the gym, pull my bag out of the trunk, and notice that this is not dirt at all. There are 8 one inch scratches. It almost looks like someone took a hard bristled toothbrush and scraped the bumper. I called the SM immed. and he told me to bring it back in today to fix it.

This is the second time this has happened to me. First time it was a wheel (they replaced) and now this.

Not only are they going to fix it, but what else would you think I would be entitled to for all of the hassle?

I am all with you until the end. Entitled? You are not entitled to anything other than them correcting the mistake. The entitlement philosophy is part of what is destroying this country...not trying to be a dick but seriously

On a side note it is good to hear you are getting it fixed. Make sure after they buff it out that it doesn't come back when you wash it....

[cubanoconhonda]

They're correcting their mistake. It happens. Be glad they aren't blaming it on you.

[Xazntkddragon12]

i tihnk you need to go to another dealership

[yeahplayer]

The same thing happened to me with my last accord..I brought it in for a standard oil change..when they were done and had it washed, I noticed a long gash above my passenger-side wheel well. I was like "wtf is this?" And they tried to blame it on me. "Maybe it was already there? Maybe a woman walked by with her purse and it scratched it?" Seriously? No purse/woman can make that deep of a scratch. They tried to buff it out, but it's still there. Totally tee'd me off..that's why I switched dealers. I'm glad they didn't try to give you the same BS they gave me when you asked them to fix it.

Originally Posted by Accourse

The "wash" resulted in huge ugly swirls in my paint. Now I have to take my car back to my detailer to have the paint cleaned and polished. The body shop is reimbursing me for the cost, but it's a pain in the ### and my car looks like #### until I can get it done.

I just bought a Crystal Black Pearl accord a couple weeks ago..they washed/waxed my car or whatever..tons of swirls. I went back and pointed out some of the spots (on the rear bumper under the trunk) and the swirls on the hood..they only re-buffed those parts. Still..there are a bunch of swirls here and there. How did you get them to reimburse the detailing cost? I got a call from their customer satisfaction dept cuz I scored them low on my car's appearance..I think I will ask them to reimburse the detailing, but I don't know how to go about asking.

[Super61]

And tis is why I fear going to the dealer, but we have to LOL.


I always feared this, not just with my Honda but with the Stang aswell.... Seemed like everytime I went I got another "scratch" to add to the collection.

[next_milenium]

I'm not saying this is the case with OP but when/if your car is dirty and the dealer washes it, the scratches that were invisible or hard to see becomes easy to detect.

As a practice, I would make sure the SM note any existing scratches/dents on the initial writeup before they work on the car. That way, there's a written record of what defects were on the car and it will be easy to settle who's responsible later.

Also, ask them to NOT wash your car since it is a gamble on who and how they wash your car.

[yeahplayer]

Originally Posted by next_milenium

I'm not saying this is the case with OP but when/if your car is dirty and the dealer washes it, the scratches that were invisible or hard to see becomes easy to detect.

As a practice, I would make sure the SM note any existing scratches/dents on the initial writeup before they work on the car. That way, there's a written record of what defects were on the car and it will be easy to settle who's responsible later.

Also, ask them to NOT wash your car since it is a gamble on who and how they wash your car.

I totally agree. I've learned my lesson. In my case, I knew it wasn't there before the dealership because I'm one of those people who walks around his car before getting in no matter where I'm coming out of (gym, store, home) >_>

The only problem is, if they do somehow cause a scratch, they're just going to try to buff it out..and who knows if they can get it all out? I'll never let them wash it again..I only trust myself to do a careful job.