After having his car’s paint completely ruined, a man appeared online to warn others about letting a dealership wash their car.
The case was shared by the owner of The Auto Stars, an automotive detailing and customization shop in New Jersey. In a video posted on his TikTok profile, he issued the warning while showing the extent of the damage to the paint.
“When you take your car in for service, always make sure to tell the dealership not to wash your car,” he explained at the beginning of the video, before revealing that he forgot to make that request to the dealership staff — something he said he deeply regretted.
While showing the wash marks on the driver’s door, he emphasized that they came from a single visit. “This is from one time. One time someone else washed this car, and look at the damage,” he lamented.
He then advised car owners that if they want to keep their vehicles’ paint “perfect,” they should prefer professional detailing shops for washes instead of dealerships.
The video has already accumulated more than 19,000 views and several comments from users who shared their own horror stories with dealerships. “Volkswagen destroyed my Tiguan V-12,” complained one TikTok user.
“I would absolutely never let them wash it or take my car to a car wash. Not even my 16-year-old son’s Kia. Never,” said another. “I bought a new Tacoma in 2023 — yes, I know it’s a truck — but I still would never run it through a car wash. Hand wash only,” commented a third user.
Photo and video: TikTok @theautostars. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
@theautostars Never & I mean NEVER let the dealership wash your car. Find Auto Stars. #detailing #cardetailer #cars #audi ♬ original sound – The Auto Stars
