A family from Wrexham, North Wales, has been left with a £1,800 repair bill after their Range Rover was severely damaged in a Tesco car wash. Andrew Fenn and Cara Burke were preparing to take their 18-month-old son, Otis, to meet Paddington Bear when they decided to use the automatic car wash at the Tesco store in Wrexham.
During the wash cycle, the rear passenger door was caught by a rotating brush and opened, spraying water into the car and onto the toddler. The door was forced open a second time before a loud bang indicated further damage. The family exited the vehicle to find the top spoiler had been ripped off, leaving exposed electrics.
Cara Burke, a nurse who is eight months pregnant, described the incident as 'pretty scary'. Otis has since developed a fear of travelling in cars. The couple contacted Tesco but faced delays in the claims process. Eventually, their claim was rejected on the grounds that the car wash was fully operational and no defects were found.
Tesco stated that disclaimers warned against using the wash for Range Rovers, with signage on payment machines advising against it. The company expressed sympathy but suggested the family seek independent legal advice. Jaguar Land Rover said it is common practice for manufacturers to advise against using commercial automatic car washes.
The family only discovered the specific warning about Range Rovers after the incident. They had expected at most minor scratches from an automatic wash. The repair took two weeks and cost £1,800, which the couple now has to cover themselves.
