Doc's Auto - E.R. in
West Columbia (SC)

Very professional and nice family owned buisness ,Doc fixed my Ac on my 04 Gmc last year that no one could fix , then i had a part fail this year that was under warranty, when i brought this to there attention They took care of it, free of charge ,so i went ahead and got some front end work done and a clutch fan that was bad replaced ,im a business owner, and I'm not easy to work for, I want everything done yesterday ! Doc's wife kept me informed on what was going on, Robert their son is very knowledgeable and figured out some other issues I was having and they called me to pick the truck up today .The price was right ,the turn around time was good ,and I'm pleased with the whole experience! I highly recommend this shop!

I took my 200 Toyota in to get 02 sensors replaced I was contacted by frank and told that the wiring harness to the mass airflow sensor was bad and they couldn’t order a replacement one that plugged in no splicing of the wiring and I paid and picked up my truck and it was good for 1 day now it doesn’t idle correctly anymore or run right I contacted the company and was told they were booked up and I would be called back soon as they could work me in and I still haven’t heard back from them now my truck is messed up and not running right and I thought I had done the right thing by taking my truck to them but after all that I had paid over 900 dollars to find out that they spliced the wires to the mass airflow sensor and tapped it up with black tape I know I made a very bad choice in taking my truck there to get it fixed and Iwouldnt recommend them to anyone and I am concidering taking legal action against them for this matter

I WOULDNT TRUST THEM TO CHANGE MY OIL. NOW, IM A CAR GUY AND I HAVE A SPECIAL CAR THAT CANT BE HOOKED UP TO A COMPUTER FOR DIAGNOSTICS ALL THE TIME. THAT SAID IVE HAD MULTIPLE REPAIRS DONE HERE AND HAD TO GO BEHIND THEM TO FIX THEM MULTIPLE TIMES. I KEPT GOING BACK BECAUSE I LIKE THE GUY AND ITS A CONVENIENT LOCATION FOR ME. I GOT THEM TO REPLACE A FUEL SENDING UNIT AND HAD TO GO BACK BEHIND THEM AND ADD A GASKET BECAUSE OF A FUEL LEAK. LATER I TOOK MY CAR THERE FOR A TRANSMISSION SOLENOID CODE. THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. OKAY, ,AFTER REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AND DRIVING THE CAR FOR 1000 MILES I TOOK IT BACK BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED UNDER THE 1 YEAR WARRANTY...DESPITE PULLING THE EXACT SAME CODES THEY TOLD ME IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND REWIRED MY TRANSMISSION FOR $800, AFTER DOING SO THEY GAVE ME THE CAR BACK WITH THE DASH CLUSTER NOT WORKING. I TURNED IT RIGHT BACK AROUND AND GAVE THE KEYS BACK TO THEM. AFTER A WEEK OF THEM DODGING MY CALLS AND RUNNING "SCANS" THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE CLUSTER AND ITS MY PROBLEM. I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE IN COMPLETE DISGUST. IF YOU KNOW A GOOD MECHANIC LET ME KNOW.

I just recently bought a 1979 Ford F100 from them and have to say I wish their mechanic ability was as good as their salesmanship, after purchasing it I did figure out they were atleast somewhat honest with the "We didn't touch the bottom of the engine" from a very intermediate leak from what I am assuming is the rear main seal, this is also ignoring the fact that when I was checking the car over at my fathers I found two simple problems not fixed, you could unscrew the carburetor with your hand it wobbled so much, and the throttle return spring was as loose as the bolts holding it down. Two days ago from me writing this I was stranded on I20 going towards Columbia, what it was is the carburetor that got stuck, that they decided to buy from im assuming Autozone with the part number on it (No name brand whatso ever because they didn't want their brand associated with it) on the carb. Keep in mind I am Seventeen years old and was driving another teenager who was a girl when it decided to do that mid spring (Hot as hell). At that time my grandmother was there getting a diagnostic and quote done for HER car and when she mentioned it all she said she got in a reply was "This is what you get when you buy a older vehicle". So to keep it short, I am gratefully GLAD I didn't take my 2013 hyundai veloster there for a timing chain that they wanted $968.00 for LABOR only, and did it myself, and if you are going there for any issues don't, they are at most subpar lube techs...

