How fortunate I was to find Mike Sanford. He is a highly competent mechanic who identified a situation with my engine that Subaru dealership mechanics completely missed. That one thing alone saved me from unneeded repair costs. On another issue with my fuel line, he identified the problem quickly, and fixed it in a timely manner. He is honest, and reasonable, and very good at what he does. Cant thank him enough!

Mike was very professional and straight forward about the work he was doing on my car (65 Mustang). Its difficult to find mechanics that can work on vintage cars, but Mike is in a league of his own. He provided constant updates about the status of the car, the bill, and work that needed to be done. He told me about things that I could fix that would be easy rather than him charging me (hard to find a good mechanic that isnt out to nickle and dime you). Overall I had a great experience with Mike and would trust him to work on any of my vehicles.

Mike does great work! You can trust his assessment of the problem and his fair pricing. We highly recommend his opinion and knowledge.

Very happy with work Mike did on my chrystler 200 honest man and cost between part and labor did not hurt my pocket much very haappy i give 5 stars wish i could do 10...

Great guy. Really helped me out in a pinch.

!!HE WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE BUT STILL CHARGE AS IF HE DID!!! I RECENTLY HAD A ISSUE WITH MY AUDI OVERHEATING AND I CALLED THIS MECHANIC SINCE HE HAD GOOD REVIEWS. SO AFTER SPEAKING WITH HIM HE SEEMED VERY NICE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE, SO I TRUSTED HIM AND LET HIM REPLACE THE SENSOR AND A DAY LATER HE CALLS ME AND QUOTES ME 300 DOLLARS AND CHANGE FOR THE WORK AND SENSOR AND I SPOKE WITH HIM A DAY LATER AND HE RECOMMENDED ME TO GET A OIL CHANGE WHICH I ALWAYS DO AT AUDI BUT I LET HIM DO IT HE DIDNT QUOTE ME A PRICE FOR THE OIL CHANGE BUT I FIGURED IT WOULD BE LESS THAN THE DEALERSHIP BUT NO HIS OIL CHANGE COST ME ALMOST 200 DOLLARS AND HE DID NOTHING SPECIAL. UNLESS YOU LIKE THROWING MONEY AWAY ON SOMEONE WHO WILL OVERCHARGE YOU TO *NOT FIX* YOUR CAR I WOULDN’T RECOMMEND THIS MECHANIC. AND HE REQUEST YOU SIGN A PAPER AT THE BEGINNING SO IF HE WANTS TO ADD TO THE BILL HE CAN PUT AS MUCH AS HE WANTS!!!

He was able to meet my need on the spot. He also did some welding/ Fab work on the bumper of my Truck. Nice Guy

Hello everyone, Mike is a great business owner he’s NOT out to BS you like other places to get every dollar you have and he’s also not afraid to get right at it to finding the problem! Thanks Mike for taking the time out to listen to me verses assuming or BS me on what’s up with my vehicle! By the way it was my first time there. If you have a problem and tired of getting the run around check this place out you won’t be disappointed!

I had a bad rear end problem and I took my truck 2015 Chevrolet to this shop. He inspected it for me and gave me a great quote. He gave me a estimate of when the job would be finished and he was right he would finish up faster than i thought.I Would recommend this repair shop to anyone who has a issue with their vehicle. Truck rides better than when I first purchased it. Will bring my other car back for some good quality work to be done.

My 2004 Somona had many problems. Sandford spent over 50 hours putting my truck back to its greatness again. He told me what it would take. Gave me a good price for all he had to do on my 2004 Somona. Runs great drives great. Yes I trust and recommend Sanford Auto. Service.

Quick and excellent service. Wonderful guy and he takes his job seriously. Some of the best prices too. Went to weld an exhaust and didnt take long at all. Im extremely happy with the result and recommend everyone to stop by for their automotive needs.

He is a nice guy and very knowledgeable. I found him on Google. His website says if he cant fix it, it cant be fixed. I believe it. Go visit him!

