Paint swirl marks after car wash

Hey all, I’ve owned black vehicles before. I have friends that own black vehicles.This is after like maybe five car washes. I’ve taken it to the dealer, I’ve complained to the car wash. This is not “normal swirling” this looks like I drove at high speeds through a Christmas tree farm. The entire vehicle looks like this. It’s notably worse in some spots. Not really sure what to do. Insurance gave me 600 bucks to have it “cut and buffed” when personally I think it’s a defect in the clear coat or paint. Is ANYONE out there having any kind of issues with their midnight black metallic paint? Dealer said it’s common and it’s been happening since about 2016. Not really sure what he’s referencing.

 

It’s snows heavily where I live in Idaho and there’s not really an option to wash it at home when it’s like that so I took it to the car wash every time it would clear up for a coupon weeks.

 

that’s all from the auto wash considering the direction of the swirl marks. the wax used at auto washes mask swirls and scratches like that and then the swirls come back when the film wears off.

take the money your insurance gave you and get the paint corrected.

 

Welcome to owning a dark color car and running though a brush car wash. A good paint correction will fix it, then either PPF or ceramic coating right after. Stay away from car washes that use rotating Christmas trees to clean your car.

 

Does a paint correction remove paint? Are we talking about applying compound to the clear coat?
The paint is pretty thin.

 

I would recommend in the winter to pull into a self wash bay and just use the pressure washer wand to hose the truck off. If the truck has a good coating going into the winter, it should rinse easily.

 

Don’t think it’s a dealership wash.

 

Hmm, maybe I read his OP wrong then

 

No, it wasn’t a dealership wash, it was one near my house “rocket express”. When I complained to the car wash manager, we walked outside to a brand new black Escalade that just came out of the wash, and I even used a flashlight and couldn’t find anything on it that remotely looked like what happened to my 4Runner after less washes. Lady said she’d been taking her Escalade through it once a week since she bought it a few months ago. I truly believe it’s Toyota and their very soft paint. Am very upset. My buddy who works at a body shop told me he could buff it out easily and make it look like it was brand new, but if I ever took it through an auto car wash again, it would just happen again. He recommend that I put a good ceramic coat on it after he buffs it and never take it through an auto car wash again

 

Also, if anybody knows a spray or a wax that would mask the swirls and can make it look brand new again, That works for me. I’m not super picky.

 

I've been taking vehicles through touchless drive through car washes exclusively for a couple of decades, using brush type car washes is just asking for paint swirls and scratches. What does your insurance company say about the damages ?

 

I’d let your buddy do the paint correction and then stay away from those type of car washes.

 

Yes and no. It will really depend on how deep the scratches are, the compounds used, and who does the paint correction. Sometimes the clear coat will heat up enough to heal with a simple swirl removing compound and DA buffer. Sometimes an abrasive compound will need to be used which will begin removing clear coat. If they are really deep, a color/wet sand will be needed followed by compounds to correct everything.

Just make sure that the person is experienced if the rotary buffer comes out. It’s super easy to burn the paint and remove clear coat with those machines in seconds.

 

Thats awful sorry to see this wow! I would try a paint correction and maybe xpel and ceramic the whole vehicle? Gosh yes stay away from those car washes. I get that winter nonsense. I store my 4R in the winter and only hand wash, but for my everyday Accord I take buckets to the quarter wash and hand wash in winter. It sucks its cold and awful but it keeps it nice. I am getting too old to do it though; someday i need a real winter beater car

 

I went through a car wash much more than 5 times and never got so much damage.

 

And that is why I will not go through a car wash that makes physical contact with my paint. Touchless may not work as well but that does not happen.

Everything I've read says Toyota paint is very thin. Everything I've read about black says it shows every little mark. Combine the two and touchless car washes in the winter when I cannot do it by hand (and I have not really gotten a good grasp on how I want to do hand washes to prevent swirling yet).

 

Yeah I think the pain on most Japanese vehicles is more thin as compared to domestic name plate vehicles. I would just spray at a quarter wash with soapy water and leave those brus places alone

 

It'll buff out. I did it in the driveway.



4 days and 20 hrs. of buffing and a case of beer later....


The wife is stunned that I rubbed out the scratches (I kinda am, too) To say that she was pissed would be an understatement. Lucky she was riding shotgun when I did it!!
I have zero experience doing any kind of buffing. I stopped at the body supply store for advice. They recommended Meguire's Solo Cut and Polish Cream applied with a wool pad on a polisher-not on an orbital buffer. Final polish with a foam pad.
I didn't get them completely out. I was afraid that I might get through the clear coat and into the paint. The sun has to be at the correct angle to see the very few teeny-tiny scratches that remain.

I am really proud of the results. Amazing!!

 

Well that gives me a lot of hope.

 

I took it to the best detailer in Boise today and he told me about $350-400 to make it look brand new. Told me the $800 ceramic coating I was inquiring about was a more of a waste of money if I was going to take it off-roading and through the mud and forest, said it’s more for show cars that you don’t drive very often. I was surprised he said that since I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about ceramic coatings.

He also mentioned it looked like it wasn’t painted correctly because of the “Orange peel” look to the paint that he said originated from improper painting environments or something like that. Weird. Thoughts?

 

Did you notice after the first car wash. And still went back for additional washes?.
My Toyota dealership has one on those Xmas tree Car washes.

Thankfully they wouldn't run my truck through because of the accessories - Deflectors

 

NEVER run your car through a car wash if you want it to keep looking new. You’re just asking them to scrub your paint with the previous 20 cars’ dirt. Letting it stay dirty in the winter doesn’t harm the paint at all. Just wash when weather permits.

 

i would never take a dark colored car let alone and my vehicles through a car wash. Those washing wheel fibers hold dirt and debris to tear up your paint. Ugh that sucks man!!

 

Most manufacturers dont polish/wet sand out the orange peel effect anymore. This is to save money

 

and that right there is the EXACT reason I dont go through car washes. If you have to, use touchless

 

Even then, those are not good to use. Touchless washes use harsher chemicals that can etch glass/paint.

 

Amen. I wash it myself. Foam cannon and two bucket method.

 

I agree, washing it yourself is the best option. However in the winters here my foam cannon and bucket sucks big time during the cold. Its just not possible. In the winter Im forced to use a touchless car wash option. First world problems....

 

My wife's black Grand Cherokee goes through a touch car wash all the time and has never experienced anything like this. If I were you, I would have a professional cut, polish and ceramic coating done to avoid this in the future. I would also stay away from that car wash and hand wash when possible. My 2020 Tacoma was ceramic coated and never received swirls or marks from touch car washes.