They did an excellent quick tune up on my Trek. Great staff! Fun atmosphere! I will be back!

I need a good Passat mechanic in town. Used Walt's and it was a horrible experience. They fixed the diesel particulate filter ($4500) and an oil leak developed over the intake gasket ($1100). Had this fixed and another oil leak developed on the front cam seal and another area and they did fix that one for free but then another oil leak magically appeared but was only seepage.....yeah it is a hemorrhage not a drop or two. . . .this is a car that up to going to their garage did not use oil and had no oil leaks To top it off, they left the car unlocked and some on pilfered through my glovebox and center console they did not bother to tell us this. My wife got in the car to bring it home and both compartments had been emptied, and the contents were scattered all over the floor. Only a few items were missing, but whoever now has my home address because our proof of insurance was in the glovebox . . .so I cannot recommend Walt's at all read more

Brought my Audi in for a shudder, they had it 3 weeks and I kept calling. No one ever gave me the same story twice as why they did not have an idea of what was wrong. Finally picked it up and with a mountain of paperwork on what they said they thought it would be, also said that they could change out one of the motor mounts that they said was bad and a brake caliper was bad at different times. Took it to the Audi dealership in St Louis, the guy drove it for 5 minutes, diagnosed it and said the calipers and the motor mount were fine and did not need to be replaced. Ordered parts and had it fixed in 3 days. read more

Called to get service on an 72 Beetle. They said no one knows how to work on it And recommended The Tuning Spot. What kind of VW place can't work on a bug? read more

I was in town for work, heard good things about Walt's, so I called to see if I could get an oil change and they got me right in the next day. I waited on my car as opposed to dropping it off. I didn't have to wait too terribly long. The best part about Walt's are the employees and how knowledgeable they are about European cars. They gave me tips I needed to know you couldn't get from a domestic shop. They changed a filter others didn't know existed. I was very impressed. I need some work done and I plan to take my car back to Walt's to get it done. Thanks, guys! read more

Honesty is not always a value that we see in companies these days. I called Walt to see if he could repair my sons. Hyundai Genesis, Walt said that was not his cup of tea, but suggested I go to Midwest Autoworx. If I had a vehicle that Walt could fix, I would certainly take it over. Anybody who would be that honest has got to be a great guy to have work on your vehicles. read more

Really capable and down to earth employees always. They know their stuff, and with Volkswagens that's saying a lot sometimes. I love the fact that they take the time, no, they insist on taking the time, to fill you in on exactly what's going on with your car. Fair, honest, and always responsive. Highly recommended. read more

Service: Prompt and friendly. They really take the time to teach me what's going on with my car. Price: Generally less expensive than other shops. Turnaround: Fast, typically within a day for things that don't require a huge overhaul. Go to Walt's! read more

Walts is a FAMILY FRIENDLY, COLUMBIA ICON With the BEST SERVICE & RATES!!! I absolutely love Walts!! They've been handling service on my vehicles for over 20 years, and I constantly recommend them to all of my friends that are passing through. This time they worked on my (2011) Toyota 4 Runner with 205,000 miles on it that I use on the trails. I came back in town from California riding on screechy brakes, a busted caliper and warped rotors from hitting it too hard on the mountain trails. Brandon Shoupe and the whole staff hooked me up and got me in fast. They knew I wanted to higher quality parts, and the difference between these parts he got me versus the cheaply made products from China (think AutoZone / O'Reilly) was a small difference in cost, but a huge difference in quality. Had I done the work at the Toyota Dealer it would have easily been close to double the price, and the dealers always like to find things wrong on top of what you come in for. The whole staff at Walt's Service in Columbia is fantastic, friendly, chat with you, don't talk to you like you don't know your vehicle and are never looking to take advantage of you. They warranty the parts and stand behind their work. Brandon and his staff made sure I was riding out on secure brakes that would not screech, wear down fast, and will hold up to the adventure I put my 4runner through. Next stop is Colorado for another Mountain adventure before heading back to California. Thanks for everything guys! I'll be back again soon! read more

