This place is now called Central Automotive…read more
A family member, who works a full-time job during the week, took on a second job, working 12-hour nursing shifts every Saturday and Sunday for months without a single day off, just to save enough money to surprise her husband with a Jeep for his 40th birthday. It was an incredible sacrifice, and she was so excited to make this gift special. She brought the Jeep to Central Automotive several times for repairs and maintenance to get it ready.
On June 24, she returned because the check engine light had come back on. The shop diagnosed additional repairs totaling about $1,000, which she authorized. On July 1, she picked up the Jeep to take it to the local Jeep dealership so they could clear a code the shop couldn't clear. That's when the dealership discovered the catalytic converter was missing--it had been stolen while the Jeep was in this shop's possession.
When you leave your vehicle with a repair shop, you should be able to trust that it will be returned in the same condition, aside from the repairs you authorized. That basic expectation was completely shattered. A vehicle left in the care of a professional repair facility should not come back missing major components because it was left vulnerable to theft.
Instead of taking responsibility and working through their insurance, the shop gave her the runaround for more than a week. She was first presented with an outrageous $8,000 estimate to replace the catalytic converter, then later offered a reduced quote of about $1,600, claiming they weren't charging labor. Regardless of how they justified the pricing, she still ended up paying out of pocket to replace a part that was stolen while the Jeep was in their custody.
What makes this even more concerning is that vehicles are routinely left outside overnight despite the shop having multiple service bays where they could potentially be secured. If this is how customer vehicles are handled, then anyone considering leaving a vehicle here should understand that there is apparently no guarantee it will be adequately protected while in the shop's care. Customers entrust repair shops with some of their most valuable possessions, and that trust means taking reasonable steps to safeguard them--not leaving them exposed and then expecting the customer to absorb the loss if something is stolen.
Before posting this review, I reached out to the shop myself in the hope that they would acknowledge what happened and make things right. Unfortunately, my attempt to contact the shop received no response, so small claims court it is.
The financial burden was frustrating enough, but what was really heartbreaking was seeing the excitement surrounding this special birthday gift disappear. What should have been one of the happiest moments for their family became stressful, expensive, and deeply disappointing because of the shop's lack of accountability.
Based on this experience, I cannot recommend this business. If you leave your vehicle here, understand that if something happens to it while it is in their possession, you may be left paying the price yourself.
