Import Specialties is the first place I took my 06 Mini Cooper S For preventative engine work directly after I bought it. This is where I took it and they replaced all of my seals in the whole engine to make sure nothing leaked. Even though they couldn’t get the oil cooler gasket because of Covid when Covid first started I’m still giving them five stars because that is not their fault and everything they did is warrantied as well as they do good work as European cars are their specialty as their name suggests. Five stars for them from me!

My name is Maurice Miles. I am always satisfied with the service that I receive from Import Specialties! David and the entire staff are extremely courteous and knowledgeable! They keep their customers well informed of what’s involved with the services that they provide. I appreciate how I’m treated there and I will continue to call on them for my automotive needs!

They did an awesome job on my car. The people are so sweet & kind. Ill always go to them when I have trouble with my car... even though I live in Alabama!👍👏

I was confident in the level of knowledge Import Specialties had about my vehicle and very satisfied with the communication before and during the work being performed.

I live in Toledo Ohio. My daughter attends the university of south Carolina and plays for Gamecocks. So when the Gearbox fault light came on In My daughters range Rover I was super concerned. I visited import specialties and just came straight. I need an honest mechanic Im in a vulnerable position. Michelle was honest with me. David took the time to explain my options. I have to give them a good review for that. Now I do feel that the diagnostic fee and the service to broken transmission should be worked in the cost if Im getting replaced by same place. Also, want to discuss having a 2 year warranty instead of 1 year because I am spending $6,800 David has been reasonable with me. So if he can I think he will. Well I havent got work done yet. Ill let everyone know how it goes when theyre finished.. But I read that David keeps his word. Honestly thats all you can ask for these days. Well I told you guys Id be back. My daughters truck ended up with five pretty serious issues. But David took attention and time over a three-day span to go over the list of things that were wrong. He also gave me a way of prioritizing it so I could better budget the repairs. I really appreciate the way that Import Specialties as worked with me considering my daughter being 11 hours away. I have to change my previous rating of 4 and 1/2 Stars to 5 because of this, When David was explaining the issues to me he could have very well easily went with the most expensive repair but he did not he actually went with the second to least expensive repair it really feels good to know that I prayed for an honest mechanic and ended up at import specialties.

I am new to the area and had to find a new mechanic quick. Ive had good experiences with shops specializing in imports (I drive a Scion), so I gave this place a try. I made the right choice. They gave me a quick diagnosis, fixed all the problems in one shot, and even pulled some strings to get my parts the same day! I will be going back next time my car needs repairs for sure!

I have a awesome experience at import specialties they took very good care of me at a very reasonable price. Stay away from the import dealerships and let the good people at import specialties take care of your needs

My son has older car and its been a process, but we used Imports for a few things and so far they done the worked dianosised and kept pricing some what reasonable and they dont give you unnecessary repairs.

This place is absolutely inco incompetent. Brought it in for service after my car broke down in Columbia Im from Easley South Carolina was on my way to Charleston to take my daughter to a medical appointment at MUSC hospital. They charged me $200 for diagnostics and then another $1,100 for repairs. When I picked up my car the engine light came on again I called them back. They said there was still issues wrong with my car. Why didnt someone tell me this before I picked up the car and before they told me it was ready? Im now not so sure they even fixed anything at all or if any parts were ever even replaced I now having to take it to Steve White Volkswagen to determine if repairs were even made on the car. Horrible service, terrible customer service.Do not use this business.

Very good place for your auto repairs.

The waiting room provides a very nice atmosphere and the staff up front are generally very helpful. Unfortunately, what you see is not what you get!A business exists in order to produce profit. Thats understood. But Import Specialties puts profit first, and has no other concerns.I have witnessed countless interactions between the front desk and customers that have spent THOUSANDS of dollars, only to be told to leave this establishment and never return.Customers were given the run-around frequently and some services sold were executed at a less than desirable performance.David will absolutely tell a blatant lie to a customer in order to cover himself. He has no qualms in doing so.If you are unfortunate enough to deal with Steven, you will be showered with discourteous service and a lack of professionalism.David and Steven can be heard routinely arguing and shouting with one another, similar to small children.On one occasion that I KNOW OF, David stole a battery, air intake, and aftermarket door handles from a VW Beetle that was hesitant to come to a consensus on the repair bill.Why would anyone do this?Because Import Specialties does not care about its customers. Once they see the greenbacks, you are pretty much sent to pound sand if anything goes awry.Id advise anyone reading this to choose a business with integrity. Import Specialties is the furthest from that.The waiting room is very nice! Randie is incredibly kind and helpful and wants to do the best for her customers, but unfortunately this business does not allow that.