My truck has already had the A/C replaced once and repaired several times. It quit working yet again and I decided to try Sandford Auto. He did a fantastic job identifying the issue and fixing the problem in a timely manner. He showed me exactly what the issue was and what he did to fix it. I have been enjoying cold A/C since

I called to get a quote for new exhaust and he seemed bothered by my questions. He was very rude and will not be getting my business that’s for sure!Update: he did call me back and apologize. I really appreciate the fact that he reached out.

Great service. Top notch hospitality with a very good price. I will be returning, couldnt be happier.

Mike is a total professional very courtesy and communicated excellent highly recommend his shop!

Mike knows his stuff!! He took care of our car explained and showed us the old parts of the car he replaced. She runs great and we are so very happy to have her back! Highly recommend this man, he’s very knowledgeable and we will use him for any future needs for our all our vehicles and Mike we will call you on our ford pickup, soon😁thank you thank you!

Mr. Sanford is very knowledgeable and he is the only person that I trust with my car repairs. He was the only person in the area that could correctly diagnose the issue my car was having. Not only is he very knowledgeable but he also offers the best prices around. I would 100% recommend him!

I recently moved to the area and was in need of a trustworthy mechanic. I went to Mike because I saw the positive reviews here, so now its my turn to share. Mike has already helped me out a ton and saved me money. Hes handled all the necessary repairs with ease and gave me lots of helpful advice. My car is now running smoothly, and I have no problem vouching for Mike and his work. He knows his stuff, and hes a nice guy too.

Love the hospitality. Job was done in awesome time. Will recommend if you need transmission done. Go here. You will be satisfied.

Great experience! Mike Sanford was able to get the parts and install them faster than I could have even had the parts delivered alone, and he managed to do it all under quoted cost! As a mechanic, I found Mike to be knowledgeable and friendly, and highly professional. He went out of his way to provide top notch service, and it shows in every aspect of his operation. I would definitely recommend Sanford’s Automotive to my friends for their auto repair needs.

It is normally not easy dealing with an auto mechanic long distance, over the phone. Mike is the exception to the rule; he is an honest, trustworthy and highly skilled mechanic. Mike replaced the transmission in my sons SUV keeping me informed via telephone and email of what needed to be done and how it was progressing. The work was performed flawlessly and quickly. I would recommend Mike to anyone in need of a mechanic.

Mr Sanford is very knowledgeable and has fair prices on repairing any vehicle. If he is willing to work and get my 1923 Durant star truck going. He can fix anything.

The owner was incredibly helpful and is very knowledgeable! He was willing to talk through my car troubles AND was willing to interview for my senior design project. 10/10 would recommend this shop.

Went here to get an estimate on a muffler repair because of all the great reviews. Honestly, I dont know why this place has so many great reviews! The place is run down and very sketchy. When I arrived at Sanfords Automotive a guy approach me and asked what are you here for in a very rude manner. I told the guy Im having problems with my muffler and wanted to get an estimate to get it fix. He asked what exactly is wrong with it, and said that a normal muffler repair would cost a least $300. I said I did not know what is exactly wrong with my muffler its just keep making loud grinding noises. Then, he asked how do I know for sure its my muffler making the loud noises? I told I took my car to a another shop before coming here, and was told that the noises were coming from my muffler. Also, told him that the other shop was trying to charge me $800 to fix it, but didnt let them because I wanted to look around to see if I could get a lower price. When I told him that he change his $300 price to more than $600 to repair my muffler. I mean the guy didnt even look at my muffler to see what was wrong with it. He basically was trying to make me pay more than he usually charge because he realized that I didnt know anything about mufflers, and saw that I was willing to spend up to $800 to get it fix . The type of service I received here was horrible enough to the point that if he did charged me $300, I still would not let him repair my muffler because I know the job wouldnt have been done right!

Mike is the best mechanic, ever. I found him online when looking for someone who does exhaust, and now we have him do everything. I was blown away by the reviews I read of him online, and now I am so thrilled to report they are absolutely true. The kind of care, knowledge, and skill Mike gives your car is amazing. He knows what he is doing, and then some. He talks you through everything, shows you the parts he removed and explains what he did. We love him so much that even though its a bit of a drive from our place to Mikes (our old mechanic is less than a mile away), its totally worth it. I know that Mike knows what hes doing, and I trust him. And his customer service is excellent. Recently our car was stuck in our driveway, and he volunteered to swing by the house on his way home to have a look at it! I cannot say enough good things about Mike and Sanfords Auto.

