user
Columbia Auto Center
9051 Red Branch Rd, Columbia, MD 21045, United States
Appearance
Columbia Auto Center
Comments
Mi
Review №1

Justin, the owner, was prompt, honest, and really friendly. Good experience overall.

Il
Review №2

The mechanic is really good.

Br
Review №3

The owner, Justin Brewer, is very accessible and involved with every vehicle that comes thru the bay doors. The experienced L1 technicians specialize in both foreign and domestic manufacturers and are known for their quality work.

Bo
Review №4

Brought my 15 year old Camry and got some much needed maintenance such as a new exhaust and some other stuff. Its running great and it was great customer service and great price. Will definitely be bringing my cars to there from now on.

Da
Review №5

The one stop shop for ALL of my automobile needs. Convenient hours, prompt and honest assessment and service, very accommodating, and extremely reasonable pricing. I refer this business to everyone who mentions about having car problems or needing service. Keep up the great work!

Ti
Review №6

Cost $400 to get car fixed. But the car wasnt fixed. They were supposed to Look at the A/C and I was to return the next day. When i got there they told me I owed $390 for the recharge and freon plus labor which was 4 hours apparently but he was only going to charge me for 2.6 hours. He asked if i could pay in cash, since he was giving me a deal on labor. I didnt even know what they did or how much I owed until i arrived, why would I just have $400 in cash on me? Anyways i paid credit took my car and left. On the road my car was blowing hot air just as when I dropped it off, so i called them and told them i was coming back. When i returned they took the car to look at it again and said its blowing cool just not as cold as you want it? Really Mr. Mechanic? I want it to work, its blowing hot with a cool undertone, thats what it was doing when I dropped it off. Then they come back and say i need a new condenser/compressor (idk), which is expensive. I dont understand how they the mechanics didnt know this before they told me my car was fixed and charged my card $390 for it, even though its in exact state I brought it in...Is this some type of fraud? Or do they treat women and/or minorities like this all the time?

Je
Review №7

My car was in there two times within one month. Both times it was in there, I got my car back quickly and you couldnt even tell I had been into an accident. They redid the paint on the driver side of my car, and by looking at it you cant even tell that the paint has been redone on it. They fix and do everything in a timely manner. They give 100% effort in everything they fix and complete. This is the only place I take my car to, if it needs fixing or whatever else.

Pa
Review №8

What a great place to do business. Took my wifes vehicle in for a oil change and we were greeted by Joe. Joe greeting was very warm and friendly! He let us know what needed to be done to my wifes vehicle and took the time and explained everything in full details and gave a very reasonable price on the repairs and prioritized the items that needed to be done now and what could wait. The other amazing thing that Joe did was thank us for our business. You just dont hear that from businesses today. Joe made us feel like family. We will share our experience with friends and family about Columbia Auto Center and Joe. Definitely will be back to get the rest of our work done to my wifes vehicle.My wife and I work for the Government, and we will pass on to our co workers about Columbia Auto Center. Thank you! Joe

Jo
Review №9

I had a meeting at 10am, wanted to get my oil changed before hand. Arrived at 8:45, my truck was in the back and on the rack by 8:50. I had 8.5 quarts of full synthetic 0W20, brake inspection, under carriage inspection, and fluid checked and topped off, all done by a Toyota certified tech, paid and out the door by 9:30, all for $90. YOU CANNOT BEAT THAT ANYWHERE!!. Currently having new brakes and tires scheduled for installation. I will definitely be back for all my vehicles needs. Thanks for everything Justin.

Dr
Review №10

I recently needed brake work done on my car. They gave us a great deal and saved us a substantial amount. Weve been taking our vehicles here for the past decade because we can always count on great service at a fair price.

St
Review №11

Great Customer Experience and Great Service. Justin (Owner) and Kujak (Manager) were excellent communicators. They walked me through my estimate and answered all my questions without any attitude or sense of impatience that Ive experienced when dealing with other auto repair shops. Will definitely bring my car back for repair. Good work guys!!

