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Tesla owners tend to love their cars. From my perspective as the admin and moderator for dozens of online vehicle clubs, it is clear that Tesla owners want to protect their cars’ finish more than typical owners do. One polarizing viewpoint is whether Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles will be damaged by automated “touch” car washes. You know the ones we mean. They have brushes or they have cloths that wipe the car as it passes through the tunnel. There are two very distinct schools of thought on this topic.
Here are some opinions stated by those Tesla owners who feel that you’d have to be nuts to destroy your Tesla’s paint and drive it through an automated touch car wash:
SA - “It’s not about the water, it’s about the brushes. Tesla's clearcoat is notorious for being extra soft and paper-thin compared to other OEMs. One run through an auto wash WILL leave visible swirl marks in your clearcoat (I was skeptical when I first got my 24Y and learned the hard way).”
RM - “I went to one where it’s the flappy pieces of microfiber. The black trim on one side came out with scratches, and I didn’t do well lining up with the left wheel and got a slight rim rash.”
KM - “Car washes scratch and destroy the paint.”
AP - “We have a ‘21 MYLR, and my wife took it through the automated car wash. Now the trim around the doors is all splotchy and rainbow-stained. (Included images).”
There seem to be about as many Tesla owners who feel the exact opposite way. They don’t think using an automated touch car wash is any real risk. Here’s what a few posted:
JS - “I bought my car to drive, not to wash. I ride through the automatic car wash in neutral once a week. It looks great! No scratches at all!”
DS - “We go through car washes all the time.....blah blah blah on the paint scratching haters/whiners.”
BP - “I take mine through an automatic car wash every week with no issues. No swirls or scratches, and all my trim looks pristine.”
MR - “I take mine through the car wash a couple of times a month. I didn't care about the faint scratches.”
PC - “Drive-thru carwash, not touchless… couple times a week.”
JC - “Drive through car wash at least twice a week. I love my sparkling clean MYP!”
JM - “I take mine through the soft-touch carwash weekly. No issues.”
MC - “Unlimited car wash with brushes. I don't care. It's a car. I'm not taking on a part-time job washing it by hand.”
TO - “What's the point of having a car wash button in the app if you're not supposed to use it?”
Tesla’s Instructions on How To Use an Automated Car Wash
If you have a Tesla Model Y, Tesla offers this set of instructions on how to drive your vehicle through an automated car wash successfully:
1) Initiate Car Wash Mode. This closes all windows, locks the charge port, and disables windshield wipers, Sentry Mode, walk-away door locking, and parking sensor chimes. To enable, touch Controls > Service > Car Wash Mode. Your vehicle must be stationary and not actively charging. Car Wash Mode disables if the vehicle's speed exceeds 9 mph (15 km/h) or by touching Exit on the touchscreen.
2) Enable Free Roll. This keeps your vehicle in Neutral and activates free roll for the duration of the wash, while preventing Model Y from applying the Parking brake if you leave the driver's seat. To enable, press on the brake pedal and touch Enable Free Roll; or shift into Neutral.
Tesla’s Warnings About Car Washes:
Here is what Tesla says to prevent liability from car wash damage:
Advertising Failure to put Model Y in Car Wash Mode may result in damage (for example, to the charge port or windshield wipers). Damage caused by car washes is not covered by the warranty.
If washing in an automatic car wash, use touchless car washes only. These car washes have no parts, such as brushes, that touch the surfaces of Model Y.
Ensure the wipers are off before washing Model Y to avoid the risk of damaging the wipers.
If washing in an automatic car wash, make sure the vehicle is locked. In addition, avoid using controls on the touchscreen that can result in accidentally opening doors or trunks while the vehicle is being washed. Any damage caused is not covered by the warranty.
Our Take on Automated Touch Washing of Your Tesla
Tesla makes high-quality vehicles that have sufficient paint durability to tolerate normal car washing. Any vehicle can be damaged by hand washing or by automated washing. In my experience, hand washing is more damaging. The chance that a hose will be pulled across a fender, or that a washing mitt will pick up a stone, is higher than the chances that an automated car wash will scratch a vehicle. There is no magic behind hand-washing that protects your vehicle.
Waxing and ceramic coating a vehicle can help a car look cleaner longer. Wax can also help to reduce small microscratches. Keep your finish clean, and it will resist damage when washing by hand or by an automated car wash.
Another aspect of car care is removing salt and grime using a hand-held hose. It is important when hand-washing to try to use water to do as much of the work as possible before resorting to the wash mitt.
If you own a Tesla Model Y or Model 3, please tell us in the comments below how you keep it clean. What has worked best for you?
John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.
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