Even though Tesla added a new Car Wash Mode in a recent software update, a facility in New York has banned Teslas because they are not “car wash friendly.”
And it isn’t because they think electric cars can’t get wet.
According to a sign posted near the entrance of the car wash and shared on Facebook, the operators cite the Tesla Owner’s Manual as the reason they “no longer wash Tesla’s.”
They specifically take issue with the section of the manual that cautions owners to only use touchless car washes which contain no moving brushes that “touch the surface of your Tesla’s.”
As a result, they believe it is irresponsible to make a car that is not “car wash friendly” and Teslas are no longer allowed to use their facility.
Ignoring the typos and grammatical errors, they have actually correctly cited the ‘Cleaning’ section of the owner’s manual, almost word for word.
The problem lies not in the fact that a Tesla can’t go through a car wash. Rather it is because the brushes accumulate dirt and grime and when they spin at high speeds, they can easily leave scratches in the paint.
What the operators of this car wash fail to realize is that this is a problem for every car and no manufacturer is going to warranty paint damage from a car wash. In fact, this kind of caution is a pretty standard one that is included by most vehicle manufacturers in their owner’s manuals.
Further, all car washes have disclaimers that say they are not responsible for damage to the vehicle while caused while using their facility, so it seems odd that they would single out Tesla over this “issue.”
Have you seen a similar ban at your local car wash? Let us know in the comments below.
