Tom’s Auto Center Columbia’s Trusted Auto Repair Since 1968
Family owned and operated, Tom’s Auto Center (formerly “Imports”) is Columbia’s first and largest full-service auto repair shop. We work on all car brands, offering expert service on engines, brakes, oil changes, tune-ups, tires, exhaust, batteries, inspections, and more.
With the best labor rates in town and a huge inventory of new and used parts, we provide quality repairs to fit any budget. Most jobs are done same day. We also ship air-cooled vintage car parts across the U.S.
Hours not specified
What clients say about Tom's Auto and Imports in Columbia (MO)
Had to give a review on a second acount just so that nobody else makes the mistakes that I did by choosing this store. General manager and store is sketchy
If I could give a million stars i would! The new owners go out of their way to make you happy! I was thrilled with not only the price but customer service was off the charts. I will do business with them in the future! I love my Volvo! Thank you so much for a beautiful economical ride!
Went in to have my transmission looked at , they went above and beyond to get it in quickly and didn't break the bank ! Thank you so much we will be back for all our service needs!
This place is great! They noted with my oil change a few things that needed done and provided an estimate. They were really nice about it and I didn't feel pressured at all! I went ahead had them replace some parts and I was happy with the whole experience. The front desk staff and the mechanic I talked to were really cool! They will be my go-to garage now! Five stars because it won't go higher!
A friend suggested Toms Auto and Imports in Columbia so I brought my Nissan Juke here for general maintenance and brakes.The staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. They explained all the work my car needed and provided an estimate. Their estimate was much better than a few other places when I checked around. I am happy with the work completed and will definitely be coming back here for future maintenance! I highly recommend them!
The staff here is always very professional and pleasant to work with. They were great about giving me an estimate in a timely manner and kept me updated on the progress of my Jeep. The mechanic took the time to explain everything to me in a way I could understand and answered all my questions. They are also fair priced for the area which is very important to me! I was very happy with the repairs and the whole overall experience! I will continue to bring my vehicles here and I will definitely recommend them to everyone!
I took my car to Tom’s Imports for a second opinion. I already knew I needed rear brakes, but another shop (whose name rhymes with “Traza Fires”) told me I also needed a right CV joint because it was “slinging grease.” Their estimate? Another $500 for the joint, bringing the total to about $1,000.
The team at Tom’s checked everything thoroughly and even let me see for myself that both of my CV joints were perfectly fine. They even let me take pictures for peace of mind. After replacing just the rear brakes, my total bill was $400—saving me $600 compared to the other shop’s quote.
This experience is exactly why it pays to support your local businesses. Thank you, Tom’s Imports, for your honesty and great work!
-Joshua Maupin
They welcomed me and made me feel like a family member coming into the door,not like a customer quick service as well %professionalism and lije real damily they tell you the truth about whats going on with your vechicle,so your purse and wallet can breathe easy so you can pay all your bills without the stress or worries
Just had some work done on my car here and needed a shop that worked on Euro cars. Was dreading having to make the long drive towards St. Louis and found Tom's in CoMo. I met four of the staff and everyone was personable and helpful. They kept me updated and got my car in and out in a reasonable time frame. 5 stars
They are all awesome! They tell you what is wrong with your car and will help you in anyway! They are very honest and willing to help in anyway. I have gone here for over 10 years and recommend this place!
I bought my wife a slightly uses Audi Q7. the air conditioner went. I had purchased the extended warranty so I was covered took it to Tom’s they got the repair going and thought I need a software update so I had to take it to STL Audi dealer they couldn’t fix it. I took it back to Tom’s and they spent 6 hours chasing down a short in air system fixed it and didn’t charge me a penny more! Fender and his team are amazing Emily up front is always super nice!! If you have German car take it to Tom’s they know more than the dealers and will work with you to get it done right!
I spent almost about $6,700 and nothing was truly fixed - not even a headlight. This place is a true scam. Please take heed & save your money. I recommend finding some place else, if your vehicle is there awaiting services -RUN don't walk to get it and take it to Jefferson City or another place in town if you possible.
I've taken my vehicles, of all makes, to Tom for years. From Vanagons to Subarus to my folks cars. He has pulled me from the side of the road and went above and beyond to show the work and why it should be done. Always some options, but never cut corners. Thanks Tom for the great MANY YEARS of outstanding work!
Cliff
Brought my VW Golf GTI in to get the clutch replaced. They inspected it and found a couple other things wrong that got taken care of in one go and they were extremely fast about it. They quoted me within 20 dollars of the actual price which is also great. Will be taking my car to them in the future!
So I towed them my bmw there a couple months ago in need of a alternator, they charge me 75 for a diagnostic test and it was wrong saying I needed a dme I had to pay to get it towed to another shop and got my dme tested it was 175 to ship and 150 test it and it was perfectly fine. I called them and they told me that isn’t their problem so basically big waste of time wish I could get compensation.
