F-150’s Car-Wash Crunch Costs Big Bucks
New Aluminum Ford F-150 Suffers $6,000 in Damage after Antenna Is Ripped from Fender at Drive-Through Facility
Here’s one for all the aluminum haters out there to feed off of. Like many folks this time of year, F-150 Forum member dtibbals recently decided to take his new truck through a cheap car wash to clean it up a bit. Instead, he got more than he bargained for — the removal of his Ford F-150’s antenna.
The rotating brush in the drive-through car wash took hold of the antenna and ripped it clean out of the aluminum fender. Making matters worse, the antenna proceeded to beat the passenger side of the truck mercilessly. The ensuing carnage consisted of multiple dents and scratches. Total cost of damage: $6,000.
Obviously, dtibbals was livid when he exited the truck and saw the aftermath. Making matters worse, the car wash owner declined to accept responsibility. All car washes post signs claiming that they aren’t responsible for damages, so this is no surprise. Most specifically state that you should remove your antenna before entering.
Of course, nobody pays attention to those things. And as far as we know, this is the first time an antenna has been ripped from the fender of an F-150 — aluminum or not. Whether or not the new metal is to blame can be debated until the cows come home. If nothing else, take it as a sign that you need to remove your antenna or avoid drive-through car washes altogether.
If there’s a silver lining to this story, it’s that dtibbals only had to pay a $500 deductible and his insurance handled the rest. The insurance company and the truck owner are pursuing legal action via small claims court. His truck was repaired. But clearly, this marks his very last trip through a cheap drive thru car wash.
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