Very clean and efficient run operation. Also did an extraordinary job on my sons car.

I recently acquired a VW GTI and like any used and old car I had a little trouble with it. That being said because mechanics are overly expensive I tried working on it but when I realized that thing where out of my hands I decided to take it to this mechanic. Turns out they charge over $350 just to diagnosed the main problem which was that the car wouldnt stay on; a battery that was under warranty with autozone . As expected they also found a couple of other issues. For example an oil leak in the oil cooler but because I had changed the water pump myself that is next to the oil cooler he didn’t wanted to touch it. I understand im no mechanic but if I had no trouble asking for help and was willing to pay why would he deny a service and call my car a butchered car. I thought this was a mechanic shop. It looks to me like he only wants to work on brand new cars or maybe he doesn’t trust his instincts enough to do challenging work. In the end I endedup paying $700 for him to fix a transmission mount and it was such a “great job” that while I was driving it fell of. You can all be the judge of this but as for me I will never trust him again with my car.

Import Specialties has always provided me with professional, courteous and honest car service from start to finish. I highly recommend this business for services especially ones pertaining to Mini Cooper. Thank you for all of you help during my time in Columbia.

Import Specialties repaired my Nissan Pathfinder after another shop botched the job badly. IS is not a cheap date, but you get what you pay for. My 20 year old SUV was very sick, but IS fixed the mistakes and executed a flawless repair, my Pathfinder runs like new again!My little old SUV got the same care as any of the higher end makes that IS handles.

Great service, fast and trustworthy!

I have a 2018 Ferrari 812 I’m very new to the area so finding someone who was willing and knowledgeable in Columbia was nearly impossible. Luckily I came across Import Specialties. I can’t say enough about this business. There attention to detail and customer service is second to none. I will continue to recommend.

I am extremely pleased and Ive promoted your company to my friends. I thought my repairs would be in the thousands but it was a faulty battery from a local auto store and your guys returned the battery to them and made them honor the warranty on my behalf. I couldnt ask for a more honest auto repair company.Thank you

They know their stuff when dealing with imported cars

There are few things worse for a traveling professional than to have vehicle trouble away from the mechanics you trust at home. I am a very fortunate man to have found to David at Import Specialties. He worked me into his busy schedule, diagnosed my problem quickly, and had me back on the road within 2 hours. Not only taking care of the bad ignition coil but taking care of an issue without me asking about it. A gem in Columbias crown. Thank you so much.

It’s a Saturday at 4pm.... I live behind this business and it’s not even open on weekends but for some reason y’all really feel the need to rev a car engine 27 times???? I counted because it was so obnoxious... I understand needing to rev an engine to make sure it sounds right and works properly (my father is an auto mechanic) but I know for a fact that there is no need to rev an engine 27 TIMES!

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. The issue with my BMW was diagnosed and fixed in a timely manner and the quality of work exceeded my expectations. I have and will continue to recommend this shop to my family and friends in need of repairs.

Is always an amazing experience with them. I dont trust anyone with my cars but them! Best in Columbia, SC!

I dont tend to leave too many reviews, but I had some work done that was under warranty from a previous repair and am more than pleased with the service. Even though it was literally just a week before the end of the warranty period, David and Randie didnt hesitate for an instant to take care of my 78 Bus (and I). They went out of their way to make certain the Bus made it to the shop safely and I am grateful for that. I dont visit the shop frequently, but they have earned my loyalty and I cant see bringing the Bus anywhere else when I need work done. Keep it up!

I am a father of a USC student who lives in NH. It’s hard enough dealing with car troubles from this distance and it would be doubly hard if there is not a trustworthy mechanic to help. Thankfully Import Specialties helped in that regard. Randy, whom I dealt with on the phone was very courteous and treated my daughter very nicely. Oh, and they fixed her 2004 Passat in an expedient manner getting it back to her quickly considering it was an emergency drop off, no appointment. I will use them again if necessary.

I have a classic 1986 Maxda RX 7. Import Specialties did a great job of mechanically restoring it to its original form. They kept me constantly informed during the process and the work was excellent. I highly recommend them.

Great customer service did a great job on my Porsche. I had to drive 75 miles to find them great job guys

Great shop, super helpful when I was on the road, and very knowledgeable about things that aren’t just routine. Highly recommended and thanks guys!

