One time through the automatic car wash won’t do much car paint damage but a car that goes through say once a week over a long period of time will find their paint start to deteriorate. It’s the bristles of the large brushes that cause most of the damage. Soft to the touch its more so the speed in which they turn and pressure they put out that damage paint and even some warping to large panels like your hood and roof. Best and old fashion way to protect your paint and panels is to wash with good quality soap with a large sponge and rinse and chamois dry…can’t beat it!