Everything you could want in a mechanic: honest, competent, quick, affordable.Sanford was able to quickly diagnose a major problem that I had had with my car for years and had me up and running within a day. He even drove me home when my wife wasnt able to pick me up. I would easily recommend him to anyone looking for a mechanic and I plan on using Sanford for all my future car repairs.

Great service, very friendly.

Im only temporarily in town and Ive had to bring my vehicle to Mike twice. Ive had a lot of experience with auto shops (older Jeep) and am very impressed with Sanfords. Mike was very communicative with me while my Jeep was in his care, he did not BS me, he was timely, and he did not overcharge. I highly recommend Sandfords Automotive Service and I am very grateful to have my Jeep back and running like new!

Mike is a one of a kind dude! Mike helped my family & I out of a major jam after breaking down on I77 on the way back home to Chatleston. I read all the reviews and thought it best to pay extra to have it towed 40 miles.Even thought my car was towed & left after hours, Mike treated me fairly and got my repair done quickly!!

Mike is a knowledgeable and honest mechanic. I brought my car in for some maintenance at the 100,000 mile mark, and he told me what services were essential and advised, as well as the ones that could wait. His prices are fair and his service is excellent. He returned my calls quickly, and had my car ready in less than a week. Within days Mike had serviced the brakes, replaced my tires, shocks and struts, given the car a tune-up and replaced the radiator hose, and fixed a broken blinker! For me, who knows very little about cars, it was nice to see a mechanic so forthcoming and transparent in his work. At one point, Mike invited me to look under the car as he did some troubleshooting. That kind of openness is not what we usually associate with car mechanics. A great experience all around--I strongly recommend Sanfords!

We were in a pinch and needed our A.C repaired and Mike kindly told us to come and and he would take a look. In 30 mins he had our A.C. up and running at a reasonable price served with a big smile. Thanks Mike!

Mike Sanford is a good auto mechanic! If you are like me, it is not often you can make that kind of statement these days and mean it. Mr. Sanford is very methodical in his approach and delivers on time at a good rate. No offense but with such great work I will not see you there for while. 😺

I chose to use Mikes auto shop due to the positive reviews that I have seen at Google. Most auto shops and especially the car dealerships will exaggerate so called other problems on your vehicle besides the reason you brought the car in for. Mike on the other hand does not do use any schemes to make you pay for unnecessary repairs. Hell work on the main problem(s) on your vehicle and advise you of recommendations on your vehicle that has a lot of mileage. I highly recommend Mike to anyone who needs their vehicle(s) to be serviced.

I recently bought a house in SC from out of the State and didn’t know anyone or any services. I found Mike’s on the internet doing research for the repair job and brought him my service because of his motto that if he couldn’t fix it nobody could! Several shops turned down my repair because it was difficult but he took it on and got it done for a fair price! I highly recommend his shop if you are looking for reliable repairs at a reasonable price.

This post is about a couple weeks past due, but I took my Mazdaspeed3 into mike. Had to get it towed to him on a weekend and mike had it ready for me that Monday! I had a spark plug shattered in my block and mike was able to get it out with a screw extractor. Definitely saved the day for me and saved me from having to take apart the engine. Mike was very friendly and made sure that my car was the priority. He even gave me a call about a week later to check up on the car. Will definitely be coming backTo mike in the future. Great mechanic.

I don’t know how there work is it might be amazing but the customer service on the phone was awful. Very rude. And the price was 150 higher then anywhere else.

Mechanics will often talk down to the customer, because they know so much about cars, or maybe they want to take advantage. Mike isnt like that. He is really easy to talk to, and knowledgeable. Reasonable prices, and quick completion. Couldnt ask for better auto service.