Not only do they specialize in imports, I took my GMC truck to their shop for a beeping noise. David ran a couple test and told me there was much more wrong than what the previous owner had told me. He told me how to fix it and has run well since. Very GREAT customer service and polite and well mannered group. Would highly recommend to anybody in Columbia or surrounding areas.

This place has permanently lost a customer. My Audi 5000 was having issues starting consistently so I brought it here as they are the closest shop to where I live that can work on older Audis.After I dropped the car off, they asked me to tighten down a loose ignition cylinder and bring a trim panel to cover up some exposed wiring, which I was happy to do, before they could start diagnosing the starting issues.After returning and picking up the key from the front desk, I let them know it would only take a few minutes for me to reattach the panel. While I was in the middle of doing so, the owner approached me in the parking lot, and very rudely asked me to leave his property without any explanation. I explained what I was doing and that I had an appointment to have the cars issue diagnosed, and he continued to very rudely demand I leave his property without explanation. He then proceeded to follow me down the street after I left his property in his own vehicle.This comes after my roommate and I have brought three previous vehicles to Import Specialties, a S2000 and 2 different GTIs, and they misdiagnosed what ended up being simple issues on BOTH of the GTIs.They will not be getting any more of my business, and they should not receive any of yours. Take your vehicles to a shop that knows how to do their job and treat their customers correctly.

This was a very nice experience! Staff was knowledgeable and friendly! They explain exactly what I need and made it happen!Excellent service

As usual with mechanics, highway robbery and INSANE markups on parts. Truly insane to the point of being criminal. As if they dont charge enough for labor.

I have been very pleased with Import Specialties. Their service and care are beyond reproach. I certainly will recommend Import Specialties to allI know.

I had an awesome experience with Import Specialties. My first call to Randie was confirmation that I had the right shop for what I needed. They got my 69 VW bus running great and I will definitely use them again.

These folks are great. Called for an estimate to replace rear brakes and discs. Received a quote promptly from Randy which was a better price than both the Audi dealership and Philips Auto. Scheduled the appointment. Dropped the car off and they took me to work downtown. Picked me back up from work and guess what...the price they charged was exactly what they told me. They also did not try to up sale me on things I did not need and gave me a quick run down on how the car is doing. I have found a new place to have my car serviced!

Super nice folks and excellent, quick turnaround. How many service folks can you send a pic of your engine to in a moment of panic to have them tell you, hey, thats condensation and perfectly normal. Did I mention convenient? Why I stuck with taking our vehicles to the dealer for so long I will never know. A friend of mine recommended Import Specialties, and I have never looked back since. 5-stars!

Awesome service. Reliable and knowledgeable. I would send anyone to this family of fine folks

Great service

This place really disappointed me. I took my car there because I had transmission problems. They did nothing to the car but charge me 137.00 for what they say they use diagnostic machine to test my transmission. They quote me 1000 for doing a transmission service...change transmission fluid etc. They couldnt assure me that was go to ng to fix my problem. Wow!

What a blessing this place was! My MINI Cooper showed an check engine message while I was traveling. They diagnosed the problem, got me authentic MINI parts and had me on my way. Superb service - check them out!

Had communication issues with mechanic, but front desk smoothed it all out. Quality service.

I am very pleased at the execptional service they have provided. Very friendly staff. The technician David, Cohen who is also the owner is very knowledgeable about foreign cars. I have taken my car to 3 different places and its David who finally fixed my BMW 550i GT . I highly recommend this shop.

First I David the owner has been my mechanic for years. He is trustworthy honest and reliable. You couldnt expect more from a mechanic. Things do happen and our cars break but having some there who will tell you the honest truth whether you want to hear it.. Is great. The facility is very nice and clean and prices are reasonable. Please if you have a chance check them out. I dont think you will be disappointed.

Ive been taking my VW New Beetle here for the last 2 years and have had nothing but wonderful experiences. They are not only great about fitting you in quickly, but they take extra care to make sure that you understand the gist of what needs to be done. On a couple of occasions, my car had minor problems that I could not resolve myself--a soft tire, a loose bolt causing a small oil leak, a plastic cover dragging underneath. Each time, they were generous enough to quickly diagnose the situation, and even went as far as to repair them free of charge. I have been and continue to be impressed by the work ethic and integrity of Import Specialties, and will continue to take my car there in the future.

