After an unfortunate experience, a car owner has sworn off ever using automatic car washes again and thinks that you should, too. In a viral video, TikTok user Melina Sevilla (@unbreakablelatina) shares that against her better judgment, she brought her car to a Quick Quack car wash.
Because she was pressed for time, Sevilla explains, she used the service, but noticed there was some damage sustained to her vehicle. Numerous other folks on the app also cautioned against automatic car washes in the comments section of her video.
She alleges Quick Quack Car Wash damaged her vehicle
Sevilla believes her car’s rim was ruined by the automatic car wash’s conveyor system.
“This is a PSA to anyone that takes their car to those drive-thru car-washes,” she says at the beginning of the clip.
The TikToker prefaces by stating that her white car typically gets quite dirty.
“I should’ve known in my gut, I knew, but it was easy and your girl has no time. So, I’ve been taking my car occasionally to Quick Quack Car Wash in Eastvale. And the other day I discovered that my rim is like scratched. It’s pretty bad.”
Sevilla then thought back to her recent trip to the car wash. “Then I remember that I had taken it to the car wash, and one time, it felt like my car fell off the track,” she says. “And I remember…I was like, ‘Whoa, something’s happening here.’ And I think that’s when the rim got scratched. So anyways, let me show you.”
Sevilla then shows off the wheel on camera, referencing the “scratches” before sarcastically commenting “nice.”
“Never, ever again, I will not let my car get ruined,” she concludes. “I know it’s gonna ruin the paint if I keep taking it there so it’s a blessing in disguise. But still. If anybody wants to wash my car, let me know.”
Automatic car washes get a lot of hate online
Redditors posting in this r/AutoDetailing sub have shared their automatic car wash horror stories.
“I dont use drive through car washes because I imagine fine bits of dirt, rock, and sand get stuck in the automated brushes,” one user wrote. Additionally, the Redditor thinks the sheer number of cars going through the automatic wash can’t be good. “With car after car going through, creating a fine grit sandpaper effect on the car. Is my thinking right here?”
Responding to their post, one person shared an anecdote involving fishing line.
They wrote that one customer who entered the automatic car wash they worked at noticed a scratch. The long gnash on the side of their vehicle wasn’t there before they went through the wash, they claimed. As it turns out, the person ahead of them had some fishing line on their car. It got wrapped up in the brushes, and wrought havoc on the truck’s paint job.
Auto Detail Doctor argues that under no circumstances should you ever bring your car to an automatic car wash. While the author acknowledges that it depends on the car wash you take it to, the doctor overall recommends steering clear of them.
The reason? Like many others state, automatic car washes are awful for paint jobs. “Absolutely do not take your vehicle through an automatic car wash because it IS very bad for your vehicle’s paint finish! It’s an excellent way to scratch your car!” Car owners on this Bimmerpost forum also advise a fellow driver to avoid automatic car washes like the plague.
Automatic car wash conveyor belts aren’t an “exact science”
Additionally, Chapel Hill Tire lists numerous reasons why car owners should opt for hand washes instead.
While automatic car washes can cause scratches and damage to car paint jobs, the outlet notes, it also mentions “alignment troubles.” Next, the article claims that if the conveyor belts at automatic washes are “misaligned,” this is bad news. Because your car’s own wheel alignment can be thrown out of whack.
Other damage to one’s vehicle could be sustained in auto washes, Chapel Hill states. Such as “broken or damaged rearview mirrors” and “rim damage,” which is what happened to the TikToker’s car. “Bent or broken windshield wipers” are also known to be a recurring problem, according to the article. In some instances, “windshield damage and cracking” can also occur, the site says.
Commenters are wary of auto car washes
In the comments section of Sevilla’s post, one user wrote, “My license plate got snatched off at quick quack.”
“Lol mine got a big ole scratch on the side of my car.. I even got a tent because of the car wash,” another wrote.
“Yes drive through car washes will ruin your paint,” a further user argued.
However, according to one commenter, the problem seems to lie with this specific Quack Quack location. “I went to that same car wash in Eastvale, & it ripped off the trim on one side of my car,” they state.
Another TikToker reported that their car’s paint was ruined by automatic car washes. “My paint started peeling in certain areas when I started going to those. I never experienced it before either,” they wrote.
@unbreakablelatina @Quick Quack Car Wash ♬ original sound – Unbreakable Latina
So what’s a car owner to do?
According to this TikTok user, going the hand wash route is best: “I take all my cars to a 100% hand wash location, it’s alittle more expensive but they do such a good job, no brooms, no bristles, straight microfiber clothes. I pay 40-50$ every weekend.”
Taking the time to do it yourself may best the best course of action, if you don’t mind putting in some elbow grease. This TikTok user seems to love it. “That’s why I hand wash it myself bought a car cleaning kit from Walmart , bump my jams it’s so therapeutic lol,” they wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Quick Quack Car Wash via email and Sevilla via TikTok comment for further information.
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