Cowichan Auto Repair and Detailing

First time using this garage and I'm happy I chose them. I have a classic restored Mustang but had a few gauges that were not functioning correctly. They diagnosed the issues along with finding a sizable amount of old wiring cluttering things up and some just plain incorrect wiring of what was there. We sourced new gauges and they installed them as well as doing a good electrical audit of my system and cleaning up the rats nest of wiring that was under my dash. They were easy to communicate with and are clearly auto enthusiasts beside running the business. It's comforting to find a garage that can still do old school mechanics as well as current technology.

This is how all vehicle repair facilities should operate! I contacted Cowichan Auto Repair to check over a vehicle I was considering purchasing. They drove 20 minutes south to Mill Bay, put their "Repairer plates" on the vehicle as the owner had no had insurance on it, and drove it back to their shop to do a thorough vehicle inspection. This saved me the hassle of getting insurance on it for the day. The report I got back was very detailed including photos of the defective areas that needed servicing. I used their estimate for repairs to negotiate a better price on the vehicle. When the servicing was done they drove the vehicle back to the owner. The shop was clean, the staff were very friendly and helpful, and the service was top notch. If you are looking for impressive auto service look no further than Cowichan Auto Repair.

Spent $2500 to replace the whole set of brakes in 2019. Rotors and brake pads(broke apart) only lasted 2 years and less than 15,000km. Cheap parts rusted within weeks. Will not go back again.

Excellent, first class service from the first contact with knowledgeable Richie on the front desk to Rob the engineer who successfully fitted our inverter. We phoned around all of Victoria seeking an auto electric garage to fit our Hybrid car with an inverter with no luck. Fortunately an appeal for help on our Gonzales neighbourhood email networking site resulted in this firm being a good candidate. We were delighted to find a garage that could actually fit an inverter. Their service was professional, friendly, obliging and very reasonably priced for the service provided. The staff all seem happy to work here and went out of their way to accommodate our electrical needs. We will use this garage again for all of our Toyota Prius needs. Thank you from Mark and Angela.

Booked in and serviced all within a couple of days and at a fair price. Really liked the option to request the service through their website.

AVOID THIS PLACE!!We bought a Groupon offer for $ 59, for a 5-liter oil change including filter. The small print on the Groupon site did say that foreign cars might be charged extra. And they did charge extra. Another $52 on top of the $59 for the coupon. The total was roughly the same as the dealership, which charges $120. My bad, although no other oil change place we have used to date has charged extra. At the end they tell my 84 year old mother that she should replace the air filter. They would charge $50 for the filter (don’t know if labour would have been on top of the $50, but I suspect it would have). I purchased one at Lordco for $18 plus change. So I look under the hood of the vehicle and notice that the bolts holding the air filter cover are all undone. They checked the air filter and when my mother declined to have it replaced, didn't bother to screw down the bolts, just closed the hood. Now the car is dripping oil. Not a lot but enough that my mother doesn't want to take the chance on driving the vehicle. I suspect that along with the air filter screws not being tightened they didn’t tighten the oil pan drain bolt. I talked to them and they said for me to make an appointment, they would look to see what the problem was. They told me that drive-thru oil change places do not use a torque wrench to properly tighten the oil drain bolt, the seal may have been wrecked by one of them, and that they would rectify the problem. Another opportunity for them to open my wallet, do more damage? After I went under the car to check things out I found that the oil drain bolt had been tightened so much (not the recommended 20lbs of torque) that the seal had ruptured on the oil drain bolt. They were the last ones to tighten that bolt! I replaced the oil pan bolt with one I purchased at Lordco for $5, tightened it correctly, and so far no more oil dripping out. I noted that the oil I had to drain to replace the bolt was dirty. Now I wonder if they even changed the oil. Drain the pan then refill with what they just drained. Are these people doing this on purpose in order to get you to come back so they can charge you again for a problem they caused in the first place. AVOID THIS PLACE!!

Buyer beware I know but I bought what was supposed to be a fully restored vehicle from them that was good from far and far from good. Had to replace engine after less than a tank of fuel. Do your homework and get a proper inspection before buying.

These guys are awesome. They fit me in within two hours because I was having a disability flareup and needed my car clean to pick up my dog after surgery. Got it done in half an hour and it was probably the cleanest it’s ever been with just a dust and vacuum. Highly recommend