In February, the carwash industry was shocked and saddened by the death of a customer at Splash Car Wash in Hamden, CT. The death, a result of sudden unintended acceleration by a Jeep Grand Cherokee, prompted the ICA to hold a special segment at the Car Care World Expo to discuss the matter, which has plagued the industry for over 10 years.

A DaimlerChrysler representative attended the meeting in order to aid discussions, but five months later, the company's vice president of communications, Jason Vines, lashed out against carwash owners and operators in an online blog, accusing them of not properly training or handling vehicles at their businesses.