Br
Review №12

Great experience. The new ownership is significantly better than the previous. I had a broken brake line on my truck and it was ready to go the same day. No upsell or any other B.S. sales tactics that have become all too common place these days. Just honest work at a reasonable price with very curious customer service. Thanks for the great experience, I will be back.

Ra
Review №13

My repair experience may be the best I think Ive ever had.I worked with Justin, the owner, directly and he was able to fix my broken AC compressor and perform an oil change under his quoted estimate - which the original quote was already a fair price to begin with.Best of all, he picked the car up from my house and dropped it off! This may be an anomaly because he is in transition from one business location to another, so it may just have been lucky circumstances for me.All in all, Justin was friendly, provided timely communications and finished when he said he would. I would definetely recommend.Overall, awesome experience - thanks again!

Jo
Review №14

The team at Columbia Auto Center is great. Reading the other reviews, I thought I would go to them for my MD inspection. Very happy I did. Kevin Wilson was extremely professional. They also gladly honored their online coupon. They got my inspection done within the time-frame they told me. The techs also noticed some additional items that did not effect my MD inspection, though needed attention.. One item I will honestly do myself, however you can believe that I will take the the other to them.Coming from one do-it-yourself guy to any others reading this - if you ever do need a shop to take your vehicle to in the Baltimore / Columbia area... take it to these guys.

Wa
Review №15

I have been taking my varied cars here for repairs, over the past 8 years. I transitioned from the old management cautiously to the new.They remain honest, professional and courteous. Ive never had any complaints on any repair done on my cars over the years. No point going elsewhere to get your car fixed...

Na
Review №16

I love the convenient location and speed of service. I came to get my taillight fixed once and it took 3 minutes, no appointment needed! The staff is not only knowledgeable, but personable. I highly recommend!

Ja
Review №17

The work they did on my car is perfect, and their overall service is just amazing. Thank you, Eddie.

Pa
Review №18

The staff has always been extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and their repair work is to be trusted. Joe is one of the best members on the staff, and has always done stellar work on my wifes car. Columbia Auto Center definitely has two customers for life.

X
Review №19

Literally I could not speak more highly about Columbia Auto Center. They are meticulous,fast, detail oriented and honest about their pricing. Wish good luck to the new owner Justin and his crew. If I could I would add more stars. Thx.

Me
Review №20

The owner is a great guy. I run my car in to a parking median cement block and my car was stuck. when I called him, the first thing he did was to calm me down which was so nice of him. Then he did not jump in to making money off my situation rather he was guiding me on how I can try it my self and other suggestions which were helpful for me.when all fail he send two of his men to where I was and they skilfully move the car. They were very professional. I just tipped the guys the shop did not charge me. This is going to be my shop for any of my car needs.

Jo
Review №21

I had a vehicle towed to them to have repaired, including mechanical and body work.. I was in contact with them for a few weeks and even had pictures sent to them of the vehicle needing to be worked on. When the vehicle was towed to them they had claimed that the tow cost $240. The tow truck driver overhead them say they were going to overcharge me, and said the actual cost was $180..When the shop said they were going to charge me $60 extra for just the tow alone I questioned them on it.. They then refused to do anymore work on my car and I had to have it towed to another shop.This is the second time I had work done by them. The first time was on a Porsche 911 and I had thought they did an excellent job in little time, though they charged me $2500 for the work. Now Im starting to wonder if they had overcharged me on that as well?Be careful, they may try to take you.

Er
Review №22

Great Service! I came here because my cars computer wouldnt register for the MVAs Emission center. Daniel plugged in their computer cable, worked fine, and told me to go back to the Emission Center and try again. Went to different center, and it worked. When I had called over the phone they had quoted a price for running a diagnostic, but he didnt charge anything since we didnt do anything. I will definitely go back when there is something wrong with the car.