MIKE IS THE BEST!!I moved here from Tampa FL and no longer had my dad to take care of my car stuff. I went to Mike the first time and he took care of me promptly. One thing I really like is that he uses his brand new parts only, which can be a tiny bit more expensive than if you get your own part BUT he backs it up, so if anything happens you know he put it in and its his own part. One time I had to go to work and my car died, so I had it towed to him and he went as far as bringing my car to my work place for me! He is truly the best mechanic Ive ever had. I dont fee like he has taken advantage of the fact that Im a female in my twenties who doesnt know much about cars, he has always been fair and my 13 yr old car is in GREAT shape! THANKS MIKE!

This to Mike Sanford fix my car for 3000 dollars less than the Mazda dealership . I really felt as if I made a great friend and mentor who has taught me much about my car. My car is very unique and he is now my mechanic for life. Thanks Mike you are God sent

I had some problem with my 1997 Ford Expedition (engine misfiring). Mr. Sanford solved the problems fast and at a good price! Excellent mechanic and excellent service. My Expedition was good to go within 24 hours. He managed to locate errors that others could not. He explained his whole process and adapted the level of repairs needed to my situation. I sincerely recommend Sanfords Automotive Service. Five stars is a given!

Mike is an awesome guy who quickly fixed my flat. Not only are his prices economical, but he is also a very pleasant and friendly person. Two thumbs up!

Was traveling through the area and he gave me great service. Helped me fix my problem fast and got be back on the road.

Great customer service and repair work. Its hard to find a reliable and trustworthy auto shop these days. Sanfords Automotive is trustworthy and has reasonable pricing on repairs.

Mike is the best mechanic EVER!!! Ive had about 3 issues that he resolved fast and efficiently. I will refer him to anyone. If your looking for someone that honest, ethical, and most of all knowledgeable. HE IS YOUR GUY!!!!

Just picked up my car from Mike and I want to start out saying WOW!!! Mike picked up on things that I had no idea that were wrong with my car. I feel as though I have an almost new car driving experience. I have recently moved South from NH and was concerned about finding and honest, dependable and great mechanic. I need say no more as Sanford’s Automotive will have all my business in the future and I am recommending him to all my friends. Top notch mechanic and guy.

Drove from Raleigh to Columbia to buy a used car. Found Mr. Sanford on-line and took the car to him for a check for buyer. He looked at every critical system on the car, plus the body & tires. He is extremely knowledgeable (3+ decades in the business) and saw things in the car that I would have missed completely.If I lived nearby, I wouldnt hesitate to take my cars to Mr. Sanford for service and/or repair.

I cant say enough good things about Sanford Auto! My daughter is a college student in Columbia and has an older model car. We needed a knowledgeable, trustworthy mechanic in the Columbia area. Mike was able to fix a problem that another shop was not able to fix. He repaired my daughters car quickly and reasonably. We are very happy with the service we received from Mike Sanford.

My Wifes care needed some badly needed repairs, I gave Mike a call and he told me to bring it over. His work was quick and all around great, gave me a fair price and even alerted me of some other issues that were going on that I needed to address and fixed those for me as well. The turn around time was fantastic and had it complete when he said he would. He has a new customer from here out. Thanks Mike.

This man is honest and knowledgeable. He has the experience repairing cars for more than 25 years. I will recommend him for anyone who asks about a mechanic. Thank you Mike!

Mike, the owner of Sanford Auto, is the most helpful business owner I have ever met. My vintage car broke down 2 miles north of his shop. I found his shop through my GPS, and he came to pick me up (free of charge). He also negotiated a rental car deal for me on a Friday when every rental car lot in town was empty.I would recommend Mike and his services to anyone I know. Please give him a try - it will be worth it!

I took my Honda Accord to Mike because it was making a grinding noise. By the end of the day he fixed the problem and also changed my oil. Now my car is driving smooth. He is an honest and genuine mechanic and I will be going back for future maintenance. I would definitely recommend him for auto work.

One man owner operator with many years of experience . Very honest in his work. He gave me an estimate of what it might cost before knowing exactly what he might see under the hood . Once he had a chance to take a look he called with a few different options- some cheaper, some a bit more expensive - and hpelped me understand the choice I was making. Will be bringing all my cars here from now on.

Mike Sanford is an outstanding mechanic. He is honest, straightforward, thorough, highly efficient and effective. The problems and your options are spelled out before he does anything. His shop is open on Saturday by appointment. That helped me out as well.If you want it done right the first time, then Mike is the guy to see first.Live Free or Die.

