[ihines10]

I recently picked up my car from a dealer in Louisville and drove it back home to Florida last Friday. Had the car completely paint corrected and ceramic coated by my go-to detail shop here. They did front PPF as well (front bumper, hood, A pillars, front fenders, and side mirrors). They do excellent work and the car was pretty much perfect. I dropped it off with them last Wednesday 12/14 and picked it up Friday evening 12/16. I have not washed the car since.

Since I drove so far I was already due for my break-in service and dropped it off with my local dealer this morning. They were awesome in allowing me to squeeze in since the earliest appointment they originally said they could get it done wasn’t until the 29th. I clearly specified that I did not want them to wash the car and the service advisor had written very clearly on his write up “DO NOT WASH.” I got the call around 6pm to come pick it up.

When they pulled the car up sure enough there was water dripping down from the mirrors and inside the wheels. I had the service advisor come outside and at least acknowledge it. He was apologetic and honestly super helpful and nice through the process, but there are clearly swirl marks and scratches in the paint that were not there when I dropped it off, especially in the gloss black rocker panels and pillars between the driver and passenger door windows.

The service manager was already gone for the day (understandably) and I’m meeting with him tomorrow morning. I’m a pretty non-confrontational person and really hate being “that customer.” It takes a lot of BS to actually get me worked up, and I know this is a relatively small issue to most but I am very particular to how my paint looks, especially three days after spending a decent amount of money to get it looking how I want it.

Has anyone had a similar situation and any advice as how to approach it? I understand small mistakes do happen, and the dealership really doesn’t deserve any flak for this yet as it is, like I said, a relatively small issue and they haven’t had a chance to amend it.

Overall the paint still looks better than how it did when I picked the car up from the selling dealer, but a lot worse than it did just three days ago. Any advice, incite, or comments are greatly appreciated!

[Lakeside]

I had a local dealer do this to me years ago, even worse because it made me late for work.

Same dealer poked a screwdriver through my door panel and didn’t want it fix it because it would be expensive.

And…. Same dealer expressed doubt that I could afford the car I wanted to test drive.

Not sure what to say other than some dealers suck, and even good ones can make mistakes.

[ihines10]

Originally Posted by Lakeside

I had a local dealer do this to me years ago, even worse because it made me late for work.

Same dealer poked a screwdriver through my door panel and didn’t want it fix it because it would be expensive.

And…. Same dealer expressed doubt that I could afford the car I wanted to test drive.

Not sure what to say other than some dealers suck, and even good ones can make mistakes.

I understand mistakes. Good service really isn’t too difficult. The real question is how they go about making those mistakes right. Guess we’ll see what kind of dealer I’m working with here shortly

[Forzanerazzurri]

Part out.

Seriously though I'd be more worried about the fact that you broke the car in on the highway.

[gs1403]

The dealership most definitely deserves flak. In light of how much time, money and emotion we invest in taking care of these cars, I wouldn't take something like this lightly. They basically reversed your four-figure detailing job in a matter of minutes. I wouldn't worry too much about the PPF as it's probably self-healing, but they should pay to have the rest of the car paint-corrected and re-coated, and not by their people but by your original installer. I wouldn't accept any less of a solution. Depending on how apologetic and/or accommodating they are, I may offer to pay for a portion of it in exchange for some concessions on their end like a gift card to their parts department or something. They should do everything they reasonably can to make this right.

[ihines10]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

Part out.

Seriously though I'd be more worried about the fact that you broke the car in on the highway.

Lol. Fair enough. Good news is a decent amount of the drive home was through mountains/twisties. Plenty of downshifts and halfish throttle bends plus about 4-500 miles of normal/city driving once back home. Pretty comfortable with how “broken in” she is

[ihines10]

Originally Posted by gs1403

The dealership most definitely deserves flak. In light of how much time, money and emotion we invest in taking care of these cars, I wouldn't take something like this lightly. They basically reversed your four-figure detailing job in a matter of minutes. I wouldn't worry too much about the PPF as it's probably self-healing, but they should pay to have the rest of the car paint-corrected and re-coated, and not by their people but by your original installer. I wouldn't accept any less of a solution. Depending on how apologetic and/or accommodating they are, I may offer to pay for a portion of it in exchange for some concessions on their end like a gift card to their parts department or something. They should do everything they reasonably can to make this right.

