Antredd

In the southern CA area, most details prices range from $129 with a maintenance service to as high as $199.

edgeucated

iTrader: (4)

No, never.

The dealership overcharges and they won't do a very good job. I personally enjoy waxing my car myself, but if I was force to, I would much rather pay a private person to wax my car. A personal detailer will do a much better job than the dealership.

jdmSW20

iTrader: (12)

here in vegas they will detail a lexus owners vehicle for free. ive went twice already, only because the dealership is about 7 min around the corner from my house lol

509IS350

iTrader: (5)

Nope. I do it myself. Its my other hobby. Well another one lol...

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

One of the best investments I ever made

Fizzboy7

Never. I enjoy doing my own car. Plus the pre-owned cars I've seen sitting on most lots have swirls all over them. That's a good indication of their work. Maybe things have improved over the years, but I still wouldn't trust someone else who has to bust out four or five details per day.

Kentchup

iTrader: (2)

haah cant agree more!

iRyan

iTrader: (7)

no never....dealership is a last resort for everything....lol they overcharge and underwork...private washers are way better

Heckler

iTrader: (1)

Never - I do the work myself. When I go to the dealership they know not to even wash my car.

karasha

iTrader: (5)

Please don't let dealers touch your car. They are "speed detailers". They are allotted only so much time to detail your car, so they cut corners to make the deadline. A true detailer takes as long as they need, and, if they are doing a full detail with paint correction, those hours can add up easily. And who knows what kind of products they're using on your car. Should they buff your car, they won't finish it down properly... they'll use a glaze with fillers to cover up any buffer trails, most likely.

I know everyone isn't comfortable with putting a buffer to their car, despite how safe PC 7424xp, Griot's RO, ect polishers are. Not to mention it's a very heavy investment and it takes quite some time, research and practice to get it down just right. Please take your car to a true detailer. You're in California I see and I know there are TONS of proper detailing businesses that can do it right.

A70

I use Zaino by hand, takes quite a while but results are nothing short of spectacular.

bob4256

iTrader: (17)

NEVER let the dealer wash/wax your car.

I get free carwashes offered at my dealer and I refuse them every time. Your asking for scratches and swirl marks

jbone29

iTrader: (2)

never pay a dealer!! My first job was detailing cars at a Ford dealership. I learned the ropes but we would fly through those cars. I enjoy doing it myself and know it gets done right. The earlier post about Zaino was correct, this stuff is awesome if you have a good 4-8 hours to do the work. Here is a picture of mine after being Zaino-ed!! picture was taken with an iphone but you can see the shine and it's still shining strong too.

Bleezy

I don't even let the dealer wash my car when I get an oil change! Plus my car doesn't fit on the rails anyways.

I would only ever trust a professional detailer.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

^This is spot on. Dealership "detailers" clean cars because it is their job, not because it is their passion. All good professional detailers began working on cars because it is their passion. Unlike the dealership, real professionals will take their time to properly asses your vehicle's paint condition and use the appropriate methods to get it looking great without harming your paint. There is a very commonly used acronym in the detailing world - DISO (Dealer Installed Swirl Option) - that was not created for no reasons. It is because it is extremely common for your vehicle to leave the dealership looking worse than when you brought it... unfortunately it usually takes a while for all of that glaze to wear off for you to see what they have really done to your car. Last time I left my Lexus dealership, for instance, I saw their detailer scrubbing down an RX with a push broom! That is not OK!


^This is some buffer damage that I encountered on a BMW 335i after the dealership "detailed" it


^You can see the defects called "pig tails" which are caused by DA polishers


^Luckily, these things can be fixed if you know what you're doing.


Moral of the story - Invest in the proper equipment and DIY, or seek out a true professional to care for your car... NOT the dealership.