1250 mi service and now this. Really?

[Luca42]

I took my car in for the 1250 mi service this week. A rainy Tuesday and I had the day off. I talked to the service advisor, discussed the service and told him "do not wash my car." Before he took the keys, I repeated, "do not wash the car." (Never mind the fact that there were torrential rains in the area).

I sat in the waiting room for a couple of hours when he came to tell me they were done. First thing I noticed as it sat in the service bay -- they WASHED my car.

I looked at the service advisor and said, "didn't I tell you not to wash the car?" He stammered, claiming that he told them but "they had done it before he could remind them." WTF?

I'm heated. I can see faint swirls in the paint on the rear doors. Only ten days earlier, I'd had the car covered with XPEL and the paint corrected and sealed with a crystal lacquer. And now I have fine scratches that could have been avoided.

[Aside, this is what I'm guessing happened during the two hours when the car was out of my sight:

Guy 1: Dude, you gonna wash that car with that dirty rag? Seriously?

Guy 2: No way! I'm going to use this brush instead.

Guy 3: Hey, I just finished with this Brillo. Quality steel wool! You can use it.

Guy 2: Nah. Someone just opened a pack of 3M 150-grit. I'll use that. Clean sheet. ]

So the dealer's QA team called yesterday, to see if I was satisfied with my service. I gave her an earful. Not really. She sounds surprised. I tell her why. She is no longer surprised.

And now today. First day since the service that it hasn't poured so I decided to take it out. I come back after dropping off gifts/spreading some Christmas cheer to find a huge pool of oil on my garage floor. We are talking at least a quart, perhaps more. Then I look and the car is trailing oil all down the driveway and it's puddling in the street. You've got to be kidding me. Really? Really!

[tastelid]

Wont any scratches in the xpel be fixed by the "self healing" properties of the film?

[AlexLou1222]

Wow paint protection is ruined, but more seriously they didn't tighten the freaking drain plug?!?! After you drove some miles with oil leaking out, I don't know what kind of damage was done to the motor. You would take it very very seriously to the dealership! If any damage occurred I would demand another new car.

[Wing Co]

What a pig. I always print out sheets of A4 paper with do not wash, but as you have assumed it is only as good as the SA says to the staff.

[Luca42]

Originally Posted by tastelid

Wont any scratches in the xpel be fixed by the "self healing" properties of the film?

The XPEL is fine. It can easily withstand the gritty wash.

The sides of the car that were not protected with XPEL are different. That's where I see the scratches.

[Luca42]

Originally Posted by AlexLou1222

Wow paint protection is ruined, but more seriously they didn't tighten the freaking drain plug?!?! After you drove some miles with oil leaking out, I don't know what kind of damage was done to the motor. You would take it very very seriously to the dealership! If any damage occurred I would demand another new car.

Let's hope that's not the case. The car sat for two days before I drove it and it will sit until they can come get it. I did not get a low oil warning light, so I'm hoping it's just the mess and inconvenience and not permanent damage to the car.

Paint protection should be fine for most areas. It's just that they rubbed scratches into the clear coat/crystal lacquer.

[Luca42]

Originally Posted by Wing Co

What a pig. I always print out sheets of A4 paper with do not wash, but as you have assumed it is only as good as the SA says to the staff.

I thought about doing that! Lesson learned. I figured they would not wash the car when it's pouring rain outside.

[jcfay]

When I bought mine, and the cars I looked at, they all already had swirly scratches typical of bogus dealer car washes. I figure it's a given unless one orders it, and instructs them to deliver it with white plastic wrap still intact, and then boogies away from the dealer like that. And then I just brought car to be inspected ONLY at the local dealer - brand new '16 X5M, 700 miles, job should literally take 5 minutes, and instead it's an hour 1/2 and they washed the car too, and it was raining out.

I'm OK now with the micro swirls. Figure I can get them buffed out or dealt with in a good detail, and since 99.9% of folks can't see them (but me, and yes they bug me), it's just more hassle than it's worth trying to avoid it. If it ain't the washers at the dealer it will be someone who scratches it in a parking lot, or whatever. It still sucks, but unless you live in a bubble it's gonna happen. And I've done my own services in the past, and washed my own cars to try and avoid it, and still it happens...