Not quite “taking it lightly,” just not slamming a service guy (yet) for not having a complete solution when I picked my car up fifteen minutes before close when all the higher ups are already gone for the day. He gave me everything I asked for in writing, with his signature, after we caught the issue and already set an appointment to meet with the service manager first thing in the morning. At least have to commend him on that, since this whole thing was probably mostly not on him. As far as the PPF, kind of funny to look at how good it still looks compared to the rest of the car. Makes me think I shouldn’t have cheaped out and just gotten the whole car wrapped. The rest of your response pretty much sums up exactly what I was thinking as far as them covering a fix-job by my detail shop, I just have a feeling it’s going to take a lot of pushing to get them to accept that. Was hoping to have a nice morning on my day off cleaning my car the right way, not back at the dealer already

[kjx]

Originally Posted by ihines10

As far as the PPF, kind of funny to look at how good it still looks compared to the rest of the car. Makes me think I shouldn’t have cheaped out and just gotten the whole car wrapped.

First off, sucks this happened. The dealer should make you whole for this.

Having spent $4.5k on a front and back wrap on my previous BMW (+ ceramic), and then $6.5k on front and back wrap + ceramic on my X5, this is why I went full body PPF + windshield protection + ceramic on wheels/brakes on the M4 at $13.5k. PPF can take abuse like you’ve noticed but it’s good to still only hand wash it for longevity in how good it looks.

PPF is the only way to go if your desire for perfection is high enough, and your budget can stretch to match. Ceramic is just a more permanent “wax”. It is just lasts longer than wax by 10x to 20x. It is nowhere near a substitute for PPF in protecting your clear coat. The real value in ceramic is mostly in the paint correction that is done before application (or re-application).

You have an opportunity here to have your detailer paint correct the mess the dealer’s done and apply PPF. Do it. The dealer should comp you for the value of your ceramic coat which you can then apply to PPF.

[ihines10]

Originally Posted by kjx

PPF is the only way to go if your desire for perfection is high enough, and your budget can stretch to match. Ceramic is just a more permanent “wax”. It is just lasts longer than wax by 10x to 20x. It is nowhere near a substitute for PPF in protecting your clear coat. The real value in ceramic is mostly in the paint correction that is done before application (or re-application).

You have an opportunity here to have your detailer paint correct the mess the dealer’s done and apply PPF. Do it. The dealer should comp you for the value of your ceramic coat which you can then apply to PPF.

This is definitely a great thought. Thank you for that. I hadn’t really considered doing full body PPF initially since I was really only worried about front end rock chips similar to the bad ones I got on my previous vehicle that had no PPF at all. Never considered ceramic as a substitute for PPF, I just like it for the ease of cleaning/drying with minimal water spotting. The intitial job my shop did was about $3,600, so when it goes back in I will definitely be getting a quote for completing the wrap job. Thanks for the incite!

[Znomorph4theWin]

Sorry this happened. It’s sucks. But do give them a chance to make you and your car whole again.

I had the exact same thing happen to me. A few years back I bought a used Acura TLX as a winter/daily driver. The paint was a bit beat up so took it in for a paint correction and ceramic coating. Just wanted it spruced up a little. There was already several rock chips and scratches in the front end so did not do any PPF work.

Anyway, I had to bring the car to the dealer about 3-4 days after the ceramic coating was done in order for them to compete some warranty work. Not only did I tell the service advisor to not wash the car, but I put a “ DO NOT WASH” sign on the steering wheel!!!

Long story short, like you OP, when I picked up the car, it was dripping wet. I kind of lost it on the SA and demanded to speak to the Service Manager to explain my situation. He was very apologetic and said they would cover any damages.