Jo
Review №23

My experience with this company was actually excellent. I took in my acura to have the front brakes checked as they squeaked slightly and rumbled when I braked hard. I was taken back when they called me and told me they recommend not doing the repair because it was not cost effective to replace the parts. They said I still had 3/4 of my pads left and my rotors were within MD safety specs. They also said even if they did the repair there is a chance the squeak could remain due to the material the brake pads are made out of. They could have easily earned another $100+ in labor to make an unnecessary repair, but they gave me an honest assessment and let me make the decision. I took their advice and didnt make the repair. The inspection charge was $44, which I gladly paid knowing I got an honest assessment of my vehicle.I guarantee you I will be back again for all of my automotive needs! Great company guys, keep up the honest work!

Al
Review №24

Had an issue with my car starting on 12/26/18 and didn’t think it was the battery so I called a tow to have it towed to Columbia Auto since I’ve had prior positive experiences with them. I also wanted to have the car looked out before a planned trip. The tow truck driver tested the battery before loading it on the truck and confirmed it was not the battery. Turned out to be a problem with the wiring on the starter. Rather than just charge me for a new starter they made the effort to attempt to fix it so I could have a less costly repair. I’ve always found this place to be fair, honest and timely. When they updated me they told me my car would be ready before 5 and I asked for it at 4pm...was ready as promised. In addition when the car was dropped off I had asked about the cost of a full synthetic oil change because the car was due for one but because I had a coupon for Meineke for a much lower price than quoted I decided to hold off. When I picked up my car I realized when I got in it the oil change had been done but it was not on the invoice. I went in to ask and the guy said it needed doing and they decided to get it done for me while they had the car and planned on matching my coupon price from Meineke but he had forgotten to tell me they wanted to go ahead and do it and had forgotten to add it to the invoice. When I said I wanted to do right by them and pay for it he not only matched the coupon price I had for Meineke but charged me $5 less than the coupon price. This place provides HONEST WORK with FAIR PRICES and GOLD standard customer service!!!

Ge
Review №25

Great new Owner. Personable and is quick with communications

AA
Review №26

I brought my car in to have a motor mount replaced. I specifically requested an OEM mount because, in my opinion, they are superior to aftermarket. I came back a few months later, and in the course of them inspecting my other motor mounts, I discovered they had replaced the top front engine mount instead of the right side engine mount. Thats a problem because the mount they actually replaced shouldve cost about $150-60; I paid $245. I verified my $150-160 price with two local Toyota dealers and another mechanic shop. I presented my research to Columbia Auto. First, they told me it was more expensive because they sourced their part from Anchor which is an aftermarket parts distributor. So despite my request, they used an aftermarket part (a MORE expensive one to boot!). I asked to talk to the owner because I really thought theyd made an honest mistake and would be happy to remedy it (or at the very least acknowledge they shouldnt have charged so much/used an aftermarket part). I was shocked by the owners response. He accused me of being a scam artist and advised that I should call Toyota for manufacturing a crappy car instead of complaining to him.

Wa
Review №27

Dont take your coupons you get off their website, they wont honor it. Had a 10% off first time customer coupon, and was planning on using it for a bumper repair. They claimed Its only good at the mechanic shop. Does it say this anywhere on the CAC website or on the coupon? No. Bad customer service, average repair work, never going back.

Da
Review №28

Great people. Been there two times.. You hate to go to a body shop but if you have to this is the place to go.

Pa
Review №29

I broke down on the Interstate on the holiday weekend. Before I was even driving away in my rental car (one hour), they had diagnosis the problem and presented me with an estimate for the repairs. When I called for an update, the were polite and told me that the repairs were complete and the car was being tested to insure that everything was working as it should be.When I returned to pick up my car, to my surprise, the bill was the same as the estimate. If I ever have to break down again and if I am anywhere near here, I will insist on being towed to them.

Fr
Review №30

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Columbia Auto Repair. They are one of the most honest and helpful auto shops I have ever been too. My car broke down while traveling home from vacation from South Carolina to New Jersey, and the entire staff could not have been more helpful. They got my car from another shop who refused to help me, they showed my husband everything that was wrong with my car. They gave us an estimate to repiar it and since this all occured at just about the close of business and they knew we were stranded for the night in a strange town they drove us to the nearest hotel so that we didnt have to pay for a car service. This shop is helpful, considerate and most important honest. They knew we were stranded and desperaste to get home yet they did not over charge us and they made sure to get the car done first thing the next morning at the price they quoted us. I would recommend their service and expertise to anyone who needs their car repaired!

