Antenna snapped of by car wash - what are my rights?

We recently bought a second hand 2011 Honda CR-Z from a dealer. Last week we put the car through an automated car was and the fin antenna snapped off. We reported it to the dealer, but have been told it is not covered by the warranty and a repair will cost £473.

We are awaiting a response from the car wash company. What is your recommended course of action? Furthermore, is it dangerous to have the antenna exposed? If so, how would you recommend protecting it in the interim?

Asked on 21 April 2015 by Harry

Answered by Honest John
Definitely not warranted in this circumstance. And the carwash will probably have warning notices. You should never ever drive through one with an exposed antenna, even a fin type one, and should also fold your door mirrors in. Preferably never use them at all because many of them scratch the paint.

If this had left a hole in the roof or any wiring exposed, best to seal it up with duct tape. The dealer wants a lot of money for the repair, so might make sense to check out some independent car audio fitters to see if they can offer a cheaper fix. If you retrieved the fin maybe it can be patched up.
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