Our car has been having problems so we got Doc's Auto - ER to check it out. We took it one day and the repairs were completed the next day for a very fair price. It is not often that you find a repair shop that is this efficient and friendly. The staff made us feel that our business was really appreciated. We highly recommend Doc's Auto – ER. Definitely A 5 Star Business!

I would not recommend this garage to my worst enemy - I took my 2005 Sport Trac in to replace my head gasket - the truck sat in the outside lot for weeks at a time with no work being done - I called with no return calls. The original estimate was $3,000 - after 4 months they called and said the truck was done and the bill was $5,55.16 - they added parts without calling me for an ok an d kept telling me they were working on the truck when it sat outside for weeks - I am reporting this to the Better Business Bureau and posting a newspaper add warning of using this garage.

The only mistake I made was I should have read the reviews before taking my car to Doc' s ER. My car is a 98 C5 Corvette. I have some experience in automotive but I don't have the time or tools to do the necessary job. My car squeals and chirps alot and I mean a lot. I knew it would either be a belt, tensioner, pulley or an harmonic balancer. Real Professional auto shops should have trouble shooted or diagnose the problem and they didn't and I will explain that later. I went in and said "my car squeals a lot but not sure which part that needs replaced. Donna who works inside hollered "it's the harmonic balancer". I responded back with "of course you would say that bc harmonic balancers cost more". and the business would make more money. I also know the rest are cheap and not difficult to replace. So they kept my car for quite awhile but not sure exactly how long but that's not the point. Anyway they called me and said the car was done. Before I paid I wanted to test drive the car to see if it was done properly. The reason I wanted to test drive it bc I went and read the Reviews and found out the Reviews were bad. That's were I messed up. I read the Reviews after I sent in my vehicle. The owner was offended bc I wanted to test drive first before paying him $1200. He got heated and almost like he was going to make threats toward me. I said "sir that's a lot of money to throw away. I just wanted to be sure. Is this how u treat your customers".He should have gladly wanted me to test drive it first but no. We test drove it and it did fine until we came back to the shop. My car cut off bc I need a new battery as well. So he went in to get charger pack to boost my car. I got it started on my on when he went in to get charger pack. When he came out the car was running and squealing again. I said" it's still squealing". I have experience in this field as I mentioned above but don't have the time. Anyway the hood was up and I looked down at the balancer and it was still wobbling. Harmonic balancers should not wobble I told him. He responded with it's supposed to wooble a little. Right there I knew he lied to my face bc I know better. I have a degree in automotive. Anyway I suggested it might be the tensioner. He went and grabbed a mechanic and he looked and said " yes it looked like it was the tensioner after all. So I said" so y'all didn't troubleshoot it. Y'all put a harmonic balancer on for nothing and then charge me for it and it still wasn't right". I said I wouldnt pay him until it's fixed. He said no he wasn't going to fix it. He offered to pay for the tensioner for no cost. I'm thinking to my self of course he would offer to pay for the tensioner bc he charged me $1200 to fix the problem. This man is a Crook folks. He made $1200 without doing nothing but replace the tensioner like he some kind of nice guy. I took my car to someone I know and come to find out as he inspected my car he told me the harmonic balancer was never replaced. Please folks don't go here. The Reviews I read were simple fixes and easy car repairs not BIG jobs like mine. All the reviews I read were simple things and they got 5 stars. So if u want easy fixes sure take it to them but big fixes don't do it.

By pure chance I stumbled onto this shop approximately 8 months ago when I needed a door latch fixed on an ambulance. Everywhere else, including the dealerships gave me a two week wait time to be seen. Doc's Auto ER got the amulance in, fixed and back on the road within the hour. We started using them more and more as time went on. They are now our sole provider for servicing on our fleet of ambulances. They have done everything from simple oil changes to engine replacements. Before Doc's, I struggled to get our fleet serviced in a timely maner. Now our trucks are taken in, diagnosed, and repaired in less time I can get an appointment at the dealership, and for a cheaper price. They have worked on all 11 of our trucks, and evertime our trucks come back repaired, and the workmanship is top notch. Honestly, without Doc's Auto ER, I have no idea what I would do.