An
Review №31

Went in for a MD State Inspection on a 2013 CPO at 11:20. Front desk said they could complete the inspection by 1:30. I asked if they could call me to let me know when it was complete. After not receiving a call I came back at 1:35 and they had not started. The front desk said it had been one of those days and apologized. They got my car in immediately and finished in about 15 mins. A phone call would have been nice but they completed the job and provided a discount to make up for it.

Al
Review №32

I came here because it was recommended as a place to go for hybrid work. I called on 11/30 and was told that I needed to come in for an estimate on getting my ignition switch replaced on my hybrid. The lady was frienfly and gave me the address which I came to two hours later. I was told that 1. a lady answered no lady works here and 2. we dont do ignition work heren and 3. It must have been Dobbin. So I read the number I called off of my phone and he said it wasnt the number for his buisness. Then I went outside and saw the poster with the number I read plastered on the sign. I guess they dont work on black peoples cars. He suggested I go to Dobbin which had an African American sitting at the front desk. America 2016 . I took pics. I wish I could post them.

Jo
Review №33

Justin is amazing and has great customer service skills and hes always honest and fair with pricing I recommend all to get service at this shop

Va
Review №34

After writing a two star review. Erik called from Columbia Auto Center expressing concerns about my lack of satisfaction. After going over the incident of the left off oil cap, we came up with an agreeable resolution for me to return to get a front end alignment. I think CAC is smart in its busy practice to contact unsatisfied customer to see what can be done to win their trust back to their business. Not many business out there care or value their customers reviews and ratings, and I appreciate their call. Because of the call with Erik, I have elected to re-evaluate my rate to four stars. I will give this business a second chance to win back my trust.

Ji
Review №35

Went here two weeks ago because my car had trouble starting. They replaced the battery but nothing else. Car died again yesterday and i had to have it towed. The problem was the starter/alternator which they told me was just fine two weeks ago. im never coming back to this place. Go somewhere else.

Al
Review №36

I feel they are honest and go above and beyond to provide gold standard customer service. Had an alternator go bad which they said caused by battery to go bad. When they gave me the estimate I told them my battery should be under warranty. They asked if I had a receipt and I was able to provide an electronic copy. They called advance auto parts where I had gotten the battery and when AAP agreed to send a new battery that took the battery off my invoice. If I had been the one to deal with it I would’ve had to go get the old battery take it to AAP and then bring back a new battery to CA. I feel them taking the extra step was providing excellent service. I feel they are honest and their prices are fair. They also evaluate the problem and get the work done in a very timely manner.

Na
Review №37

I went in and to get my brakes check out and found out other issues that I needed to address. Lt axel was leaking fluid and rt lower control arm bushing was damage.Service was great. Everything was taken care of in a few hours and the the price was very fair.

ke
Review №38

Honest employees that arent looking to charge you unnecessarily

By
Review №39

Took car in for tune up. 1/2 the price of dealership price. Very accurate estimate. I will be taking all my cars in for Maintence.

Mi
Review №40

Have had work on my car a few times now and am a satisfied customer every time.

Do
Review №41

My car was one of the cars damage on broken land parkway with the rocks and stone being thrown at the windshields it was about 1700 in damage and these guys were great my car was fixed in about a week and I couldnt be happier the staff was pleasant and friendly and mad the best and easiest time of this bad situation

br
Review №42

Great and reliable service and good knowledge on requirements for car registration.

