Touchless Car Washes Not So Touchless !

[JAFO]

Well I am sure someone else has had this happen before, But never good thing sitting in your truck and have the Touchless spray arm rake over the top of your vehicle... I was lucky I had the hard bed cover and the spray arm stopped at the edge of my power roof window when it reversed. Also lucky it left only minor scratched and tiny dent on roof. I am sure the damage would have been much greater if no bed cover when it went in reverse or it had continued down my front windshield. The body shops wanted over $5K to repair scratches and repaint roof with them removing all my roof interior and power roof. I decided not have some goober touch my truck and repaired the scratches myself with touch-up Ford paint. (90% repair and you have to climb into truck bed to see the little evidence.) I never go into automatic car washes anymore! PS: I was trapped in car wash with power door on wash down and opened only when the sprayer was reversing at the end or else I would have hit the gas and got the hLL out of there!

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[dlhort1955]

I think that one should be out of service.

 

[Montana]

+1 for having a dashcam. What sucks is that it will still be an insurance claim to fix the scratch.

The one near me (literally the only place in town for another 100 miles) gets hung up on peoples hitches all the time because they refuse to remove them. And the only time the doors close is when it's below freezing, so if I'm next in line I watch to make sure everything is working correctly before I pay.

Out of curiosity, what did you use to upload that video?

 

[dalola]

Looks sketchy to begin with.....

 

[JAFO]

+1 for having a dashcam. What sucks is that it will still be an insurance claim to fix the scratch.

The one near me (literally the only place in town for another 100 miles) gets hung up on peoples hitches all the time because they refuse to remove them. And the only time the doors close is when it's below freezing, so if I'm next in line I watch to make sure everything is working correctly before I pay.

Out of curiosity, what did you use to upload that video?

I install on all my vehicles front and rear 4K Dual Dash cams. I don't drive anywhere these days without a dash cam as my witness.

 

[TheSEARCH]

Go though a car wash expect damage at the very least paint damage. Never would I do that. Car washes are for people who don't give a cra$#. They say ,, ah I don't care and get a new car every 3 years.

 

[Jah.]

No mechanical car washes for me . only hand washing in driveway .

 

[KEMeyer]

Sorry about the shitty car washes you folks have in your area. The touchless car wash I use is great Never had any contact with my 2021 Avalon or 2018 F-150, and I expect the same for my soon to be delivered Mav.

 

[JAFO]

Sorry about the shitty car washes you folks have in your area. The touchless car wash I use is great Never had any contact with my 2021 Avalon or 2018 F-150, and I expect the same for my soon to be delivered Mav.

Only problems happen when it is the unlucky one when the machine breaks. I returned later same day when the owner and the repair man was there and was shown the two sensors that went bad at same time. I with my great luck was the unlucky one.. I am sure these machines work hundreds of times maybe a thousand or more until they break for the unlucky person using the car wash. It actually worked fine for me for 7 years but that does not make me any happier after it damaged my new vehicle.....

 

[JBEN110]

Well I am sure someone else has had this happen before, But never good thing sitting in your truck and have the Touchless spray arm rake over the top of your vehicle... I was lucky I had the hard bed cover and the spray arm stopped at the edge of my power roof window when it reversed. Also lucky it left only minor scratched and tiny dent on roof. I am sure the damage would have been much greater if no bed cover when it went in reverse or it had continued down my front windshield. The body shops wanted over $5K to repair scratches and repaint roof with them removing all my roof interior and power roof. I decided not have some goober touch my truck and repaired the scratches myself with touch-up Ford paint. (90% repair and you have to climb into truck bed to see the little evidence.) I never go into automatic car washes anymore! PS: I was trapped in car wash with power door on wash down and opened only when the sprayer was reversing at the end or else I would have hit the gas and got the hLL out of there!

so wouldn't the company that runs the wash be at fault?

 

[JAFO]

so wouldn't the company that runs the wash be at fault?

No, you are stuck with your car insurance to fix. But the owner that said he would fix in person quickly ghosted me to get him to pay. I suppose you could sue them, but they have a bunch of legal disclaimers using the car wash posted. Whether that holds up in court is for someone else to find out...

 

[Bob The Builder]

Nope, no auto care washes for me. The one nearest me also has 5 pressure washer stalls which I use instead. Good enough for winter and hand washes when above 50F and no wind.

 

[Montana]

Around me it's a touchless like this or 3 stalls that never have any soap and the brushes leak if they do work at all, and a lot that allows a single vehicle to park in the waiting area where the vacuums are. And it's literally the only wash for another 120 miles.

So yea, I take the touchless during winter. And I give a about my vehicles.

I'll take this hardship over living in an overcrowded city/suburb any day.

 

[dalola]

No, you are stuck with your car insurance to fix. But the owner that said he would fix in person quickly ghosted me to get him to pay. I suppose you could sue them, but they have a bunch of legal disclaimers using the car wash posted. Whether that holds up in court is for someone else to find out...

I think you would have to prove negligence on the part of the owner/company caused whatever failure damaged your vehicle, in order to hold the wash co. liable. A random mechanical malfunction probably wouldn't hold up, since as you mentioned, there are liability disclaimers posted everywhere.

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