The $&@! car wash scratched my new car! Should I buff?

Silver, IMHO, is the best color to get for people who do not actively keep their cars clean. This includes my wife, who drive a silver CR-V. Although I can tell its dirty immediately (because I'm a clean fanatic!) she goes off of the brake dust on the wheels before she washes it.

 

Suggest you have professional detailing to buff it out. When I use a car wash, I only use the "touchless" pressure washer. It usually does a pretty good job. If not, I complain and the attendant will put it through again. Have to dry it myself. No scratches!

 

Actually I think the tan/gold cars are the easiest. Our Optima is 'dessert sand' something or another and it can be covered in a inch of pollen and dust and look clean. I think we have washed that car like 3 times since a little rain and it's clean.

 

The sandy/gold colour is best for not showing the dirt. I had a minivan that colour that rarely looked dirty even when it was. However we picked the silver as a close second with the darker grey interior since we didn't like the bisque interior (awful to keep clean) that was the only choice with the sandy/gold exterior.

 

Never again! Took my new car to the carwash and have brush scratches all over the bumper, hood and rear tail lights!!! When i pulled up to the automated wash there were two guys with big bristled brusheS that scrub bugs off the car. I knew it looked fishy but chanced it and with i was drying it off in there parking lot I noticed it. The guy was scrubbing so hard he was shaking the car around and hit the car with his brush handel three times! Looks like someone took sand paper to my hood and front bumber!!! So whats the process?? Should i get there insurence info and make a claim against them? yes its that bad! PLEASE HELP, I NEED YOUR THOUGHTS

 

Was anybody with you, and did you notify the wash-o-rama manager immediately?
Small claims court seems like a possibility, but a slim one. I presume that you didn't tell the manager. If the carwash is a chain-owned affair, I'd notify them to see if they have insurance (they do) and if they'll honor your damage claim (they probably won't.)
You're probably scrood.
I'll betcha they have a sign on the premises absolving them of responsibility. The sign does no such thing obviously---but unless you prevail in small claims court, your only other option is to sick a lawyer on them, which is both cost prohibitive and probably not going to work. Who's to say the scratches weren't on the car before you showed up at the Wash-O-Rama?
The BBB is another possibility...but another slim one.
Get an estimate from a GOOD body shop. They might be able to mitigate the damage---which is probably on the clear coat portion of the paint only....and stay away from the Wash-O-Rama.
The Prius has a glass jaw, and you're going to get enough damage to the front end just driving it.
Sorry.

Good LUCK!
(You're gonna need it....)

I haven't been to a carwash in like, a decade because of this possibility, and the fact that they've gotten so expensive.

 

Thanks for your reply. I did tell the manager, who was the guy doing the scratching. I showed him the scratches and used my iphone to video document the conversation. We exchanged info and he claimed the independant owner would call me. I'm getting an estimate tomorrow and bringing it to him. If he refuses, I'll have my uncle call him. He's a lawyer. I'm not that kind of guy but ive owned my car for 3 weeks and freaked. Thanks

 

I'm glad you're not "that kind of guy", and I hope it works out for you. The fact that he was willing to talk to you is promising...
Good Luck.

 

I had this happen to me with a brand new car 30 years ago. I was so angry I could spit. Same thing, I went home and took it to a body shop and by the time I got it there the "scratches" were almost gone. I don't know why or how, but a little polish and it was just fine.

I hope the same thing happens to you. Sometimes that type of "scratch" is simply dirt rubbing on the paint and it can get rubbed off just as easy at it got rubbed on.

Good luck. A good body shop can do wonders with the proper tools.

 

Sorry to the OP. That's gotta suck.

Nobody and nothing touches my clearcoat except what I put on it. I won't even brush snow off of it this winter. I'll just let the wind blow it off or use bare hands.

 

Thanks Mhadden. Silver is what I got and I'm happy. I appreciate the advice.