Verified Company
Unfortunately, our experience wasn’t great. The staff are genuinely pleasant to deal with, but I’m not convinced the service is as reliable, or ultimately cheaper, than using a manufacturer’s service centre.
We brought our 2019 Volvo XC60 in for its 6-year/90,000km service after previously always servicing at Volvo Five Dock. Wanting to explore a more affordable local option, we chose Central Autohaus based on generally positive reviews. The service on 19 Nov was possibly slightly cheaper than Volvo, which initially seemed promising.
However, as soon as the car was returned, we began receiving a warning message: “Power steering assistance temporarily reduced.” After some fairly thorough online research, I found that the likely cause was the Auxiliary Battery, a simple replacement that doesn’t typically require a mechanic. Still, I wanted to rule out any service-related issues, so I booked the car back in for a system check on 8 Dec.
When dropping the car off, I mentioned the Auxiliary Battery as a possible cause and asked them to confirm. We were later contacted and told the diagnostic scan indicated low voltage was causing the issue, the Auxiliary Battery was not the cause, and that the main battery was at fault and had been replaced, at a cost of $924. I was surprised they proceeded with the replacement without checking with us first, but I accepted their assessment.
Shortly after collecting the car, a new warning appeared: “Start/Stop Support battery service required.” A quick internet search clearly pointed to the Auxiliary Battery. The car went back again on 14 Dec, and this time the diagnostic check confirmed that the Auxiliary Battery did need replacing.
This left us with a few concerns:
1. How reliable are their diagnostics if the Auxiliary Battery issue wasn’t detected in the first scan?
2. Did the main battery actually need replacing?
When you factor in the repeat visits and extra time involved, the overall experience wasn’t as cost-effective as we’d hoped, and the uncertainty around the diagnostics has left us feeling less confident about the quality of the work. The staff are very nice though and the Lego models in reception are quite impressive - hence a 2-star review.