Staff is extremely knowledgeable; they know imports as well as domestic vehicles. Prices are extremely competitive and staff is very honest. If your vehicle does not need a service, they will not do it just so they can charge you for it.One day my friends vehicle would not start when we were leaving the gym so I called my mechanic (the owner) who literally walked me through getting the vehicle started over the phone. I told him the year and model of the vehicle and he immediately knew what motor I was looking at and started explaining everything under the hood like he was looking at a picture of it.I had some issues with my Honda truck and I brought it to the dealership, which they were not able to diagnose the issue that I brought the truck in for, but quoted me an additional 2500 worth of work. When I looked through the invoice, Honda wanted 7 dollars for a license tag bulb, and another 30 dollars to install it. All of the quotes that Honda gave me Import Specialties beat by at least 30% percent, but upon inspecting my vehicle they determined that I did not need most of the work that Honda told me I did.I have since moved away from Columbia but I drive from Charleston to bring my vehicles here because I have never had a shop that I truly trust like these guys. They will not disappoint.

I usually do not leave reviews but this experience was so exceptionally bad that I had to comment. After making an appointment a week in advance and sharing the specific part number which needed to be ordered for the estimated $1200 repair (which I offered to pay for in advance), I arrived for my appointment to discover the part was never ordered for my mini and the nearest part was in California. (Part information originally from this company based on diagnostic for which I was charged $95) The owner repeatedly attempted to make his failure my fault but finally admitted his father was helping at the business. He did finally apologize but in a look and tone which made it clear he wasnt sorry for my inconvenience at all. I will be taking my business elsewhere and hope no one else has to deal with this level of unprofessionalism and rudeness.

Emailed them on a Monday about a problem and they had me scheduled for an appointment the next day, I dropped my car off and they were nice enough to loan me a car until mine was ready. Fortunately they fixed the problem and had my car ready by Wednesday. Really impeccable service and very nice people working there, Ill definitely be coming back.

Great service kinda pricey

David and his team have taken care of my wifes 1998 Mercedes E320 with 155k miles for the past 2 years and it has never run better. Last year when I had the car in for an oil change it was discovered that the coolant was leaking through a bad seal/ring into the oil. Major problem with the solution being replacement of inexpensive part but significant labor. They brought me into the car bay and showed me what was being done.After all was done and the car was back and running fine, I of course Googled the repair and was very happy to see what I paid, and what I avoided in damage to engine, was more than reasonable compared to other postings.If you want a cheap quick repair go somewhere else. If you want people who are into cars and care about the cars they work on, then come here!

Dave really knows what he is doing in regards to imported cars. He has done about 3 repairs on our Mercedes and we have been very pleased. I would recommend Import Specialties very highly.Mark

Great folks there!

Excellent service on my Jaguar. Will use them again

Great place! Outstanding service and excellent pricing!

Best shop in Columbia. Great prices and extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Great customer service, extremely knowledgeable.

Super friendly and extremely knowledgeable!!

Overall: great experience. Very clean facility, informative staff, quick service, and pricing much better than the dealership. Will be a regular customer.

Great company with fast and efficient service! The technicians are well trained and the service is great! I recommend them to anyone!

I was told that I would have a full mechanical diagnostics on car and that it would go towards the repair .At the end of my service everything was running the same way that. I got it before and they told me that I just paid for the fix of leak and not the full diagnostics and that I would have to pay an additional $150 for another one .I felt like I was scammed and I would not recommend this shop.They night scam you too and I will be reporting their services

Crazy rude! Said they wouldnt work on my car! Never asked a question?Said they had to much easy work to mess with my broke car??WHAT I ASKED WAS May I pay you to fix my car? I thought Car shops took money to fix broken cars. If you are not skilled enough to fix my car, just say you arent good enough to fix anything thats not easy!

The staff at Import Specialties are extremely helpful and honest. After tiring of trips to the dealer for servicing our rather old Jetta, we decided to make a switch. Each time they have repaired our car and been very up front with us about the cost of everything. They work quickly and deliver the car as promised. When we finally decided to buy newer used car from a local dealer, they were even able to fit in an inspection the same day so that we could complete the purchase. You can’t ask for better service from a local mechanic. We will be going back to Import Specialties for all of our VW servicing needs in the future.

I dont know where they got 4.4 stars from but this is not a good auto repair shop. Not only do I believe that they actually break more than what was originally wrong with my vehicle but they quoted me $3000 for a job that I paid $1200 dollars for at another shop. After my second bad experience I called other shops and asked about Import Specialties. Both shops gave negative reviews about this particular shop.

One of a kind automotive repair shop!

