Columbia Car Care

Great customer service. Comparable price.

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They're just overall competent.

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I took my car in for a thermostat and instead of him saying well, it's your thermostat but we got to do this and got to do that, finding stuff to bill. He called me and said, it is just your thermostat, everything else is fine. He said, nothing else needs to be changed. He said, I'll have the thermostat here in about an hour and you should be able to pick the car up today. There's a couple of them that works there and both of them is honest.

They do a good job! They are very trustworthy!

We use Columbia Car Care for automotive services. There was a special too. I have been going to Steve for decades. The service was good. The staff and the workers were very good. The work was completed very promptly. I don't normally wait. Garages traditionally don't always deal with women very well. Steve and his crew are extremely honest and extremely trustworthy. They are very good, very good. I had gone to a garage that my friend trusted and when he decided to not run the garage any more, it is through him who turned into Columbia Car Care. I trusted Eddie exquisitely because I came to find Eddie through a friend of mine and Eddie trusted Steve and I knew I could trust Steve. In automotive you do inspections to do this and to do that, there is all kinds of fraud and charging and changing things that don't need to be changed saying this and that, etc.  Steve is wonderful about being very honest and very trustworthy. They will tell me if it doesn't really need something, if it doesn't need done. If you trust him the price doesn't matter. I would grade him 'A's all the way through. I absolutely will use him again in the future. He is the only person that I will take my vehicle to.

Friday the 13th, car began idling heavy and malfunction indicator light came on. They were able to get me in that day and have everything fixed the next morning. Very knowledgeable and trustworthy! Two of the most important things I look for in an auto repair shop!

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I had originally take the vehicle to the local dealer.  They diagnosed the problem being with the valve lifters and quoted a repair cost of $4300.  As a back-up, I took the truck to Columbia Car Care for a second opinion.  I did not tell them about the dealers diagnosis.  After a couple of days of tests, they came back with the same diagnosis as the dealer, but estimated the repair cost at $3200.  They completed the work in the timeframe promised and at a slightly higher cost than their original estimate.  The truck has been in service since the repair and there have been no further problems.

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My daughter was driving home to Richmond, VA from Kansas City MO when the timing belt on her car broke in the middle of Missouri near Columbia.  She called and asked what to do.  She called Allstate Motor Club, and they said they were too busy to send her a tow.(!!!)  So she called me, and I had no idea who to call for a tow or where to take it. 

I decided to subscribe to Angie's list for Columbia, MO for ten bucks.  I found the highest rated auto repair shop - Columbia Car Care, and called and spoke with Scott.  Scott recommended a towing service and gave me the number.  When the car got to the shop, I talked with Scott and explained my situation, asking could they please try to prioritize the work.  Scott willingly said they would do this, and found out by a little later in the day that the timing belt had snapped.  They could not complete the repair that day, but would do it tomorrow. 

As if that was not enough, the folks at CCC offered to drive my daughter to a nearby hotel that they recommended.  Not only that, they offered to pick her up from the hotel the next day when the car was ready.  When your daughter is miles from home and in a pinch, you need someone who will fill in.  the team at Columbia Car Care did what I would have done for her myself.  I can't speak highly enough of this company.  My sense is that they treat everyone as if they were family.  Thank You Scott and Team!!

I was on a trip 900 miles away when my college daughter's car began overheating.  I spoke to my trusted mechanic at home and he told me what to expect on her make and model of car.  Columbia Car Care got her in and found exactly what my guy predicted and charged a very reasonable price with no surprises.  They got her in and out on the same day of her initial call.  I am VERY pleased with the service provided by Columbia Car Care and will use them again.

I have recommended to many others as anytime I used this company they ALWAYS provided excellent service.  I even had a friend take her daughter's car in because it was making a noise in one of the wheels.  They could have very easily charged her any amount and taken advantage of the situation but ended up charging her nothing at all due to the fact that it was only a rock in the wheel.  They have never charged for uneccessary things and will honestly charge you for ONLY the things you truly need.

We were impressed with their research to get us the best priced tires but had to return to correct service when the alignment was off and the tire sensors were not functional with new tires.

It's my son's truck and most of the work has been done at home. CEL illuminated and he took it into Columbia Car Care based upon review in Angie's List. We were not disappointed!
Problem was quickly identified and fixed.  Although the CEL came back on the next day, they identified the issue prior to my son leaving town for the weekend and fixed at no cost!

