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ABS

ABS

ABS
2.8

20 reviews

Positive vs Negative
40%4%56%
Rates and Fees
2.3
Transparency ?
3.8
Job Satisfaction ?
2.3
Timeliness
2.7
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20 reviews
Clarry D.
Clarry D.South Australia
 

Clarry dickenson Had heavy duty clutch installed in my navara cheap price excellent service done on time will be going back there for future maintenance will be my forever mechanic thankyou mario and the team excellent work

Jasmine M.
Jasmine M.
 

Scam artists – In Woollangabba, Brisbane- They did a dodgy clutch replacement on my car around June 2023, this resulted in the link from the clutch to the gearbox being disconnected. After driving off from the clutch replacement a day or two after the gear stick collapsed and I was stuck in the middle of the road unable to take the gear out of 3rd. … Read more

Thankfully I was able to put to a different mechanic around the corner from where the car broke down. This mechanic explained to me it was caused by the clutch and gearbox link not being put together properly.

I called ABS to let them know and straight of the bat they were saying things like "hmmm that doesn't sound right" being passive, hit me with the bargain "if you get a tow truck to bring your car here, and it is our fault, we will pay for the towing fee and fix the problem."

Okay.. brought my car to them, the owner in his business suit comes out with a flashlight, looks under my car hood for 2 seconds and says nothing was wrong with the clutch service I actually need a new clutch cable, pointing at some random part of the car and treating me like an idiot. (MY CAR DIDN'T HAVE A CLUTCH CABLE) and he didn't realise I was just at another mechanic who already pointed out and showed me the disconnected link.

They took absolutely no accountability so I just took my car back to the other mechanic that originally helped me. He fixed the actual problem and for much cheaper than what ABS was trying to charge me for, an imaginary clutch cable.

I wrote an honest review on Google but they take no accountability there either, now saying that they have no record of me as a customer and accusing me of being a competitor business trying to slander them, which I see they've done to many other unhappy customers. Do yourself a favour and don't take your car to these guys.

Shayne B.
Shayne B.5 posts
 

Abs south australia – Poor service and customer support. Local Automasters alot more helpful and knowledgeable.

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TBunny
TBunny9 posts
 

BEWARE they will try to blame everything on you if something goes wrong – I brought my car into ABS Collingwood to get it serviced due to it making rattling and squeaking sounds when I turned on the air conditioner. I chose ABS Collingwood based on it being highly rated on autoguru.com.au but ended up having the most horrible experience and felt lied and cheated on. The man who runs the store also had the nerve to blame… Read more

everything that happened on me! Never will I go back here and I wish I had seen these reviews before deciding to go there. It would’ve saved me a lot of unnecessary stress and money during COVID.

ABS Collingwood took advantage of the fact that I do not know anything about cars and being a soft spoken female coming into the workshop on my own. I relied on them to fix the issue and initially they requested $700 something from me. They were trying to get me to replace things that didn’t need replacing.

So I spoke to the man who runs the workshop the whole time. At first he told me that my battery needed to be replaced and wanted to charge me for it. I told him I just had it replaced recently. This is where he now started to say that he was only told this by the guys at the workshop when they had a look at it and that maybe the battery just needed a full charge. So now the total cost would be $635. He then said that he would charge up my battery for a whole day at their workshop free of charge out of “goodwill”. I accepted his apologies and went ahead with the rest of the things that needed to be done on my car.

The issue with the rattling and squeaking wasn’t completely gone even after getting it serviced here if I’m to be honest. I tried to address it to him, but he kept assuring me that the belt was replaced and work was done on it and that he didn’t know what i wanted out of him.

At almost 12 months after it was serviced at ABS Collingwood and them replacing the belt, the rattling and squeaking sounds became so bad that now it was very loud and would occur more often. I decided to go to another workshop this time. The mechanic at the new workshop told me that the screw has come loose and that ABS Collingwood didn’t do a proper job on my last car maintenance I had with them as the belt that they replaced is now damaged from the loose screw and once again needs to be replaced. I “was lucky that my car did not catch fire” he told me. This was very shocking news to me and I felt cheated and upset that ABS Collingwood did not fix my car properly which put me in a very dangerous and potentially life threatening situation.

I then phoned ABS Collingwood and spoke to the same man who runs the place and told him of the situation. He kept trying to blame me for not coming in earlier when I noticed the problem and he said he couldn’t do anything about it now since I already got it fixed with another mechanic. He even questioned why I had it fixed and how I should’ve just went back to ABS Collingwood to get it fixed even if it was after warranty. He would’ve fixed it out of “goodwill” he said. I told him that I wasn’t going to be driving back and fourth with a car that could potentially catch fire and how it was very dangerous. He laughed at me over the phone and also had the nerve to say how he charged up my battery free of charge and adjusted my mirrors without me having to pay for it. The battery issue was him trying to make up for wanting to replace a battery that didn’t need replacing and was his way of an apology when I called him out on it. And adjusting the mirror wasn’t hard and it was something I could’ve easily done, yet he wanted to use those against me.

