A family was hit with a £1,800 bill after their Range Rover was left badly damaged and their toddler soaked when the vehicle went through a car wash. Andrew Fenn and his partner Cara Burke said they had been preparing to take their son, Otis, to meet Paddington Bear but decided to use a car wash first. The family pulled into the car wash at Tesco Wrexham, in North Wales, but soon faced a disaster. The family were left with a substantial bill after discovering part of their SUV had been ripped off, allowing water to spray into the car. Their terrified youngster, aged just 18 months, has since developed a fear of travelling in cars.
The Incident
Cara, who works as a nurse, said chaos erupted halfway through the wash. She explained: "During the wash cycle, the machine caused the rear passenger door to open – it appears the rotating rubber brush caught the rear door handle. Water was sprayed into the car and onto our toddler, who was sat in the back seat. Andrew was able to twist from the driver's seat to shut the door. Then it happened again - the door was opened and more water was sprayed in. We were shocked because you don't expect a car wash to be capable of doing that, especially with a child sat in the back at the time. Next thing, we heard a massive bang. As the machine was behind us, we decided to get out quickly, leaving the wash to continue its cycle. It was pretty scary."
Once outside, the Wrexham couple discovered the SUV's top spoiler had been completely ripped off, leaving a gaping hole and exposing the underlying electrics. The resulting repair bill came to a staggering £1,800. Tesco said follow-up investigations revealed the car wash was functioning properly and a disclaimer warned against its use by Range Rovers. Jaguar Land Rover stated that it is "common practice" for car manufacturers to advise customers not to use commercially operated automatic car washes.
Aftermath and Response
Following the incident, Andrew, 31, who runs a window film business, requested to speak to the Tesco store manager. During the 40-minute wait, his mother turned up to collect Otis. Cara, who is eight months pregnant, said: "He was very distressed. It was terrible trying to persuade him to go into her car. It's been horrendous. He's slowly getting better but he's still very upset by the experience."
A manager said he would complete an incident form and Tesco would be in touch. Having heard nothing from the store, Cara said she went back the following day and was assured she'd receive a call. When nothing materialised, she returned a second time and was once again told to expect a phone call. She said: "Soon after I was rung by a store manager saying the incident hadn't been recorded properly and could we do it now. This was quite concerning considering how serious the damage was."
Cara, 27, was referred to head office, who informed her the claim had been passed to Tesco's insurers. This week the couple discovered that Tesco's claims handlers had rejected their claim, stating the car wash was "fully operational" and that no defects were found. The vehicle spent a fortnight in a garage being repaired. When it was picked up this week, the bill totalled £1,800.
Company Statements
Tesco said it was sorry about the family's experience while using its Wrexham car wash, and their subsequent dissatisfaction with its investigation. The company said all claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis and that, where appropriate, it will arrange repairs and hire. Tesco suggested independent legal advice as an alternative route. The retailer said disclaimer signage recommends that customers "consult owner's manual before using wash". Additionally, there is a notice on store payment machines advising Land Rover and Range Rover customers to not use the car wash. This came as a shock to Andrew and Cara, who had no idea Range Rovers were specifically vulnerable to damage in automatic, brush-based car washes.
A spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover UK said: "We welcome the opportunity to investigate this incident and are awaiting the appropriate client information and permissions to do so. More broadly, and in line with what is standard across the automotive industry, our manufacturer documentation advises that commercially operated automatic car washes are not recommended. This guidance is common practice because this type of equipment can cause damage to exterior components. We therefore advise owners to follow the cleaning procedures specified for their model and vehicle specifications."
Tesco car washes are owned and run by Wilcomatic. These are remotely monitored and regularly inspected to ensure they're functioning properly, the retailer confirmed. Tesco employees also conduct routine checks, including a test wash before the car wash opens each morning. Should a customer encounter problems, Wilcomatic is contacted to carry out an inspection.
Family's Determination
Cara remains determined to continue her fight, having spoken out publicly to alert other motorists to the potential risks. She said: "I'm always a bit wary of using these car washes but we've never had an issue before. Being pregnant, constantly chasing Tesco for answers was the last thing I needed. One thing is for sure - we won't be using automatic car washes any more. From now on, it'll all be done by hand!"