My 95 m3 had a blown head gasket. Picked it up and immediately drove across the country. 1700 miles in the middle of June. Temp gauge never budged, car was perfect. Couldnt ask for more in a mechanics shop, employees, or work. Clean, bright, inviting. Wouldnt take my car anywhere else within 100 miles. Very highly recommend.

Great people, quick service. If there is a problem with my car I will definitely bring it here.

Excellent service, fair prices and Randie at the desk is awesome and helpful.

I had my car towed to Import Specialties of Columbia to run a diagnostic test on my engine. They told me it would cost $5,000 to fix my engine. Once I decided to get work done on my car elsewhere they were going to charge me for a full hour of labor. David, the owner, was very helpful, and reduced the labor to half an hour. I did not have the best customer service with one of their employees (he was particularly rude) but the first lady that I was in contact with was friendly. After I paid my bill, and let them know I would be making a review of my experience David called me the same day. David does care about his shop as he was very helpful. It is because of his efforts that I give my experience a 4 out of 5.

Cool place and friendly

I was please with service. Honesty mean alot to me if you honest you get my business.because I just dont have money to give away if you arent giving me good service so far I been please.again thks David.

I have taken my VW Passat to Import Specialties a few times and have been extremely pleased with their service and courtesy. David and his crew do not find extra things to do and are very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend them.

Original estimate (Firestone) 3 hours. $1054.Actual cost $1,317.45 plus Im guessing about $650.00 the store ate for the mistake with the condenser and lines.Plus the $200.00 in freon I bought to stop the old a/c from burning up while I saved money.Plus the $957.00 I paid a guy two years ago to replace my a/c whom is now out of business. The owner of which tried to yell and curse me out when I brought it back after it stopped working two weeks later (Rosewood radiator and a/c repair).I also estimate that all this time spent on the repairs cost me about $350.00 in lost productivity.This all goes back to Import Specialties on rosewood Dr who after putting a stethoscope on my AC compressor (not the industry standard way of differentiating a bad compressor from a tensioner pulley) informed me that I needed a a/c ($1300) and a new radiator (+$$) which prompted me to get the radiator repaired for a $100.00 at Rosewood Radiator and A/C and was told at rosewood radiator and repair that they could fix the a/c for less money. After the repairs my truck still made the same (bad compressor) noise and I was then told that it was my tensioner pully all along and that it would be $17.00 (seventeen dollars) to fix it. That quote for the pully repair came along with a you told me what to fix so I fixed it. I took the bad pully back to Import Specialties spun it on my finger and explained to the mechanic in the lobby that was what was making the noise I also told them how I googled how to check for which one was making the noise and none of the results included making the noise louder by using a stethoscope. The young man I spoke to genuinely apologized.Total cost (-/+ $50.00) $3591.45 for a new a/cNo my truck went in your shop all day on the referral of a customer of yours. The nice thing to do would be to say youve learned how to check a/c better and that you. I wanted you to know the rest of the story your lack of skill caused. This is a legitimate complaint based on how your company messed up on my service. Now to call me a liar and someone who likes to give one star is not helpful. Sure I may be more app to review after bad service. Ill work on that thats a problem I can fix.

Great work and awesome customer service!

Horrible and dishonest people. Extremely disrespectful

My 2000 Volkwagen Jetta was having shifting issues (turned out to be a bad clutch). I first took it to Import Specialties in Columbia, where they kept it for 4 days only to tell me they couldnt detect any problems, charging me $79. When I received it back, my drivers door was making a loud clicking noise when opening and closing. To their credit, they took it back and fixed whatever had happened (apparently a screw had fallen out), but they made a point to emphasize that this didnt happen overnight. Yet my door had worked perfectly when Id dropped it off. The shifting problems continued, and I next took it to Das Autohaus in Lexington. Within a short 1-2 hours, they diagnosed and explained the problem, and also found that the transmission fluid was diluted (this was somehow missed by Import Specialties in 4 days time, yet the transmission fluid seemed like the logical first thing to check). The service was overall kind, but I didnt feel taken seriously, the problem wasnt identified, the car was kept for 4 days, and damage to my door occurred. I will avoid going back.

Really nice guys and quality service

Friends car ran great

Very kind, great customer service

Good service, quality mechanics

Excellent, trustworthy folks

Took my car there and was totally screwed, paid for tune up and had to pay PHILLIPS AUTO REPAIR TO DO IT RIGHT!

Vey nice people

Just a bunch of liars. .

Very unprofessional and rude staff/owners.