Columbia Auto Care & Wash
| Address: | 10611 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21044, USA |
| Phone: | +1 410-740-9890 |
| Site: | columbiatireauto.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–2PM Closed |
Location
Photos 1
Reviews 4
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Brian Jones
Never go here. I had a spark plug/ignition wire issue 6 months ago for an old car. I got it fixed elsewhere for maybe $350..... When the issue happened again last week, I decided to try a new location. Columbia Auto Care charged me $100 for a diagnosis which afdter they took 3 minutes to "diagnose" the problem they told me "Your spark plugs and ignition wires are bad" which I already knew. I told them that was the problem before I even paid or gave them my car. So basically I paid $100 for them to take 3 minutes to tell me what I already knew. And heres the best part: They quoted the repair at almost $1000. Here is where it gets bad. The car was old and only worth $2000 and I told them I only needed the car for another month until I was buying a new one. I couldnt justify spending so much for a month on an old car and asked if they could do something to help out. He refused and said the full price was non negotiable and they cannot do a partial fix and my car wouldnt last more than a couple weeks without the repair. I asked for him to discount the $100 diagnosis which took them about 3 minutes with a Code device to tell me something I already knew. He refused. I told him I researched online on the parts and labor and other places quoted it at less than HALF of his quote. He wouldnt budge. I told him I would write a bad review on their abusive prices and horrible customer service. He didnt care. He fed me some crap about "Its state law to only do a full repair due to liability so the $950 quote is not negotiable" I could tell he was totally full of it and my car was old so the end of the story is I bought the parts for $60 total and it took an hour to fix. SIXTY DOLLARS. My car runs great now. He lied to me about the parts and labor price, he essentially stole my $100 diagnosis charge for nothing (which most places charge $50 for) and he was unwilling to help out AT ALL with my perdicament. TERRIBLE OVERPRICED WASTE OF TIME - THEY WILL LIE TO YOU AND OVERCHARGE FOR NOTHING This place is the definition of a "sleazy auto mechanic" shop. Go to the Sunoco on Cedar Lane - they were amazing and actually care about their customers.
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Patricia Graves
Sadly, I can no longer trust this auto center. They started out as a friendly trusted neighborhood shop, but once the shop manager Wesley left, they quickly resorted to deceptive practices and high pressure sales. I began to dread the call that always came after I dropped my car off for a simple oil change about "urgent" repairs and maintenance issues. At first, I just chalked it up to having an older vehicle, but my latest experience there has made me realize that Ive been lied to and cheated. About an hour after leaving my car for an oil change, William called me and strongly recommended rear brakes (including rotors and a brake fluid flush), and a new radiator for a total cost of over $1500. I figured I needed brakes, but my car is kept in a garage and I hadnt noticed any leakage from the radiator. When I explained this, William explained to me that radiators only leak when youre driving, not when the car is parked. Yes, he actually said that. And then he told me it was a small leak but when that happens it must be fixed quickly because it will soon completely bust open and create a huge problem. Needless to say, I didnt believe William so I didnt authorize any additional repairs. I took my car the next day to another shop that got high ratings on Yelp. I wont mention the name here, because I can just imagine them getting an angry call from Columbia Exxon. The mechanic showed me around the radiator with a flashlight to prove that there was NO LEAK. I told him about the remark that radiators only leak when the car is driven and he shook his head and said "You just drove here and do you see any leaking"? He confirmed I needed rear brakes, but said I didnt need rotors or a break fluid flush. Repair total was $190. I saved $1300 by taking my car for a second opinion. It now makes me sick to think about all the money Im sure I spent on unneeded repairs at Columbia Auto Care.
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DP Sen
Dishonest. No follow-up. Overcharged for parts ... Took a vehicle there for MD inspection. Quoted about $550 for needed repairs to meet standards. This was in August 2015. When I authorized the work they suddenly realized actual costs would be closer to $1500+ because they obviously hadnt researched what was needed to replace the rear bushings on a Mazda. Received no call backs. I researched that $38 Ford parts could be used instead of replacing an entire frame. Had to go to the store to tell them. They said they would look into it after I gave them the info. Didnt hear back until I called a week later. I offered to pick up the parts but they said they had to order them. During the two months they had my car I received one call back and had to constantly follow up and stop by to get answers. When I finally was able to pick up my car in October, they billed me almost $60 a piece for the Ford parts. When I questioned them about it they said they were making up for the labor costs they had underestimated. I would rather have had them be honest and charge me the labor than have them add to a part cost I had sourced for them because they hadnt done their initial research and obviously just provided a haphazard quote. Based on their approved quote, I couldve insisted on the manufacturer part being installed at the rate they quoted but decided to help out by researching alternatives. Instead of being honest with me and working out a compromise ... I wouldve been willing to discuss a reasonable solution based on actual costs ... they chose to overcharge for something that I absolutely knew the cost of. They wont get any more money from me. They get one star for the length of warranty, but lose the others for being dismissive, needing to be led through the situation and blatantly overcharging for a cheap part.
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James Smythe
These folks are ripoff artists. Brought my car in and told them I was pretty sure my alternator had died, as I uses to work on cars in my youth. The guy with dark hair and beard tells me I am probably looking at $600+ for the alternator, which sounds very high to me. So, I leave it for an evaluation, and decide to call Firestone while I wait for their call back. Firestone quotes me $415. So when these folks call me back to confirm it was the alternator, I ask if they can do better and tell them I was just quoted $415 by Firestone. They then proceed to tell me I need a new alternator and a new battery, which will total over $900 but the guy on the phone says he will ask his boss what they can do. When he gets back on the phone, he tells me they will do everything for $660. I tell him the battery was recently replaced and still under warranty and I will come pick up my car. Once back in the shop they again try to convince me I need a new battery. I pay them $50 for the diagnosis, which only confirmed what I originally told them, took my car to Firestone and got the alternator replaced for $390. The battery was never replaced and the car is running great. If youre going to use these guys, better get a second quote! And before management suggests I have the wrong business, which seems to be their standard answer for anyone posting about being ripped off, I live down the street and get pizza from Waterloo on a regular basis .. I got the right place of business! BTW, this is the first time I have ever posted a review about ANY business but I felt so strongly about these crooks, I wanted everyone to know. Apparently, these folks feel its okay to gouge Columbia residents ...