OKC woman left on the hook for damage caused by car wash accident

John Hayes/KFOR
·4 min read
45

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City woman said she’s frustrated after being told that likely she or her insurance will be responsible for a $3,700 bill for damage to her car at a car wash.

Kristina Rodriguez said she visited a Northwest Oklahoma City Club Car Wash on April 7 to get a wash.

“We have a membership on two of our cars there,” said Rodriguez. “We’ve probably been going there off and on for the last year maybe.”

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Rodriguez said she never expected to come out of the experience with damage to her 2024 Hyundai Kona.

She said the vehicle has less than 3,000 miles on it and hadn’t been in any accidents prior to April 7.

She said her experience initially started off normal, before being ushered into the car wash tunnel, and sandwiched between multiple vehicles.

“All of a sudden we started hearing the noise like a siren or something,” said Rodriguez. “One of the employees asked if I hit a car and I said I wasn’t sure, but I was very close compared to what I was.”

Rodriguez said a few minutes later the line of cars started moving again.

“Then I felt the car behind me hit me and then I hit the car in front of me and then so on,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said an employee came and talked to her again, telling her and the other drivers involved to pull around to an office to take photos and file claims with Club Car Wash’s claims department.

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“The employee that talked to us took our information and said that a car put their brakes on, basically sped off,” said Rodriguez. “That’s what started the ripple effect of all of us hitting each other. The car behind me, the car in back of me has similar damage, scrape marks on the side, some gouging in the front of their vehicles.”

Rodriguez said she was pretty surprised her estimated cost for damages was so expensive after taking her car to get checked out.

“Especially the light alone,” said Rodriguez. “The process for the part and labor, I think, was around $1,200-1,300. That’s just the cover for the light, because those scratches can’t be buffed out. I want my car to look brand new. That’s how I went in there with it.”

Rodriguez said her attempts to get her claim resolved have not left her with the answers she wants to hear after reaching out to the claims department.

“She said, just keep your receipts and you can basically file it with the insurance,” said Rodriguez. “She did not give the impression they were going to do anything at all. She didn’t even ask for the claim number.”

Rodriguez said she was also frustrated after allegedly being told by an employee that her and the other vehicles in the tunnel had been instructed to go in too quickly.

“The employee that was gathering our information told us that we were too close together,” said Rodriguez.

News 4 reached out to Club Car Wash’s claims department for comment.

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A customer service representative told us he was unable to make a statement and would forward us on to a supervisor.

A News 4 employee never heard back from that supervisor after leaving a detailed message.

News 4 also reached out to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Central Oklahoma for guidance on how Oklahomans in Rodriguez’s situation should proceed.

Kit Letcher, President & CEO of BBB Central Oklahoma said that situations like the one Rodriguez are dealing with can be tricky.

“If it’s Club Car Wash or different things that you’ve signed up for, often times they have rules and things that you’ve agreed to,” said Letcher. “It’s a really good idea to read that, to understand what you are responsible for as the consumer, as you’re using the car wash or really with any service that you’re purchasing.”

Letcher said, as frustrating as it may be, more often than not a consumer will have to work through their own insurance agency to recoup any losses or to fix any damage that happens in this case.

News 4 visited Club Car Wash’s website and found the following list of damage it’s not responsible for included below:

  • Vehicles Taller Than 86”

  • Vehicles Wider Than 73” From Inside Driver Side Tire to Outside Passenger Tire

  • Trucks with Uncovered Beds That Are Not Completely Empty and Free of Any Kind of Debris

  • Full-Size Hummers

  • Select Trucks with Ladder Racks

  • Vehicles with Tires Wider Than 12.5” or Dual Tires

  • Vehicles 7 Years or Older

  • Bug Shields or Rain Guards of Any Kind

  • Any Style Antenna

  • Aftermarket Wheels or Extended Valve Stems

  • Power Running Boards in Down Position

  • Windshields with Prior Chips or Cracks

  • Non-Factory Installed Parts and Accessories

  • All Externally Attached Items

  • Pre-Existing Paint Imperfections

  • Any Prior Vehicle Damage

  • Accidents Due to Driver Negligence

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