Great experience. Took care of my truck when one of the welds broke. Didnt over charge me. Great service. Highly recommended.

This review will be fair and objective. I took my vehicle, a recently purchased 2013 Dodge Journey, to Mr. Sanford. I informed Mr. Sanford that the brakes needed to be looked at because the pedal was making a squeaking noise, the brakes were hard when pressed, my vehicle leaked, and there was a burning smell coming from the brakes when pressed. In addition to this, I informed Mr. Sanford that I would like the entire car inspected because the vehicle is a recently purchased used vehicle. Mr. Sanford called me back and suggested replacing the upper and lower radiator hose, serpentine belt, and thermostats/seal. I gave him approval to replace these parts for me. Mr. Sanford claimed that my brakes were fine and that the leak was condensation and that the smell was due to my brake pads being new. He was correct about the smell however, I later found out that he was incorrect about my brakes being good. A week later my brake light came on while driving. I took my vehicle to brakes 4 less to see what was wrong. The technician discovered a leak from the master cylinder in the braking system and also determined that I needed a brake booster. The technician was also able to resolve the squeaking brake pedal that Mr. Sanford claimed he did not hear. I spent $534 at Brakes 4 Less for a problem that should have been detected with Mr. Sanford. I understand mechanics are people and make mistakes as well but I expected more from a master mechanic with over 20 years of experience, especially for what I paid. The parts costed $312.13 and Mr. Sanford charged an astounding $723.60 for labor, for something that is routine maintenance. Altogether, I paid Mr. Sanford a total of $1,095.26 and my issue was not resolved. After paying Brakes 4 Less, $534.80 my total cost of repairs was $1,630.06. If you go here just be prepared to pay a huge amount for labor, nearly double what you will pay elsewhere. I refuse to believe that Mr. Sanford thoroughly inspected my brakes. My wife was correct when she suspected the leak was not condensation. I honestly believe Mr. Sanford did not use his attention to detail. There were other things he did not inspect thoroughly such as testing the battery. I feel like you should do this without the customer specifically asking, since I requested a full inspection. I will not continue to beat a dead horse but the brakes are perhaps the most important component of a vehicle and I was not satisfied with the service for what I paid. There is nothing that Mr. Sanford could say to change my mind. Unfortunately, I will not be returning for any more service in the future.

Mr. Sanford is really great at what he does. I had to have extensive work done to my car (blown head gasket, among other things) It was a little daunting for me, but Mr. Sanford made the process well worth it. My car is running great, and I hope to do business with him again in the future.

Mike does great work. He is very straight forward and honest about issues with the car, costs, and time. I have taken my car in three times and have been very pleased with each experience.

After unsatisfactory experiences with chain automotive places I was introduced to Sanfords Automotive. Mikes service was quick, reasonable and most importantly, trustworthy. When the need arises I will definitely be bringing my familys vehicles back to Sanfords.

Great customer service and really accommodating! Highly recommend Mike!

I used to work as a mechanic and am very sceptical but the owner was very straight forward and didnt try to pull anything. Installed a new clutch and all the trimmings at a fair price. He made several smart recommendations to replace things while he was in the transmission that saved me money in the long run. He called and kept me updated through the whole process because there were a few delays because the people he got parts from kept sending him the wrong parts.I know he did a detailed inspection on the whole vehicle because he told me about a half dozen problems I already knew about throughout the car and a couple more I didnt.After I dropped my car off he even gave me a ride home and picked me up when it was ready.

I had a muffler emergency in the middle of a 3800-mile road trip and decided to stop at Sanfords after seeing all the good reviews on Google. Mike deserves every star! Even though I didnt have an appointment, he saw me right away and had my car fixed up and back on the road within an hour. Very reasonable prices. Saved my road trip! Make sure you say hello to his dog Lucy, shes a big lovebug and kept me company while Mike was working on my car. :-)

Great service, quality parts, and a knowledgeable mechanic. What more do you need? All at a fair price. HIghly recommend, and the turnaround is generally pretty quick. Give Mike a call.