He was very defensive the whole time over the phone and said that “screws get loose overtime”. He wasn’t taking any responsibility for not doing a proper job on my car which I paid a lot of money for. In the end he said he couldn’t do anything about it since I already went to another mechanic to get the issue fixed. Then not long after, he called me back after he spoke with the other mechanic that I got it fixed with and said that he will credit me $48 (cost of the belt before GST with the mechanic I got it fixed with) next time I come in for a service and that he would send me an email to confirm this. I never received that email from him and I do not wish to return there ever again.

I felt that ABS Collingwood did not do a very good job with my car service and the belt was damaged in under 12months where it should’ve lasted 4-5 years according to my other mechanic. Also the man who runs ABS Collingwood first appeared to be really nice, friendly and cheerful, but when there was a problem, he became very defensive and tried to put all the blame onto me. I don’t recommend ABS Collingwood to anybody and wished I had shopped around a bit more before going to them.

Season
SeasonTasmania
 

My car problem is not fixied ,how ever they charged me $800 for no reason>>> – I went to fix my car as my car was making humming kind of sound.At first they said it was bearing problem from left tyre. So I paid them $400.After that when I drove back home the sound was still there and again I went back they said that the right tyre bearing had a problem so agian I paid them$400 and I drove back and still the sound was still… Read more

there and agian I went back they said tyre thread might be an issue.. So I dont recommend anyone or my friend to this place agian>>

Jo
JoQLD7 posts
 

Yaris SR – July 15th Decided to drop out of Toyota twice a year service, went back to ABS. Still the great service by Jim & team, extremely happy with the service. Also the added lift and pickup from Kawana shops was a bonus. When you are onto a good mechanic stick to him.

Happy chappy
Happy chappyNSW7 posts
 

They will fleece you for your $$$$ – This company took advantage of the fact that I am stuck interstate with vehicle (COVID) and not able to get it registered without a pink slip. They knew I could do little without the slip so added in as many repairs as they could. The car had a full service just months ago. So I know these are all false repairs. Show details

Greg J.
Greg J.VIC
  Fair Incentive

abs auto frankston – I'm not after a discount. I just wanted to let you know how impressed i was with the service at ABS Auto Frankston. Full marks to Goe and the crew and thank you again.

Andrew G.
Andrew G.VIC3 posts
  Verified

ABS- South Melbourne – Having always had my car serviced by Subaru, I decided to change to an independent mechanic. I was exceptionally impressed with the service received by ABS South Melbourne. Prior to any work being undertaken I was informed what needed to be done so there were no surprises on the invoice. Working nearby, the owner called when he found an issue, so… Read more

that I could inspect the car prior to them carrying out the work.

Will be using ABS South Melbourne going forward for both the cars in our household.

Consumer, Melbourne
Consumer, MelbourneVIC4 posts
 

ABS MOORABBIN – This is a well earned 5 ***** review for ABS MOORABBIN. Zac has been looking after our cars for about 6 years and provides a competent and professional level of service that I’ve never experienced before from a mechanics shop. He has looked after both our BMW and SMART cars, and given me sound advice on many occasions, Zac has a consistently friendly and helpful demeanour and will do the best job at the right price. Thoroughly recommend !

George D
George D60 posts
 

Very poor work and over charged – I had a clutch replacement and some other parts that i was told were worn-out. A week later i had issues with the clutch smelling and was told it was normal . About 2 weeks after that i noticed i was dropping oil so i jacked up my car and found it was due to the sump not being done up properly as well as the sump plug. I then started to drive… Read more

from croydon to aldinga and noticed the clutch smell was really bad . I contacted abs city in adelaide and bought my car in again . After losing a day at work they took it for a short drive and said it was oil leaking and the belts were oil soaked and a seal behind the harmonic balancer were gone and quoted me a further $850 to fix it . I have some mechanical experience so i took it home ordered the parts and did it myself . The harmonic balancer was fine and the 2 belts were fine as well . The seal has no leak it was sprayed everywhere due to them not doing up the sump bolts . I had also replaced the sump gasket 7 days before the clutch replacement and now that the bolts where tight when it went in . I would not recommend this company due to all of this as well as the fact they went over the original quote and did no extra work . They are full of excuses and money making tactics . There warranty isnt worth anything . Its a waste of money and my time. Find a honest mechanic because this one isnt.

Real
RealVictoria6 posts
  Verified

ABS Colac reliable and affordable – I have been taking my cars to ABS in Colac for a decade now and can highly recommend them. Colac ABS are reliable and sensibly priced. So much so that I have friends that travel from Torquay and Norlane to get their cars serviced in Colac. We just meet up for brunch and do a bit of window shopping whilst waiting for our cars as they only keep your… Read more

car for the time needed to do the service. Unlike other mechanics that make you inconveniently leave your car all day.

