Import Specialties of Columbia

Had a head gasket leak on my 95 BMW M3. Moved to Colorado last year and needed to pick it up and drive from Columbia back to Denver. Shop is clean and welcoming. Car was perfect, temp gauge never moved, 80 mph the whole way. Amazing job. Anyone who says anything bad about this place is only upset bc the owners aren’t the «same old folks they’ve dealt with for years.» Great new owner, great work, my car runs great. 1700 miles in june, cross country, couldn’t ask for more in mechanics and people. Wouldn’t take my car anywhere else in Columbia area.

Been a long time customer of Richard and Sonja. This new management is NOT Richard and Sonja. I moved from town years ago and am travelling cross country. Wanted Import Specialties to install a small diesel centrifuge on my 81 Rabbit diesel. Gave them the website so they could look at the product while I was travelling. Then they could give me an installation estimate. When I called back a day later I was told that «he would not be able to do it». I would not have heard this from Richard. It’s a simple product. Oil pressure in. Passive return back to engine and a small air pump with keyed hot power supply. Any mechanic worth their salt could do this with their eyes closed. My speculation is he did not look at the product website and he couldn’t look it up in his flat rate manual so he declined. I’ve been in the automotive repair industry myself and would put the product on myself if not travelling. Their loss because I had more than that for them to do.

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 couldn’t detect any problems, charging me $ 79. When I received it back, my driver’s 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 didn’t happen overnight.» Yet my door had worked perfectly when I’d 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 didn’t feel taken seriously, the problem wasn’t identified, the car was kept for 4 days, and damage to my door occurred. I will avoid going back.

If you have a vintage VW… or any other european car this is the best place within 500 miles!!!
They have done repair work on my Bus, Thing and my 79 Bug, Rich has built me 2 motors a 1600 Dp and a rippin 1776cc… all I can say is Rich is the only engine guy I would let build me a motor that I would trust to get me around the world and back!
They also have done all schedualed service work on my Audi A6 and my Volvo wagon. Prices and attention to detail are better than the Dealership. at a way better price.
Terry (shop mgr) will answer the phone… you will love him.
Thanks for being my VW pit crew… you guys have kept me in the race since 2003!