Walt's was one our best finds while my daughter went to Mizzou. Great service, incredibly knowledgable, very fair pricing, and really willing to help. We found Walt's after our daughter's car had been towed to a different Columbia garage with a cracked oil pan. The other garage started using scare tactics which I didn't appreciate and quoted us a high sum for the repair. We paid to have it towed to Walt's where they put our mind at ease and did the repairs reasonably. With the tow we were still at the same cost but felt better about the service we received. We had Walt's inspect the car before each drive back home to Chicago as it is a 2001 VW Passat and we wanted to ensure it was safe to drive. Michael was honest and at one point recommended we not drive it home for safety reasons. As an out-of-state Mom it was nice to have someone looking after the best interest of our daughter. I cannot recommend Walt's enough, if you are looking for good, honest mechanics you need to go to Walt's!! read more

A Big Thank you to Brandon, Josh & I believe Brian. Because I am a out of town dad, I couldn't be there for my daughter who is a student at Mizzou. I called Walt's, felt comfortable with the conversation and subsequently had my daughter car towed in & Walt's did the rest. I'm no mechanic but I felt they were fair & affordable along with at least sounding trust worthy. Starter was replaced, battery charged, oil was changed, fluids checked and my daughter drove home 48 hours later. Thank you fella's. Although I HOPE not to be back I will come to Walt's if I have too. #MizzouDAD read more

I bought a used car while in Columbia and took it to Walts to have them check it out . They had done good work on my VW Bug 20 some years ago when I lived there . I received the same honest good service that I did back when they towed my VW Bug in and fixed it and it was so nice to see that Brian still works there . Brandon , Walts son continues to carry on the same good service we always expected at Walts. Thank you all at Walts for still being there and providing honest good service for our beloved VW 's or whatever the needs are in car service . read more

Walt's service are absolute professionals they're the only place I'll take my car I drive an hour and a half to bring my car to them because the quality work they do whether it's just regular maintenance or something actually broke I trust them hands down with my car and my car is my baby read more

I was just passing through town, and I had a minor problem with my car. Unfortunately, it was closing time for all of the car repair places I could find. But Brian at Walt's Service told me to come on in. He got me fixed up so I could continue on my way home. I am so grateful that he got me all taken care of so quickly & affordably. Thanks! read more

I've been a customer here since I was in college (a VERY long time ago) but I hadn't needed their services for years. I needed it today and I was happy to find that it's still the same skillful, friendly, honest, service that Wally Shoupe provided all those years ago. If you have an import, put these guys in your contacts list. read more

My daughter, a Mizzu student, and her used 2007 high mileage Audi A4 broke down, the car was towed to Walt's. Walt called me the next day and went over his diagnostics and recommendations. He only recommended what needed to be done and did not recommend useless/costly repairs. When the car was complete, he called me with the final bill which was totally reasonable. He was timely and great to work with I highly recommend this repair shop, it is so hard to find honest and qualified technicians and mechanics these days and Walt is truly one of the best I have ever worked with. I will definitely be back, thank you so much! read more

To say that Walt is honest would be the understatement of the century! As a female, I'm always nervous about being taken advantage of. And with a 2005 BMW Z4, sometimes work needs to be done! I had three mechanics tell me I need new struts. Walt looked at it and told me that my struts are fine, that my car is just in need of a minor adjustment. He fixed my sagging door (which is a big deal in a convertible) and charged me less than $100. Thank you Walt. You have created a loyal customer. read more

A VW/Audi/Porsche specialist who also does work on other German cars (BMW, Mercedes) and Volvo. Walt (and the other guys that work at the shop) know their stuff. They don't take too long either. They'll be honest with you if they don't think they will get to start working on your car until the next day. Also, they tend to give you advice after working on your car, more so than a dealer might. No BS here. And prices have been reasonable every time I've gotten work done. read more

Took my BMW there to fix a blinker light that went out. I didn't have an appointment, but they got me in and out within a half hour. Really friendly people with a cute husky that runs around the business. I haven't compared prices with the BMW dealership in town, but from the bill I can tell it's probably cheaper at Walt's! Happy customer. read more

I've been taking my car here since 2006 and they do great work, are honest and don't overcharge. You can't ask for better than that.