Wow! GREAT service! We cannot say enough good things about him. My fiancé and I just moved from Upstate, NY and we ordered a new hood for my car online. We looked for a mechanic online who could have the hood sent to them and then put it on for us. So glad we found Sanfords Auto! A few weeks back when the hood was sent to his shop, he did not accept it because it had been damaged during shipping. He contacted us right away to let us know about it so we could have another hood shipped. We were blown away coming from Upstate, NY that there was such a thing as an HONEST mechanic. Where we are from, the mechanic would not only have accepted the hood, he would have put the damaged hood on my car and then charged us for the work done. Moving south was great because its true that the people are honest and caring. Total southern hospitality! He told us to bring our car over on Saturday but, that he would have it on for Monday. I had to be on campus to help with recruitment and I told him it would be hard to get back on time to get my car. What did he do? He got it done SAME DAY SERVICE on Saturday! To make things even better, I asked for him to try and remove a dent on the side of my car. He did an AMAZING job making my car look almost good as new! We will NOT go anywhere else for major car repairs because we have found our honest and awesome mechanic at Sanfords Automotive Services! We will be referring everyone we know to Sanfords!

Mike helped us out in a great way. Our car had a problem stalling out, and no one could figure out what was wrong with it (we had taken it to two other shops). Mike worked with us and when the problem was not what he thought it originally was he had us bring the car back into his shop and got the problem fixed. Mike backed up his work and got the problem fixed. Thank you for taking care of us man I appreciated you investigating and getting the job done.

Mike is an awesome mechanic and did everything for me that he could to get my vehicle fixed properly and on time! I would recommend him to anyone I know.

Had such a positive experience with Mike and Sanfords Auto. Mike was willing to listen to the probably annoying internet solution I had found, and was even willing to try it. He ended up saving me boatloads of money and renewing my faith in mechanics. I continue to recommend him to anyone that asks.

Cant speak to the quality of service but, called to get a quote and the price was much higher than other mechanics. Also, mechanic said he would have to provide parts which means theyre going to be significantly marked up.Furthermore the gentlemen actually called me after I left this review asking why I marked it so low and pressed me to delete or change it. Ive updated it to reflect this guys pettiness and insidious nature. Stay far, far away.

Really recommend! Very nice and very quick!

I just called and asked them if they could be of service to me by cutting my catalytic converter out to be replaced. I already have a mechanic to replace my catalytic converter I just need him to cut it and Im more than willing to pay him but because I will not let him do the entire job, for him to over charge me for the entire job, he refuse to even cut my current converter out. Poor service!! And to think, i took a chance on giving him my business because i found his business on google search.

Had a great experience, very friendly very helpful and quick too! Highly recommend!

Very helpful and solved my problem pretty quickly.

Really great customer service. Not a bad price. Trustworthy.

I went here to get my headlight replaced and oil changed. I love that the owner spoke directly to me and was very upfront. My car was done within 2 hours of dropping it off and this service was very reaonably priced.Since he is local and knows what he is talking about he also noted on my receipt other things that were wrong with my vehcile however he did not pressure me or force me to get any other work done that was not necessary to the overall functioning of my car.I will be returning here for the rest of my vehicle needs for as long as I live in the area.

Earlier this year after having recently moved to Columbia, SC my Grand Prix started producing terribles noises under the hood. After looking up reviews for local mechanics, and having been stiffed by larger companies in the area, I found Mikes website. I called him the next day and he promptly scheduled my car to be looked at. Turned out it needed a new transmission, which worried me (not only about the cost, but how long I would be without a vehicle). . Mike worked quickly on the vehicle and the pricing was very fair. He is a great guy who serves the community well. I have returned to him since for oil changes, etc. and plan on continuing my services here.

Sanford’s is awsome. Excellent service and follow through. Found a vehicle we wanted to purchase 2800 miles away from us in Portland, OR. Had the dealership take it to Sanfords for a 3rd party mechanics inspection since we could not be there in person. Sanford’s went above and beyond. Not only did they inspect the vehicle for mechanical soundness, but they also understood our situation so looked the entire vehicle over for cosmetic flaws and also gave their honest opinion of the vehicle as a whole. When we received the vehicle there were no surprises and everything was as described by Sanford’s. Very happy and would reccomend to anyone.

