Brand New Car? 7 Dealer Prep Disasters Only a Detailer Would Notice (And You’ll Wish You Did!)
Congratulations!
You’ve just bought a brand new car fresh off the showroom floor, paint sparkling (hopefully), and smelling like that oddly satisfying "new car plus plastic" combo.
But before you drive off into the sunset like the main character you are, hold up!
As a professional detailer, I’m here to tell you: your brand new car might already have some hidden issues. But don’t worry I’m going to arm you with the knowledge you need to spot them before they become your problem
1. Polish Residue Stuffed in Every Panel Gap
Dealers love a 'quick buff' job before handover. Look carefully around door handles, badges, headlights, and window trims, if you spot white crusty residue, that's dried polish they couldn't be bothered to clean out. Congratulations: your 'brand new' car already looks five years older. And once that stuff bakes in the sun? It’s a complete pain to remove properly.
2. Rotary Holograms and Buffer Trails
You know what’s cooler than a new car?
One that looks like a tiger fought it in direct sunlight.
Tilt the car under strong light (or your phone’s flashlight) if you see wild swirly “hologram” patterns across the panels, that’s rotary damage from a rushed machine buff.
And no, it won't “go away after a few washes.”
Buffer trails (also known as holograms or rotary trails) are swirl like marks caused by improper machine polishing. These marks are most visible in sunlight or under LED lighting and make your paint look uneven, dull, or scratched. To fix them, the surface needs to be properly cleaned, then refined using a dual action (DA) polisher with a soft pad and finishing polish to safely remove the trails without damaging the clear coat
3. Burnt Edges on Plastic Trims
Dealers are famous for taking a rotary polisher straight over black plastics like it’s a Sunday drive.
Check mirror caps, windscreen cowls, bumpers, and trim edges if they look greyed out, shiny, or weirdly smeared, they’ve been burnt by an overheated polisher pad.
That’s permanent damage, by the way.
4. touch up paint
Accidents happen but when you're buying a brand new car, it’s not acceptable to be handed one with touch up paint hiding small scratches or chips. Take the time to inspect the tops of doors, bonnets, boots, everywhere. If you catch it before you drive away, they’ll fix it. If you find it later, it suddenly becomes your "maintenance issue."
5. Unfinished Polishing Jobs
Sometimes you’ll find whole panels that were started and then totally abandoned.
Half polished doors, uneven gloss levels, patchy hood finishes, a dead giveaway that the prep guy got called to lunch and never came back.
6. “Dealer Wax” Slathered Over Dust and Dirt
Look closely at the paint surface, is it actually clean?
A lot of dealer "detailing" is literally just a wax sprayed over a dirty car to make it look shiny for 10 minutes.
What’s underneath? Embedded dirt, micro marring, and a clear coat crying for help.
7. Pre Delivery Plastic Left Behind
Nothing kills new car excitement faster than finding bits of factory plastic still wedged deep inside your interior.
While some plastic is supposed to be removed before handover, lazy prep jobs often leave you peeling off seat covers, trim protectors, and screen films yourself.
Worse? Sometimes the plastic gets jammed under door trims, dashboards, or around console panels, meaning you’ll need to pull apart interior pieces just to get it out properly.
If you spot leftover film or sticking edges early, ask the dealership to remove it before you take delivery, it’s their job, not yours.
Detailer Tip 1:
Don't be bullied into accepting sub par quality.
You've spent a lot of money on this vehicle and it should be nothing less than perfect.
Take your time during inspection.
When we buy a house, we get a full inspection, note every flaw, and use it to negotiate the price so why should buying a brand new car be any different?
If you spot issues, raise them. It’s your investment, and you deserve to start your ownership experience the right way not with hidden problems you’re stuck fixing later.
Detailer Tip 2:
This one might feel a little uncomfortable to ask for but it’s worth it.
When buying your new car, request that it not be polished, just a quick, gentle hand wash only.
If you’re getting professional paint protection (whether it’s through me or another detailer), it’s even better to ask for the car exactly as it comes off the truck, no washing, no polishing, no nothing.
Why?
Because the fewer hands (and buffers) that touch the paint, the less chance there is of swirls, holograms, or burnt trims.
Skipping the dealer prep could literally save you thousands if your detailer doesn’t have to spend hours correcting heavy buffer trails on your brand new car.