I agree with Brittany don’t go there had my vehicle towed there. Six weeks and $2500 later. To service my vehicle mass flow system cleaned wheel alignment tune up oil change oil change tap off fluids. Steering column needs replacing call from Mike the Forman call another week later trying to get appt with Range Rover dealer. Another week. Never call me back. Finally truck ready I got to get with dealer. Picked up truck get gas truck won’t start had to get it towed battery dead. Bought new battery now ignition key won’t turn. Called Mike at Doc ER said it’s the fault of the person that replaced battery. Can u imagine. Had to take truck to another facility. Fix what they jacked up

DO NOT go here. I took my Hyundai sonata here because the check blind spot dector message was on the indicators weren’t working. The abs light was also on. They had my car for almost a month. They put on a speed sensor harness and an abs module. Seven months later the same message and indicator lights have come back on. Frank acts like a nice man but I really don’t think they know what they’re doing there. I do not recommend this place.

The auto shop is the worse I paid over 1500 for front and rear motor mounts to be replaced when that wasn't the issue and then they put cheap parts on or whatever and now vehicle now idles louder than before they were replaced for no reason. Then stated it was was front and rear suspension had replaced for more money and problem was not fixed. Took to another shop and they replaced the parts I paid them to replace the suspension only and now the vehicle rides quieter but still idles rough because of them replacing motor mounts that didn't needed to be replaced.

I was adviced to go to this place due to a coolant leak i thought it was radiator gasket after paying $95.00 for a diagnostic it came up being water pump got my car back for a few days coolant is still leaking paid another $95.00 and they said its the thermalstate housing needs to be replace.I would not recommended no one to take their car to this place. First visit paid for what the warranty didnt pay and did not get problem fixed

As the years go on, I find all businesses are moving to a "cookie cutter" model. We do it faster, cheaper, and one size fits all. Doc's Auto ER remains old school. Personal relationships, honest assessment, and just NICE. It's hard to find a proprietor who is personable, dependable, honest, and makes you feel like a neighbor. I have a reliable place where I get oul changes and tires, but I was so blown away by my experience, Doc's Auto ER is getting all my business from now on. I invite you to do the same. Try them for you next Auto repair needs. You won't be disappointed!

Originally took in my truck because it wouldn’t start. After replacing the distributor module, it started but I was told it “runs like crap”. They looked into it and resolved it without telling me what was the issue there. I went ahead and had them inspect breaks and steering and mentioned a CV Axel I had that needs to be put in. They came back saying everything needs to be replaced and the CV Axle I had is good to install. Quoted me $5,000 so I went ahead and paid it. Picked it up and broke down (CV axle snapped) on the way home (not even 5 minutes drive) I took it back and they said the CV Axle was too short. They said I needed to replaced both and wanted to charge me (again) for the repair. I told them I shouldn’t have to pay for the labor since the shop said the axle I had would work. They agreed to charge only for the parts then put me at the bottom of the service queue for a month or so. After calling and asking for weeks they finally put the axles in and said it’s ready. When I went to pick it up and I was told it “starts off slow” well… I drove about a minute down the road and broke down leaving their shop, again. The owner is a nice guy but I did not have a good experience with the shop. Will definitely not return and wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

This was my first time going to Doc's but decided to try them since they were near Forestbrook Apts. where I live. My 2005 Dodge Caravan needed a thermostat. I dropped my car off at 9:30 and it was ready by 3:00 as I had requested. Price was reasonable too. Mr. Miller was great to work with. It is hard to find a mechanic who doesn't try to take advantage of women and push other repairs on them.

Had a bad leak in my vehicle and couldn't tell where it was coming from. Doc's Auto was able to diagnose the issue and offered competitive prices. The mechanic listened attentively to my concerns about the vehicle and took the time to explain the issue to me in layman's terms. I could tell these guys were very knowledgeable and enjoyed their craft. He and his team worked efficiently to diagnose the problem and provide a solution. I was impressed by the customer service I received at Doc's Auto and I'm very grateful. I highly recommend this shop to anyone in need auto repair/maintenance

Took my suburban here to get the radiator replaced. The front office staff was so wonderful and kind! They fixed it by the end of the day and was able to pick it up first thing in the morning! Thank you so much to everyone there who helped me and worked on my vehicle!