Luckily, a day or two after, I took the car back to the place where it was coated for them to inspect the paint. While there was some minor scuffing it was not so bad to redo the whole car. In the end, the dealer compensated me fairly for the “damages “ in terms of service credits.

That being said, for my last 3 brand new cars ‘16 GLA45 AMG, 2018 Audi RS5, 2023 BMW M3CX, I always drive the them straight to my reputable shop in for a PPF and complete ceramic coating treatment. I’m very OCD about keeping my babies pristine for both my enjoyment as well as maximize the return on selling.

Note that ceramic coating is great to help with hydrophobic qualities and very minor scratches. It’s a sacrificial layer of protection for your clear coat. As other have said, it is not a replacement for a quality installed self healing PPF. I learned this from my previous Audi. I only invested in doing the front end (hood, bumper, front fenders, mirrors, headlights, and A and B pillars. Unfortunately, there were several areas on the car that only had ceramic coating that had paint chips in them. Namely the side skirts,, rocker panels, bottom of lower front doors.

I learned my lesson when it came time for the BMW to get done. I drove it straight to the shop from the initial pick up from the dealer. However this time I went “all in” and had them do a full car PPF with ceramic coating (got them to do ceramic tint while it was there). They did an amazing job…the car came out perfectly.

Given my OCD, just knowing that the Entire car is fully protected from the evils of the outside world allows me to really enjoy not having to worry about scratches or paint chips anywhere on the car. Such a piece of mind and highly worth it if you plan on keeping the car for awhile.

Hope everything turns out ok for ya!

[flsupraguy]

It a bmw, not a Ferrari Enzo. I can understand being upset since it was recently ceramic coated but one trip through the car wash isn't going to kill it.....

[Limegrntaln]

It won't kill it for those of us that can't see swirl marks, but to those of us who can... It's no bueno. I have my car full PPFd, for a reason. 11,000 miles later, its flawless.

Im not sure what the resolution is, OP, but, I know one thing is for sure. You may need some intervention.

[BMWRacer523]

They should definitely pay for the paint condition to be brought back up to the condition it was in when you handed them the car. It is their responsibility to not damage customer vehicles while in their car. If the service manager does not respond, escalate to the GM.

[vbb]

This is tricky. You should get a quote from your detail shop and then request the dealership cover the bill. Hopefully they do, but if they don't you'll have to think hard about whether it's worth suing them over vs. chalking it up to a bad experience and letting it go.

The larger issue is the OCD nature of paint correction, ceramic coating and PPF and what that has done to car detailing culture. People spending $3k-$10k or more on new car protection is a relatively new thing, and it definitely sets the bar high. If you spent big money on anything, you absolutely deserve to be compensated for someone ruining it. But we've now created a situation where cars cannot even be washed unless very special methods are used, and I think it has created way more anxiety over car ownership. If one single wash can undo thousands of dollars worth of detailing, that makes me wonder if any of it is truly worth it.

[02M3ForMe]

Originally Posted by flsupraguy

It a bmw, not a Ferrari Enzo. I can understand being upset since it was recently ceramic coated but one trip through the car wash isn't going to kill it.....

Who cares what type of car it is? He spent money to perfect the presentation of his car and they undid that work despite explicit acknowledged instructions to not touch it.

A single careless wash with the wrong prep can absolutely cause the kind of damage that he just paid a couple grand to correct.

[omaralt]

Originally Posted by kjx

First off, sucks this happened. The dealer should make you whole for this.

Having spent $4.5k on a front and back wrap on my previous BMW (+ ceramic), and then $6.5k on front and back wrap + ceramic on my X5, this is why I went full body PPF + windshield protection + ceramic on wheels/brakes on the M4 at $13.5k. PPF can take abuse like you’ve noticed but it’s good to still only hand wash it for longevity in how good it looks.

PPF is the only way to go if your desire for perfection is high enough, and your budget can stretch to match. Ceramic is just a more permanent “wax”. It is just lasts longer than wax by 10x to 20x. It is nowhere near a substitute for PPF in protecting your clear coat. The real value in ceramic is mostly in the paint correction that is done before application (or re-application).