mi
Review №43

This place is a complete rip off my wife brung her car in to get Maryland state inspected ($89) they said that she needed to get 2 upper control arms replaced and front right drivers side axel on a 2002 Honda accord quoted us 1300 in parts and labor and also said that she would need an alignment for which was an additional ( 89) so I spent 200 on parts by ordering them offline and payed a friend which is a certified master mechanic to put them on for $240 in labor my wife went back to get the alignment from them which was $89 prior to going their my wife called and asked an associate would she have to pay an additional inspection fee(which is normally no more than $30) if she had them do the alignment on the vehicle and notified them that she had already had the other work done elsewhere they told her no she wouldnt have to pay the $30 inspection fee they did the alignment then said she would have to pay a $60 complete re-inspection fee oppose to simply paying the 30 re-inspection fee and investigating the things they said which needed to be fixed and verified they had been fixed they wanted to re-inspect the entire car then tried to say my wife drove over 1000 miles in a week (which she did not and her previous inspection paper proved that) and tried to say its Maryland state law that they would have to charge her for another full inspection which its not its the shops Maryland state law requires you to simply get the car inspected within 30 days.....at that point I simply told my wife to get her keys and lets go.....they were simply upset because she did not get the work done their and wanted to charge us for any and everything even if they had to make up stuff took it right across from them to daz auto and it passed with flying colors I simply did not want to give that shop another penny because I knew they were simply trying to get over on us all of these good reviews are probably from people who work at Columbia auto center ...complete rip off

St
Review №44

Took our Mitsubishi Eclipse in for a front wheel and suspension replace and repair after my 17 y.o. son had a run in with a curb. The CAC Rep Erfan was super polite, professional and very informative. He kept me apprised of every repair they needed to make and worked really hard to keep the costs reasonable. He even suggested I come in so he could point out the issues he was concerned about. As I was paying out-of-pocket I really appreciated his efforts. After this experience Ill be going back to CAC if and when our next car issue pops up.

da
Review №45

This place has new owner/management and its great. I will be coming here for all my auto needs.

Gr
Review №46

Columbia Auto Center was fantastic. As a new resident to Maryland and in need of an inspection I took our Dodge van in. Fadil at CAC found quite a few issues with the van that needed attention and took the time to point out each deficiency on the vehicle, what exactly needed to be done to correct the deficiency, and the different ways in which he could do so.The guys in the front office (I forget their names, unfortunately) were helpful in tracking down remanufactured parts in certain cases, saving me money and time. The repairs were completed when promised and for $200 cheaper than the estimate.The exceptional part of their service was that Im technically savvy and have spent quite a bit of time under and around vehicles and already knew exactly what needed to be done on our van. At no point did the employees of Columbia Auto Center ever try to overcharge me or get me to pay for unnecessary repairs.Exceptional service all the way around.

Ja
Review №47

The person I spoke to in the office I think Joe was really helpful took my car to a mechanic shop in laurel and charged me a arm and leg for changing a broke axle out, but this place gave me a reasonable price and got it done quick, also gave me a shuttle to my work and picked me up when it was complete cant complain about that

Be
Review №48

Nice guy, excellent service

Gr
Review №49

Went in to see if a noise I was hearing was a problem. Expected someone to take 5 minutes to listen - not to put up on the rack or do anything. Was told it would be more than $50 to do so. Wont go back.

Ar
Review №50

Great mechanics and staff

Ma
Review №51

Great customer service

No
Review №52

Bad i took my car there because I need a electrical rapir and before I took it there my engine light wasnt on but when I when to pick up my car my engine light was on and the charge me 280 . And the part only cost me 69 dollars so 210 for the job thats expensive never coming there again

Dh
Review №53

Good service

Information
33 Photos
53 Comments
4.3 Rating
  • Address:9051 Red Branch Rd, Columbia, MD 21045, United States
  • Site:https://columbiaautocentermd.com/
  • Phone:+1 410-730-8550
Categories
  • Auto repair shop
  • Auto electrical service
  • Auto radiator repair service
  • Auto tune up service
  • Car battery store
  • Car inspection station
  • Car service
  • Smog inspection station
  • Towing service
  • Transmission shop
Working hours
  • Monday:7AM–5PM
  • Tuesday:7AM–5PM
  • Wednesday:7AM–5PM
  • Thursday:7AM–5PM
  • Friday:7AM–5PM
  • Saturday:8AM–2PM
  • Sunday:Closed
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible entrance:Yes
Offerings
  • Oil change:Yes
Amenities
  • Mechanic:Yes
Planning
  • Appointments recommended:Yes
Similar organizations