Walt's is the best auto repair shop in Columbia with knowledgeable mechanics and staff who are honest and trustworthy. They have always been able to explain issues and repairs in layman's terms. And they guarantee their work! I appreciate and support local businesses and know they take excellent care of my 2010 Tiguan. read more

Walt and Brian are GREAT!!! They are very honest and willing to work with you in anyway they can. I have had my Audi A6 serviced there. I will continue to use only them for our service. I would recommend them to everyone. read more

Was driving from NY to LA when my Bus started dying on the highway. Lookup the nearest VW mechanic and come here. Walt is great! He took a look at my Bus, even though it was late and he was busy-and told me the last guy who rebuilt the engine screwed up. I trusted Walt to rebuild the engine, and he did it cheaper and quicker than the first mechanic, and much better! I now have 10-15mph higher top speed and it runs a lot smoother. Driving from MO to LA I went from losing 1qt/1000 miles to losing no oil! Superb job, honest guy, nobody knows more about air-cooled VWs than he. read more

I have an old (2001) high mileage (155k+) VW Golf, and I only take it to Walt's. The staff is friendly, honest, fair, and fairly quick with repairs. They give you options and explain the pros and cons of optional repairs. They keep my old Golf running well, with fair costs for repairs. I would (and have) recommended to anyone with a VW or similar German car. read more

I have dealt with them 4 times concerning my vw cabrio and they have always been very helpful and courteous. They have saved me hundreds of dollars. They are definitely honest and not out to make a fast buck, if you can do the work yourself, they are helpful in that regard as well!!! I recommend Walts Service. read more

i am sorry for the delay in leaving this review, delay due to one crazy covid year. i set out on my road trip last summer, Colorado to pa. my 2007 Mercedes ml 320 cdi lost an ac compressor 21 miles outside of Columbia, Mo in 90 degree temps, after spending the night tired and frustrated, only to call dealership to get more depressed. dealership quoted me over $2000 repair. spoke to a local, telling me to call Walt's. these guys squeezed me in on very short notice and did the job beautifully for half the price. i have to say that they turned a nightmare into a very pleasant experience. my thanks and gratitude goes out to these wonderful, honest and very pleasant crew. they treated me like family, actually better. it is so refreshing to know there are such wonderful people out there, eager to help in these trying times. thanks again to the wonderful people at Walt's, highly recommended!!! Rocco p read more

Been to Walts a few times with my classic beetle. Only once have they done what i asked them to do. I tried them again and my car actually ran worse than when i took it in. Sad. I will not go back and definitely will not recommend to anyone. read more

I took my volvo s60 in for a simple headlight repair while I lived in Columbia. A month later the same headlight went out. When I returned to Walt's for service with my previous invoice, he indicated to me that the wires had not been properly secured in the clip by his mechanic and they had been spliced. Although Walt claimed he repaired the wiring issue, the car continues to have problems years later due to his irresponsible and under-educated mechanic. Now that I no longer live in Columbia, Walt takes no responsibility for this damage because he cannot physically see the car although numerous mechanics have diagnosed the same issue. Years later we are still paying for this problem. When I approached Walt he was argumentative and accepted no blame. I would not reccomend this shop. read more

NO! DON'T GO! We had been long time happy customers at Walt's until recently they got new owners, and we were taken advantage of. Told us we needed to replace parts (rotors) so we had the work done. I took the "old" parts to several other unbiased mechanics, who ALL agreed that we were duped, that the rotors were in excellent condition and didn't need to be replaced. read more

Walt's doesn't even deserve one star. I had a 2000 saab 9-5 aero with 168K miles that was shifting really hard between drive and reverse (it's an automatic), so i took it into Walt's thinking they would know exactly what to do since they obviously work on foreign cars. First, Walt moaned for several minutes about how he didn't want to work on a saab because it was hard to get the parts. As much as this bothered me -- and as much as I wanted to say GET OVER IT I'M PAYING YOU MONEY -- I let them look at it. They told me it was a transmission mount and that it would cost about $500 -- $240 for the part and $200 for the labor, plus tax. Well, I've had this saab for a while now and know that I need to look up the parts before actually letting people do the work. Online, the part -- the EXACT company and part they told me would cost $240 -- was only $77. When I brought this up to Walt and asked if I could just order that part and bring it in, he told me I could put it in myself if I was going to buy it because he had to keep his business running and pay the bills. GUESS WHAT WALT? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE MONEY OFF THE LABOR NOT THE PART!! I even told him I would pay extra for the labor (because I would still save money) and he flat out refused. I will never take a car to Walt ever again. It's pretty clear to me that he jacks up the prices on parts to make more money. read more