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Steering wheel scratch


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Took my car in for a service at my local dealer and when I arrived at home I noticed a scratch on the bottom of the wheel. When I called them the next day they were adamant it wasn't them and a bit rude in saying they will not even look at it! Clearly and obviously they have damaged it. Really dissapointed and now means I will need to drive further to a different dealer for servicing work. 

 

I have been rubbing it constantly whilst driving for about a week now and it seems to be slowly going. I'm probably filling it with dirt and oils from my hands. Just frustrating that someone can treat a customer's car in such a way and then not be honest enough to tell me about or even offer to help fix it.

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Completely understand and it's frustrating when you take good care of your car and somewhere like a dealer doesn't. How bad is your scratch?

 

I got mine back from a dealer service yesterday, and found scratches on my roof. Wouldn't usually let them wash it but hadn't been done for 2 months and no time over the next couple of weeks either. Looks like it's only in the clear coat and should come out so didn't take it up with them. Expect I'd have received a similar response to what you had.

 

iKvVYU.jpg

 

 

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It's not too bad but bad enough to feel it. And the fact I know it's there makes it worse as I'm always rubbing it. I suspect over time I will forget about but it's frustrating. It looks like someone has jumped in and caught the wheel with their zip. The fact the steering wheel had been adjusted aswell just cements the fact that it has been done by them. They were adamant it wasn't them though. It really annoyed me so I told them what I thought of them and hung up! Probably shouldn't of done that but I was annoyed. I also let them wash my car but they did an awful job and it was really streaky. Also the trip had been reset and they had taken it on a road test where it only achieved 18mpg so the technician had obviously thrashed the life out of it. I'll never go back to that dealer again. I'll drive the 20 miles to the next one! Hopefully your scratch comes out...

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So call the Dealer Principal not the Service Desk person or Service Manager, the Dealer Principal should know which employee is careless if they have a careless one, 

technician or car washer or anyone with a ring, zip or what ever.   It will not be the only car that it happens to if it is someone that gets in and out many every day.

Then an Email to the Dealer Principal asking for a reply in writing.

 

The MPG can be low with a car sitting ticking over after the Oil / Filter change and then a road test, 

so best not assume just because of driven hard.

Edited by AwaoffSki
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Sorry to be so negative but it's one person's word against anothers and unless you can prove the car was damage free when dropped off then a resolution is unlikely.

 

There is one bright light tho, all cars should have undergone a damage report before the garage worked on it. If no damage was noted before they started work, then you can certainly make a case / may receive more sympathy / goodwill guesture etc.  However that's depending on when the damage was reported. If you mentioned it before leaving the premises then all good and well, but if you noticed the damage AFTER collecting the car...  the garage will, in my opinion quite rightly, suggest the damage took place afterwards and is not their responsibility.  Just put yourself in the position of the garage owner - if that was allowed to happen, how many people do you think would try to have previous damaged fixed at the garages expense?

 

Ahenners - I do have sympathy but the garage has no case to answer. How reasonable is it to say the mark wasn't already present on a car that hadn't been cleaned in over 2 months? I'm sure we've all cleaned our cars at sometime only to discover new stone chips or even small dentsthat had gone unnoticed.

Edited by Guest
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53 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

Ahenners - I do have sympathy but the garage has no case to answer. How reasonable is it to say the mark wasn't already present on a car that hadn't been cleaned in over 2 months? I'm sure we've all cleaned our cars at sometime only to discover new stone chips or even small dentsthat had gone unnoticed.

 

I can say with 99% certainty those were not there previously, I went over the car and took pictures inside and out before it went in. The roof was not that dirty compared to other areas as to mask such obvious scratches. As it is the roof there isn't really a huge amount of stuff that generally comes into direct contact with it day to day.

 

I have never let anyone else wash it during my ownership, nor do I have any similar scratches elsewhere on the car. Stone chips yeah, it's littered with them on the front end, but scratches like that can only really be from someone leaning over the roof with a zip, or from a sponge/cloth with a stone caught in it etc. They do not run from front to back, but from the driver's side towards the centre.

 

Is it a coincidence that in 2 years of ownership I have never found anything similar, and I have a keen eye for detail and take plenty of care when it comes to detailing, yet an hour after letting the dealer wash it, I find some unusual scratches?

 

The wash and vac wasn't even good, or left me feeling it was anything other than a rush job that they didn't particularly care about. Car was streaky and still dirty in places, and I still had crumbs and bits in the corners of some of my seats. I just hope the servicing technicians take better pride in their work and pay more attention to detail.

 

I'm not crying over it, I'm fairly sure I can remove it with my DA or at least make it almost unnoticeable. But is it so unreasonable to expect dealers to take better care of customers' cars? 

Edited by ahenners
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1 hour ago, Scot5 said:

Sorry to be so negative but it's one person's word against anothers and unless you can prove the car was damage free when dropped off then a resolution is unlikely.

 

There is one bright light tho, all cars should have undergone a damage report before the garage worked on it. If no damage was noted before they started work, then you can certainly make a case / may receive more sympathy / goodwill guesture etc.  However that's depending on when the damage was reported. If you mentioned it before leaving the premises then all good and well, but if you noticed the damage AFTER collecting the car...  the garage will, in my opinion quite rightly, suggest the damage took place afterwards and is not their responsibility.  Just put yourself in the position of the garage owner - if that was allowed to happen, how many people do you think would try to have previous damaged fixed at the garages expense?

 

Ahenners - I do have sympathy but the garage has no case to answer. How reasonable is it to say the mark wasn't already present on a car that hadn't been cleaned in over 2 months? I'm sure we've all cleaned our cars at sometime only to discover new stone chips or even small dentsthat had gone unnoticed.

You clearly work for the dealer:D 

 

And yes we inspected the car before I handed the keys over and also inspected the courtesy I was given. Should I really need to go round and check every square inch of the car before I take it home? Have I got time to do so after a full day's work? No. Is it unreasonable to expect a main dealer to look after your pride and joy in a trustworthy manner? 

 

Listen I understand there will be bogus claims made but I was genuine and honest with them. Had I done it myself I wouldn't have even called them. 

 

W#***#s

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I left my car with a relative who dropped us at the airport and kept the car for me (he lives nearby), came back from holiday to a 2" scratch top dead centre on the steering wheel - he had kindly fitted a steering lock as he was concerned for the car's security whilst in his care...

 

Obviously as he was very kind and did us a massive favour I said nothing, and whilst it bugged me for months after because I felt it every time I drove, it has now almost disappeared - it will wear smooth with use.

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