My mom brought her car here and they had it here for over a week almost two. It initially was for a new water pump they were going to replace. The day she went to pick it up they insist something wasn’t right when they drove it and that they need to get there highest level mechanic to take a look at it as there other mechanic couldn’t figure it out. They said it wasn’t safe and that they didn’t want the car to leave as they believed it was another issue that needed to be fixed. After another two days they said it was all fixed and good to go. The same day the brakes stopped working. She brought it to another mechanic who said it looks like someone put two big holes on the hose above the break pads on purpose as there is no way that could happened. Which could have caused a bad accident if driven on the high way. That same day before the breaks gave out I was driving her car on the highway and I’m grateful this happened 2 hours after I made it off the highway is when it started to malfunction. They would have had a big as lawsuit on there hands if I had been in a collision as it wasn’t even 24 hours after getting the car out the shop. I’m sorry but stay away from this shop if you value your life. I’m just grateful I can warn others about this shop cause if it would have happened while on that highway I would not be writing this. Super scary to think about.

Very professional! I recommend this place because they were very very helpful getting me safely back on the road. I had a bad experience getting my oil changed and I was driving down the road and my oil pan came off and oil filter was loose. they basically took me in and helped me get right and even took me back and allowed me to see where the other mechanics had messed up just for proof! I will certainly be back and I'm very thankful for having pulled in here today! Just pull up and ask for Doc! Thank y'all again , y'all are lifesavers !

I would not recommend utilizing this repair facility. We brought one of our commercial trucks in for an Anti-lock brake system (ABS) module repair as the lights on the dash were on. We called in advance to confirm Doc's ability to install a new ABS module and program it. They confirmed they could do that service. After dropping truck off and telling their service personnel that all of the other issues with the truck (i,e. speed sensors, wheel bearings, etc... had already been checked and or replaced) they proceeded to change other parts not requested and suggested that they solved the problem. Upon paying for the repairs, we picked up the truck and driving about 500 yards down the road the issue was not resolved, and the lights came on again. We immediately returned the truck to Doc's and they proceeded to change more parts that also did not resolve the problem (this was over a week in time). Finally they came to the conclusion that the ABS module needed to be changed (the service that was to be done initially). They ordered the module only to have the wrong one delivered. We needed the truck for our business so we asked to pick it up for use. They agreed and stated they would call us to set up an appointment for installation when the correct ABS module came in also telling us it would be installed in a couple of hours. Doc's called and we set up appointment and returned the vehicle for the agreed upon and paid for initial repairs. When the vehicle was repaired we went to pick it up and they produced another bill for the installation of the ABS module (the repair that was to be done initially to repair the problem). Again, our company had already paid a bill to repair the ABS system initially but they said there was some misunderstanding and produced another bill. Payment of the initial bill was made and cashed -- our company confirmed. Doc's then produced a bill for the roughly the same amount and would not allow us to pick up the vehicle until the second bill was paid. In fact, they held truck behind their fence overnight not allowing it to be picked up. The next day we went to the facility to talk with personnel and explain the situation. We were told that some personnel that initially helped us and knew about the situation were no longer there and that they did not know anything about what was communicated. Our understanding is that this is a family run business and most all the personnel knew of the situation. After losing the use of the truck for over a week initially and an additional day of profit lost, we had to pay a second bill that miraculously was cut in half overnight for services that were really already paid for. Not a very smart business decision to lose possibly thousands of dollars in future business, regular maintenance and or repairs for an already paid for repair and demanding a roughly $300 additional repair bill. Our company will not go back. Think very carefully about dropping your vehicle off here. You may end with a bill you did not bargain for and or unneeded repairs! I will say that as of this review the problem has been repaired (which we took the vehicle in for in the first place) however after being double billed for the repair that should have initially taken place!

Great service and wonderful people. I’ve taken my vehicle to them every time I have had a problem and they always deliver honestly and have never overcharged. I would highly recommend to anyone needing a reliable and honest company to go to when it comes to your vehicle!