You have an opportunity here to have your detailer paint correct the mess the dealer’s done and apply PPF. Do it. The dealer should comp you for the value of your ceramic coat which you can then apply to PPF.

thats f*cking insane..

[evoi19]

This happened at my 1 year service a couple months back. I told them 3x do not wash and he assured me that he’ll let them know. Sure enough I come back and it was washed. SA apologized and offered to do a full detail. Their wash is touchless but the towels they use to dry aren’t the best. Car is ceramic coated and I didn’t see swirls or scratches so I wasn’t that upset but made it clear that I wasn’t happy either. Not going to that dealer any longer.

[kjx]

Originally Posted by omaralt

thats f*cking insane..

Several things contribute to that:
- everything’s more expensive in the Seattle area.
- I got it done at Metropolitan Detail, which is owned by the President of Stek USA - the work and service is outstanding.
- it’s custom work with PPF tucked in - not the precut pieces with the lines showing. The latter is about 40-50% cheaper at shops that do that. A different shop quoted me $7k but not the same impeccable reputation and pieces were precut.
- it cost more to do all the carbon fiber bits including the rear wing. Things like the rear wing had to come off the car to get the trunk lid coverage to be seamless, so there’s cost of labor there too.

[omaralt]

Originally Posted by kjx

Several things contribute to that:
- everything’s more expensive in the Seattle area.
- I got it done at Metropolitan Detail, which is owned by the President of Stek USA - the work and service is outstanding.
- it’s custom work with PPF tucked in - not the precut pieces with the lines showing. The latter is about 40-50% cheaper at shops that do that. A different shop quoted me $7k but not the same impeccable reputation and pieces were precut.
- it cost more to do all the carbon fiber bits including the rear wing. Things like the rear wing had to come off the car to get the trunk lid coverage to be seamless, so there’s cost of labor there too.

whatever works for you, and i really hope you plan on keeping this car for ten plus years.. but in no way shape or form does spending $13.5k on a protective film on a car thas worth $80-90K make any sense at all.

[Forzanerazzurri]

Originally Posted by kjx

First off, sucks this happened. The dealer should make you whole for this.

Having spent $4.5k on a front and back wrap on my previous BMW (+ ceramic), and then $6.5k on front and back wrap + ceramic on my X5, this is why I went full body PPF + windshield protection + ceramic on wheels/brakes on the M4 at $13.5k. PPF can take abuse like you’ve noticed but it’s good to still only hand wash it for longevity in how good it looks.

PPF is the only way to go if your desire for perfection is high enough, and your budget can stretch to match. Ceramic is just a more permanent “wax”. It is just lasts longer than wax by 10x to 20x. It is nowhere near a substitute for PPF in protecting your clear coat. The real value in ceramic is mostly in the paint correction that is done before application (or re-application).

You have an opportunity here to have your detailer paint correct the mess the dealer’s done and apply PPF. Do it. The dealer should comp you for the value of your ceramic coat which you can then apply to PPF.

I got full ceramic infused PPF, all edges wrapped and minor disassembly with ceramic on the wheels and calipers and paid 5 grand cad. Job is perfect too.

[flsupraguy]

Originally Posted by 02M3ForMe

Who cares what type of car it is? He spent money to perfect the presentation of his car and they undid that work despite explicit acknowledged instructions to not touch it.

A single careless wash with the wrong prep can absolutely cause the kind of damage that he just paid a couple grand to correct.

You do realize there's a difference between damaging a cars paint and not? The OP hasnt provided any pics reflecting the "damage". OmG My PaInT is RuIned

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by flsupraguy

You do realize there's a difference between damaging a cars paint and not? The OP hasnt provided any pics reflecting the "damage". OmG My PaInT is RuIned

If there is damage - dealer should pay for the paint correct.

If not, it's life and it happens. I'm not sure what other recourse we have to discuss here.

My suggestion is for the OP to post pics.