Helped when we were stuck from out of town.. did a great job did not over price us either...

RUDE! asked if I could speak with someone regarding some important matters and was told that I could NOT and got hung up on. no way to treat a new potential customer.

Youll TRUST him from the first visit, he is really good and he knows how to deal with your car.God bless you Mr. Mike Sanford.

I love the service and the quality of the work!!I would highly recommend this establishment to anyone and .the prices are right

Sanford offered a fair a reliable price for the inspection of my car when I was buying it. Planning on coming to him regularly from now on!

Excellent service and fair price. I am completely satisfied with the work that was done and it cost less than half of what another shop wanted to charge me for the same job.

He was so nice,courteous,efficient and quick.I called on Friday and he was able to see me Saturday morning.I will DEFINITELY be coming back!

Installed a new muffler for my truck. service was fast and professional. truck sounds great. couldnt ask for more

Excellent service, problem fixed quickly. he explained what needed to be fixed right away and what could wait, seems very knowledgable.

Mike is an extremely knowledgeable and fair mechanic. Highly recommend his services!

Had a bent wheel and he fixed it in minutes. Very friendly. Good service.

What else can I add that hasnt been said? Sandford is honest, willing to show you the issues, and is fairly quick. I needed a muffler fix and I was out within an hour. When I need more work done, Ill be heading back to Sandfords.

First and foremost, I would like to say that the Mike Sanford seems to be a great and friendly guy. The second time I brought him my vehicle, he even offered to pick me up and bring me to his shop instead of me having to depend on finding a ride or taking an Uber (which I did the first time I picked up my vehicle).Now to my issue:I am a Seminary student and a NC native. I know nothing about the Columbia area and chose Sanfords Auto due to high ratings on multiple sites. I drive a 2004 Chevy S10 ZR5 with a 4.3L V6.First Repair (Mileage: 152524):I had broken down in Columbia and requested Mr. Sanford tow my vehicle and repair the issues. At the time, my trucks power was bogging down (no/little power when at highway/interstate speed and could not climb hills unless at 4.5K RPM), needed a tire plugged and had a dead battery. Mr. Sanford towed my truck ($120 for a 9 mile tow from breakdown location). Mr. Sanford repaired the tire, check/charged the battery and found the cause of the battery to be a nut on the back of the alternator (charged $105 for just a charge and labor!). Mr. Sanford also found P0172 and P0175 codes on my truck. He interpreted these codes as being due to a faulty fuel injector, to which he replaced all of them. Total, the repair costed $1905. The lack of power issue, in Mr. Sanfords words, were solved. I drove it around a bit and its all good, he stated.Only 70 miles later, the engine continued to bog down (could not make it over 60 mph on interstate, could not climb medium size hill without almost redlining the engine). I took my truck to Autozone and had the codes pulled. The code that was found was a P0171 (Fuel Trim Lean). I became infuriated due to this being a fuel issue. So being frustrated, I brought my truck back to Mr. Sanford in hopes he would correct the fact that he DID NOT repair my vehicle.Second Repair (Mileage 152702): Mr. Sanford stated that he found O2 sensor codes (reported low voltage). He replaced B2S1 O2 sensor with new sensor, then opted to take the same sensor and deemed that it was fairly new and place it in the B1S1. (If it is new, then why did it need replaced at all?!) The bogging issue still existed so Mr. Sanford interpreted that to mean that there was a clogged fuel filter, which he replaced. Total parts and labor was: $265.73. He then told me that it was still bogging down and the catalytic converter would cost $700-900 (though I was told, when I dropped off my truck, that a new cat would only run about $300-400).Summary:I have paid this gentleman almost $2,200 and he has failed to properly repair my vehicle. My truck is driving the exact same way it was when I had it towed. My truck has very little power when climbing small hills and no power on interstates. He never called to give price estimates, he just gave a bill when repairs were completed. To me, this mans idea of mechanics is throwing money at problem, and when his repair fails, he just throws more money at it. I am extremely dissatisfied with the work of this gentleman and strongly recommend you look elsewhere for a mechanic.