TL;DR: Good, honest people. Good, honest work. This review is long overdue (over 2 years). My wife's hybrid Escape SUV's battery was overheating as we drove home to Charleston (about 2h away). We stopped to let it cool and a friendly bystander in west Columbia directed us to Doc's Auto ER. What a God send! Turns out one of the big cooling fans in the hybrid battery had failed and needed replacement. The staff and owners were super friendly while my entire family and our dogs waited in the lobby and called for a rental car. The tech called the local Ford dealer and they were quoted over $3000 for an entire hybrid battery! Ford would not sell just the cooling fan we needed, only the entire battery. So while they figured out where to get a replacement fan, they gave us a tour of the shop and offered us snacks. These are just down right good people. They found the right part online and had it shipped to them. We got our rental car and went back to Charleston. A few days later, they had replaced it, gave me a call, and I came back up and got the SUV. It cost less than $800 for the part and the labor!!! That's way less then I had expected just for the part (and Doc's knew we had no other options)!!! We drove that hybrid for 2 more years and never had a single problem with it. This place is run by good, honest people and they are good at what they do!

They definitely dropped the ball all around. I dropped my car on a Tuesday morning around 8am for them to tell me what was wrong because my car had been over heating. Frank said no problem we’ll take a look at it and let you know. Wednesday comes and goes no call. I call Thursday morning frank tells me that they’re just looking at it. I was already not pleased because my car had been there for 2 full days but since I had been here before with no bad experience I’m like whatever. I brush it off. So he calls me back a few hours later saying I had some leaks in my hoses and that’s why the car was running hot. So I’m like okay nothing to major , how much is it going to be? He tells I’m not 100% sure just yet , we’re about to sit down with the parts people and I can let you know. It’s going to be reasonable though , nothing to much. I’ll call you and let you know. Never received a call back. I call back Friday morning to get an updated and he’s telling me that they’re almost done with my car it should be ready by the end of the day. I found that odd because we never discussed pricing. What if I didn’t agree to it? Then what ? I’ll tell you then what I was basically tricked into paying $500 for some leaks in my hoses! Now he’s saying that had to replace everything, it was a lot of stuff wrong. Like random stuff like my coolant cap! I’m like what ?! If I would have known it was going to be $500 I would have NEVER agreed to it. I would’ve just come to pick my car up. And the price actually started at $607. It was “dropped” to $564.00 plus tax. I’m upset and feel bamboozled. Like what if I didn’t just have that type of money around ? I wasn’t given an option at all. I would never ever do business with them again. And I would never recommend this place to anyone. What type of mechanic shop handles business like that. Worst experience ever.

These guys are awesome! Fair price for the work and they do a great job. Took one vehicle here to have a new alternator put in to fix and replace the damage done by another shop. I was so happy with the friendly and helpful staff and that they fixed my car, that I have been taking all of my cars to them ever since.

Took my vehicle there to see why my dashboard was lit like a Christmas tree! They were busy, but the owner took a moment to look at my vehicle. He was able to pinpoint the issues and explain to me what it meant for my vehicle. Gave me an estimate and a time to bring in vehicle for repair. Had my vehicle repaired and actually paid less than the quoted estimate. Everyone was so friendly! Would definitely recommend !! Chevy Tahoe

My car is a Ford Focus and was having issues when idling. Anytime my car was parked and not moving, my RPMs would drop rapidly and jump back up again and again causing for a very shaky idle and every time it would drop, it would feel like the car was about to shutter off. I took it to docs because a friend referred them and now wish I hadn’t. Overall, my car was at docs on and off for a month. In total I was charged over $400 for general maintenance and my issue was never fixed. On multiple occasions I was told they drove my car “to lunch” and let it idle, unwatched, for hours at a time. Every time I picked my car back up, they would assure me it was “running 100%” but every time I would crank my car to leave, I would notice the issue again. I took my car to them on 4 separate occasions which was very inconvenient and while the last two times were free of charge, I was never refunded, or offered to be refunded, my $400. The last time I picked my car up, they had run my tank down to 4 miles to empty (thankfully there was a gas station right up the road) and had the audacity to tell me I shouldn’t let my tank get so low when they are the ones who ran out all of the gas joy riding. (My issue was in idle, not driving, so they had no reason to be driving it around anyways) When my friend called in for me to speak with them about it, they told him that they never knew what the problem was in the first place. So all that money and time wasted when they had no idea what they were even supppsed to be fixing, and certainly never asked. I would not recommend anyone to ever go here for anything more than an oil change as they clearly cannot handle more difficult mechanical work.

Great staff, highly skilled, knowledgeable and friendly. I brought my vehicle here for a host of problems which were out of my skill level. They fixed everything I asked and even things that they saw needed to be fixed. All the while they kept me informed on the progress. I would highly recommend this place for all of your automobile needs