Estefania
EstefaniaVIC
 

Danger‼️‼️‼️ not recommended ! [Read before you book] – Disastrous and disappointing experience. After a bad first visit because the nut from the steering pump pulley was missing (And the pulley came out, damaging the steering pump, which had to be repaired), we came back accepting their apologies and a discount on the job that remained to be done (clutch), trusting they would take it seriously next… Read more

time. I got back home trusting the job was done correctly only to find out that a bolt that attaches the transmission housing to the engine was missing and another one was loose. My partner had to recheck that all the bolts were secured after we found out. Makes me feel not even wanting to write this down. [name removed], the owner said he was going to be the first hand on our vehicle to either work or supervise himself. Then he sent an email stating that this was “from another one of the staff members”. It has undermined our confidence that the clutch has been assembled properly or securely. This people put our life in danger They don’t seem to have a checklist for the jobs done because they forget things. I don’t mind paying the correct amount if I know I’ll have the car working in good conditions. Good works are expensive. Nonetheless, this is not the case. Don’t wish to anyone having to go through the stress that this company has generated on us.

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MelanieJG
MelanieJGQLD
 

Hundreds of dollars difference between price Auto Gurus displayed and what ABS charged – This is specifically at the Bokarina Branch, i looked up the price of the car service on AG to be $640.82 and factored in another $80 for the wheel alignment. I sent a booking request through ABS and [name removed] contacted me. I mentioned we had seen the quote on AG and i wanted to book. Unbeknowns to me that booking directly with [name removed]… Read more

meant my bill was going to be $943.50! How they can charge over $200 more is beyond me. AG takes a 20% commission of any booking so I would have thought the price to be the same or lower as it has been when i have booked directly with mechanics in the past. The older mechanic at the shop did not see it as an issue. He actually said he would never do it for the Ag price even though it is displayed as a bookable price online. He will change his tune when we contact the ACCC over this matter. Absolutely disgusting. ABS I encourage you to contact me and set this straight.

Stevie
StevieWA7 posts
 

Was great, until problems arose – I used to religiously use ABS. I loved the courtesy car given while my car was being serviced and the way they made me feel relatively comfortable. They were the first mechanic I went to after moving an hour away from my family mechanic. I had an issue with my engine a few days after a service and called them from the side of the road after my car… Read more

lost power and stopped. The guy on the line told me how to fix it, and then called me after I finished work to check if I was okay and if my car started - was so refreshing.

I took my car in for another service that cost me $700 which I was happy with because it needed it. I had kept records of what my car needed and what had been recently done. I wasn't the "dumb" girl they tried to make me be after I noticed issues with my car engine again. It was completely dead, they came out, tried to tell me what was wrong and when i pointed out what i thought was wrong they called a tow truck in, then told me i was right with the issue and it would cost another $800. Except they would have noticed this issue 3 days before when my car had been in the shop, and my car had been having NO issues with the engine before the service. The $700 was for all new tyres (which then got replaced under a year later) alignment, rotation and other bits and bobs. Nothing to do with the starter motor or anything. That had been checked earlier and was fine. I then had a $120 uber ride to work and back, $200 tow truck fee they made me pay and the $800 service. So $1300 total with no accountability.

This started off promising but the last experience really soured it for me, they didn't help at all and ended up with more problems with my car that they made a killing off of, then had to be replaced 6-12 months later anyway.

Matt
Matt
 

Heidelberg West - great experience – I had part of my Audi suspension replaced at ABS Heidelberg West today. I had a great experience. They took my details, found the part that was needed, called me back with a price, gave me an estimated pick up time and called me back to say it was ready. Really easy to deal with, couldn't ask for more.

Skordui
SkorduiVIC2 posts
 

Lack of honesty – We took a Kombi for service, advising we'd supply parts and oil we wanted. They failed to use the supplied oil, using an inferior thin oil which caused problems. We also advised we were looking to sell it and to advise us what needed doing. Though they bought up some matters, when we took it back for a road worthy they identified more, some of… Read more

which are NOT road worthy items. Also they, and the RWC sub-contractor reported the wrong odometer reading. And afterwards said we should have taken it to a Kombi expert. Why take on business and charge for it if you admit you aren't competent in that vehicle? Massive fail in honesty! Only after money.

Rob
RobSA4 posts
 

Poor – Trying to decide where to get some work on my car done, but didn't get past a phone call to ABS Salisbury, they were flippant and abrupt. At least I was able to rule them out without wasting much time.

Dillzio
DillzioSA17 posts
 

Not to be trusted – Last time I took my car there for a service they found a leak in my car's centre muffler. The head guy there told me they can be pretty expensive to fix, but he could work something out for me with the muffler shop a few doors down and arrange for a second hand one to be fitted for $350. I said no thanks I'll get it fixed a bit later. A few… Read more

weeks later I went to the muffler shop and they fitted a second hand one to my car for $150! Looks like the guy from ABS was just going to pocket $200 for himself, dodgy!

Also had trouble with them after the service prior to that one - when I got them to fit new tyres to my car, I got a puncture about a month later and couldn't get the wheel nuts off without special tools because they'd apparently been done up with a rattle gun. The owner said that they might be tightening themselves as the wheels turn around, or I must have over-tightened them myself.

vladesch
vladeschSA3 posts
 

Fast, efficient, cheap – After paying over 800$ at ultra-tune last year I shopped around, and got a discount offer from these guys for 105$. Unlike Ultratune the oil and filters were included in the price of the service. Then there were no nasty surprised when I paid for it. 105$ as quoted. Fantastic.

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