Rude to customers

Over charged for my oil change for the oil change told me it was $30 for just the oil and that was the price at Walmart but it was only $12 at Walmart. Told me my timing belt needed to be replaced due to it being passed 80,000 miles but my car has a timing chain instead and those arent replaced unless broken. I had to called him back and correct him and he agreed that he was mistaken. The diagnostics which are normally $65 to $75 for most other car shops was $105! The estimates on the work he found that needed to be done were more expensive than the GM dealership I called for an estimate same day. He is a friendly man and completed the work in a timely manner. However, the cost was high and I think a someone whos been a mechanic for over 20 years would know the that most GM car have timing chains not belts. It wasnt very confidence inspiring.

Mike did a wonderful job on my car, broken exhausts are no fun, and dangerous, took it to Sanfords and he had it fixed in a matter of hours! No more loud noise or fumes and the price was very reasonable, i would highly recommend him for any auto repair in the area, Great Job!

I got stranded in Columbia SC in the middle of a long road trip I made from Fort Wayne IN for a military graduation. Naturally I called several places and settled on going with Sanford due to his good reviews on google and the $800 - $1200 quote that he gave me to repair my clutch. Once I got there my quote chagned to $1500. I paid him upfront. The car was dropped off an early Friday afternoon and returned to me the following day around 6 PM. I called Saturday morning around 11AM to check on the car and he said he had a tough time with a bolt that had corroded and it took him longer than normal to get it out. Near the end of the day on Saturday he said that a shifting cable had broken along wtih my slave valve so he went right to the dealership to get one. I do believe he worked hard to get us out the next day because he knew we needed to get home. He drove my car to our hotel so that we didnt have to catch a taxi (nice of him). When he got to the hotel he told us that he had trouble with reverse and that I should turn my car on and off to get the car into reverse. My clutch was always a little funky with reverse so naturally this is what I thought he was refereing to. He also stated that I needed new coolant tubes, a rear wheel barring, stabalizer links, shocks and struts and that most of the parts on my car would have to be replaced in the next year. When we got to the shop we had to pay him an extra $90 for the shifting cable (is what he explained it to me as but it was actually just a peice that allows the shifting cables to work). So in all we paid him $1590 when his original quote was $800 -$1200. My mother drove the first shift in our long journey home and I didnt test drive it before we left South Carolina (woops, shouldnt have done that). When we were about 400 miles into our drive it was my turn to drive and I could barely get my car into 1st gear or reverse. The car transitions fine and runs great but actually getting it to go into gear was terrible. My mother hadnt mentioned anything to me about it but i could immediately tell something was wrong. When i was able to drive with the windows down i also heard a rattling noise when we went over bumps or started the car up. I called Mike and he couldnt really tell me much besides he thought it might be the broken stabilizer links that he suggested i fix when I got home, he said the car was fine when it left him besides reverse. Needless to say i took it to my mechanic and my MOTOR BOLT was MISSING. Thats what the rattling noise was. Was this the rusted bolt he had trouble with??? Who knows but why wasnt it put back in? Replaced? Anything?! I sure didnt take this bolt out and it sure wasnt any rattling noises when i brought it to him. Along with that i need a new shifting cable (he didnt replace it), my shocks, struts and stabalizer links are bad but all other things are ok. I would have never driven 700 miles if i knew my motor bolt was missing and that my shifting cable was ready to give out and we would have been stranded again. Maybe my cars issue is not this mechanics strong suit. Mike was kind to me, showed me all of my broken parts and explained things to me well but the end result was unacceptable. My car is back in the shop and im paying another $380 to get my shifting cables replaced when Mike could have done that while we were there. I would have paid the extra for the part instead of paying for the part and more labor now. My mechanic put the motor mount bolt back in for me for free and said I was overchanged for the service i recieved. Would not return

Great service ! And fair price!!!I will go back to him if something goes wrong with my car !!

Very Disappointed in Sanfords Automotive Service.service not good...and he required only cash. not accept credit card.I would not recommend this to a friend.never never...

Did work on my car and it still is acting up

Good, reliable mechanic.

The only place that I go in Columbia.

Goog jab

Very rude