My daughter and I were driving cross country.  Columbia, MO was our first night's stop.  At the start of the day's driving, I noticed a noise in the rear of my daughter's 2003 Subaru Forester.   By the time we hit Columbia, the noise was very loud. 
That night, in the hotel in Columbia, I added Columbia, MO to my Angie's List account.  Columbia Car Care was at the top of the list.   My daughter and I were at their door when they opened.
They said they could look at the car that morning.   I didn't hide the fact that we were passing through MO.  We had out of state plates and the car was stuffed to the gills with my daughter's possesions.  I did mention up front that I found them on Angie's List.
They reported we needed the left rear wheel bearing replaced.  I asked if the right needed to be done at the same time.  They said no, you replace them as they go bad.  They said it would take 3 hours to get the car fixed.  It was done in 2.  
We were back on the road with only a few hours delay.  The noise was gone. The car had been correctly diagnosed and repaired.
My daughter and I arrived at our destination in California on 8/12 without any other incidents.   On 8/13, I received a call from Columbia Car Care.  They were following up on our visit and asked if things were going ok.  I told them yes, we were fine and thanked them for their good service.
What I liked
* They were able to take us immediately.
* They did not try to sell us extra work, even when they had an opening (when I asked about the right wheel)
* They had us out of there early.
* They did the right job at the right price.
* They followed up with us a week later to check on their work.
* The customer waiting area was very clean and comfortable.  (They had recently moved to a new location.)
* Everyone was courteous and professional.  They were a joy to work with.
I realize their taking us immediately and getting done early was because we caught them at a good time, but still, it was nice to be treated so well otherwise.

Service was great as usual. Work was completed when promised and the price was very reasonable.  We have used Columbia Car Care since we moved here 4 years ago.  They have always had the best prices when we get quotes and the work has been done in a timely manner and to our satisfaction.

Courteous, prompt, reliable service.  Called the next day to make sure that the car was performing properly!

Overall I was very happy with the service as well as very comfortable with their professionalism.  I have since recommended my grandson (another one) and at a later date my son.  Each was happy with the work and will go back.

I'm very glad I found this place. Full disclosure: I had to go to an auto shop by myself for the first time, and as a young female, I was fully prepared to get scammed, or at least have someone attempt it. The people I spoke to here were fantastic.
When my car first started sounding like a lawnmower, I initially went to Complete Custom Automotive... the guy I spoke to there was condescending and made a big show about how he'd have to "call over another expert" to take a look. Something didn't seem right, so I took my keys back and hoped it wasn't as serious as they were making it sound.
Turns out it wasn't. I stopped by Columbia Car Care and within 3 minutes, someone had stepped outside, taken a look at my car, figured out a bolt had rusted off, and given me an unofficial (but accurate) estimate of how much it would cost to fix. As a co-worker later pointed out, he could have easily told me that my muffler needed to be replaced, and I'd have been none the wiser.
Plus, when I was running late to pick up my car afterwards, someone stayed past closing time to make sure I could still grab my keys. A small touch, but one I definitely appreciated.
These guys are trustworthy. I'd recommend them.

The service was wonderful and quick.  From the phone call to the service done.

I am going to take my my mini van down there for an oil change, too.  It must have not been too bad, because he didn't complain.  That was the first time he went there. 

Considering the big picture, I went in with a car that needed to scraped and taken to a salvage yard.  I admit that now.  Repairing any car is never a fun experience, but working with Steve, I felt like I was treated as a human and not as someone to run over.  

The question is:  Would I return for future auto repairs?  I provide a resounding 'YES'.   To the question of whether I would recommend his services to friends or strangers in the Columbia, MO area, I reply without hesitation, 'YES!!!!'.

Your car might take you for a ride, but Columbia Car Care won't.  I learned about them through Angie's List and now I return with this brief little review of the experience of my car's final days.  So I say you, "Go to Columbia Car Care and at least know that the owner of the business is solid, he has a conscience, and he teaches his comrades to be honest when working with clientele.  

This whole experience reminds of how I suppose there are two paths that auto mechanics can take in their careers:

1.  Run roughshod over customers knowing that the majority of the populace will always need mechanics, for as long as the automobile serves as the primary means of transportation.  The mechanic understands that even if there is an attrition rate in this industry there will always be a new un-assuming customer to take for few additional hundred dollars.

2.  The alternative is what I suspect is the path that Steve has taken from Columbia Car Care:  be honest with the customers, treat them with respect, shoot straight, do good work, and know that this formula will provide customer retention and growth by virtue of word of mouth.