I would give Tom's Auto 10 stars, but they only allow 5. I moved to Columbia Missouri 4 years ago, and the one thing that is really challenging, is to find a mechanic you can trust, and at Tom's I got that and so much more. The manager Fender, stepped up taking care of my mechanical nightmare I was facing. Following his recommendation on my pickup, he remedied my issues, paying close attention to every detail. He kept me in constant contact by texting the entire time. If you live in or around Columbia Missouri, please give Tom's Auto your trust, I promise you won't be disappointed. Tom's Auto is a shining example of exactly how a business should be ran. Fender and staff, I can't thank you all enough. You've got a customer for life, Michael Zimmerman
Charged me $500 in labor for horrible work. Came in for suspension work and I still hear the clunk. Charged me another $150 to put a few fender clips in. And an extra $50 for beating on my sports car taking it up the street to get an alignment. Needs sued
My experience at Tom’s Imports went very well. The auto-technicians kept me up to date on any issue. The customer service was great at the counter from beginning to end. Also they got my vehicle squared away at a reasonable labor rate and labor time .
Thank You so much Emily, Brandon & Team For your professional & quick service. You helped us fix the AC unit in our 2014 Mercedes taking a cross country trip & you made it so much more bearable at a decent price. Thanks
Overall price wasn’t bad, you get what you pay for though… I blew my engine and took it here a few months ago, i had to take it back three more times for them to get it right after not installing it correctly. Then come to find out my AC didnt work after i moved across states, it didnt work because they didnt even connect it back after putting the new engine in… there work was sloppy the whole time and i had to come back way more than once for the same job, they want your money not your loyalty. DO NOT COME HERE IF YOUR CAR NEEDS FIXED.
I’m really glad my neighbor suggested Tom’s auto and imports to me for service to my Toyota.
No hassle or BS. Work preformed as requested in a timely manner and at a reasonable price.
Plus they happened to be in walking distance from home. For me a win win situation.
First time ever going to this shop I was a little nervous about it from prior reviews and someone people I know who have been previously but the new general manager fender is amazing very knowledgeable and is more than happy to help in anyway possible. I got my vehicle towed last night and they were able to get it in first thing this morning and gave me call within only an hour of them being open and had the repair done in under an hour which how often can you say that about a bmw. I would highly recommend coming here for anything you may need.
I have a 1974 VW bus that Tom has worked on for over a year now.. exceptional service.. and my problems were fixed every time.. reasonable prices and fast service... He is definitely my guy.. totally recommend!
Emily was very helpful and accommodating on getting my 2000 Mercedes E320 repaired at Tom's. We have found our automotive repair shop. Thank you Tom's.
Brought my 2002 BMW in with multiple issues. They quickly solved what they could and advised thatit would have to go to the dealership for specialized services. Price was fair and work was thorough.
DO NOT USE THEM FOR ANYTHING! They are very unreliable.
I towed my 2013 Toyota Corolla to them and they claimed to “fix” the immediate issue and charged me $500 for it, they also said they would give me $20 off if I left a 5 star review in store and I understood why now, they have TERRIBLE reviews and rightly so. Not even a week later, while driving my car stopped on the road, I had to get AAA to tow it and the driver said the issue was with my alternator which was not mentioned at Tom’s at all. I called them today to ask what was wrong with the car and they list 5 other things but not the alternator all totaling to about $2000. I finally mention that the tow guy said it was an alternator problem then they say after doing a “test drive” that they noticed the alternator was broken and that would cost $700. I told them I was OBVIOUSLY disappointed with the service and would like to have my car serviced elsewhere and they are STILL charging me for the diagnostic which didn’t reveal anything different than when I brought the car a week ago. All in all they are very unprofessional and I would NOT recommend them to anyone.
Tom's did work on my 89 Mercedes 190d (diesel) in 2005. The injection pump has rubber seals that deteriorate with age and begin to leak at about the 10-20 year range. This is a common issue with OM60x series of engines. The IP delivery valve o-rings fail and leak, needing to be replaced. Thankfully, they're only about $2 a piece even at the dealer. Here are the details, the car went in running on all 5 cylinders. A week later, I got a call after the work was complete saying that the car is ready to be picked up, however, now the engine is misfiring and the pump is not pumping fuel on cylinder 3. His shop damaged the expensive injection pump (probably did not clean thoroughly enough) and was unwilling to do anything about it.
Long story short, I ended up having to sell the car because as a fresh college graduate, I couldn't afford to buy a new injection pump. This was a bummer for both the shop and myself since neither wanted to pay $5000 for a new pump, nor $800 for a good used pump (looking back this was a possibility, but I was unaware of the import used parts market at the time and regardless, I had a little extra money). It would have cost Tom's about 8 hours of work to replace the damaged injection pump. Sure this is costly in time and labor, but... if his shop was not up to doing the job correctly (clean and without damage to the expensive injection pump), he shouldn't have taken on the work. Seeing that he did take on the work and that it was completed improperly, he should have taken on the responsibility and costs to correct the issue. The next few times I faced this problem (I bought a few MB diesels over the years), I did the work myself. It's not that difficult, but it does have to be very clean since injection pump parts are very tightly fitted with no room for contamination.
The main lesson learned, know that you can trust the mechanic/shop doing the work when something this delicate and expensive is at stake. Unfortunately, whoever did the work, was not careful enough and ultimately, Tom was not honest enough to eat the mistake, as he should have in this case.
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