Car Wash Leads To Broken Side Mirrors?

[Lexus925]

This seems crazy, but I brought my 2004 LX470 into the dealer for an oil change/safety inspection and complimentary car wash (No, that's not the crazy part). When I got back into the car, I noticed the driver-side mirror was no longer set for me. When I went to adjust it (and, yes, the little tab was pointed toward driver side), absolutely nothing happened.

Following a process of elimination, it seems safe to assume the oil change had nothing to do with this.

I also don't know precisely what the inspection inspects and whether mirrors would have been part of it.

So, I'm left with the car wash. The fact that the driver mirror was out of place suggests that it may have been manually knocked out of place while being washed. Could such a thing damage the mirror to the point it would no longer work? The passenger side also only goes up and down now, but fails to adjust side-to-side.

Any input on this would be appreciated. I anticipate a battle with the dealer who seems to lack the honor to take responsibility for something done by them. Very Frustrating.

My experience with dealers has been a zero-sum game. I get the front brakes fixed, and immediately and since I have heard undiagnosable squeaking whenever braking. An engine gasket was replaced on a previous Lexus, and for the rest of the time I owned the car, I smelled undiagnosable gas smell. Now, an oil change had led to broken mirrors. It's crazy and confirms my worst fears about dealers.

If anyone has had a similar experience with side mirrors, please let me know. Thanks

[pj8708]

Not sure I can help, but might make a few points. First, do your mirrors fold in? Does your dealer use a rotary brush car wash? If so, the car wash workers should be responsible for folding in the mirrors before the car goes through the wash. Most commercial car washes have signs up that tell you to fold your mirrors before entering. The dealer, of all people, should at least take the same precaution.

If they wash the car by hand, they may have put too much pressure on the mirror face and stripped the motor mechanism internally, making the mirror work up and down, but not side to side.

It is going to be hard to prove, but unless someone else has another explanation, I don't know what else would have caused your problem.

Paul