Mike’s Auto Service

Professionals are hard to find so when you do find a professional we’ll run auto repair shop, it’s a true find. Mike’s is such a place. Family owned and operated. Clean, honest, extremely competent. It’s all that you want in ‘your’ neighborhood auto service center.

i had a bad experiance at mirak chevy. it is where i bought my jeep. they could not find the squeaking sound. 4 months later i brought to mikes. he took care of my after market warranty. he fix it no problem. go to mikes. he is the best. thank you mike. mike menezes from cambridge.

Very solid mechanic. quick work. Did his best to find me cheaper quality parts and saved me a ton of money.

I’ve been to Mike’s a few times, and this last visit reminded me that I should write up a review & give an extra thanks to Mike and his team. Having grown up with «gear heads» in my family, including a mechanic, I’d like to think my radar is pretty good when assessing people & a shop.
I appreciate being treated with respect and honesty, which is why I had to write this review. Mike is a straight-​forward guy who takes you through the situation, gives practical suggestions, and does a good job. I’m happy with the work they’ve done on my car, feel safe on the road, and believe the prices are reasonable, service is timely, and they’re nice people.

This place is clean and so is the guy at that the desk, so it makes ladies feel comfortable. It’s unique that way. But I’m not sold on the quality of the service.
I had a problem once. Shaking and noise when I turned the wheel. Was pretty sure it was an axle and so I told them that. Ultimately, I paid them to replace it (and I paid a little more than I would other places). But, whatever, I liked the shiny customer area and the convenient location, so I figured it was worth it.
Well, the shaking continued until months later when a mechanic cousin of a friend found a loose bolt that was the source of the trouble…
So, did I ALSO need a new axle back when I took it to Mikes? Well maybe, but I can’t help but think they might have just done what the dumb broad requested rather than try to find the real problem.
Paranoid? Maybe — but I think a better mechanic would have found the bolt problem. Well, what am I saying? A better mechanic DID find the bolt problem.
But yes… the place is clean and shiny, and that is something you don’t find everyday, so 3 stars.

My first trip there was for a LivingSocial Oil Change deal. It was a good location for me from work in Kendall Sq. I went there again to have my brakes replaced and was happy with the job. I changed jobs and it became difficult for me to bring my car to Somerville for repairs. Once my car hit 100K, I took it to the dealership I had bought it from for 100k maintenance. They had suggested that I replace the transmission lines and serpentine belt. The transmission lines I didn’t know anything about, and I knew I had replaced the serpentine belt around 75k miles at the dealership, so I could not believe I needed a new one! I took it to Mike and he said both the lines and the belt looked great and there was no need to worry… saved myself $ 500! I truly appreciated the honesty. Most of us have no idea what mechanics are talking about so it is easy for them to rip us off! I also needed some work done on my tires, and was very pleased to hear that he was doing more work that I had anticipated for less cost than I had assumed.
All-​in-​all, I think Mike is nice and willing to explain to his customers their problems. All mechanics are expensive and it always sucks, but I am hoping he can help me get to 200k!

The front brakes on my car completely failed on me so I had to call AAA to have it towed and the recommended Mike’s Automotive.
Mike was very friendly, honest and upfront about the entire situation. I am no mechanic but I do have some experience with cars and let Mike know what the issue was and the prices I had found for the parts as I was planning on fixing the issue myself. As I mentioned before, Mike was honest and gave me a preliminary quote and let me know he would be fine fixing just the immediate problem as well as providing me several options to fix the issue. Mike was very accommodating and understood my frugal situation with fixing my car. I also appreciated that Mike understood that my car (2003 Toyota Avalon w/​150k miles) might not be worth the repairs if I was planning on replacing it and he discussed those options with me as well, which I can’t see many repair shops going over.
So Mike, in my opinion, is very deserving of 4 stars for his honesty and great service. I would’ve given him 5 stars except it cost $ 800-​$ 900 to replace the front brakes and only the front brakes, which seemed steep to me. The parts apparently were better quality then the factory parts that would’ve been used if I brought it to another shop but to me, it still seemed steep.
Mikes Automotive is a quality, honest and trust worthy repair shop and I would recommend bringing your vehicle to him. If you are reading this hopefully your car isn’t too messed up :)

I trust Mike’s Auto. They always give an accurate quote and are honest about what needs to be done immediately and what you can wait on. They’ve kept my car in great shape and the service is always good. I think their rates are pretty average for a city. They are not bargain basement, but they are thorough and fair. They also have pretty cheap rentals when your repairs take more than a day or so. Drop off your car then grab a beer across the street at the Independent for best results :)

Took my car in for a living social deal which i bought for $ 19 so I wasn’t expecting much and that is exactly what i got. the deal included the following services. Oil Change, Complete Inspection, and Tire Rotation. All I got was an Oil change no inspection and no tire rotation. I got synthetic oil so i agreed to an up charge of $ 38.00 when all was said and done I walked out paying $ 125.00 in up charges all in all worthless living social and even worse Mechanic.
ps. just got a call asking me to come back in. I mentioned I wanted to use my Living social deal… Mike said I already used it then started making excuses and being rude about how I had already used it and this was «Mike» of Mikes Auto Service.

Mike’s has been great the few times I’ve been to get my car fixed. The work is done in a timely manner and Mike won’t start working on the car until he explains everything that needs to be done, quotes and accurate price and gets your approval to start the work.

Not sure why this place only has 3 stars.
I got a coupon for an oil change, and although setting up the appointment process was a little rough on the edges, the actual service was great. I was assisted on time, they finished ahead of schedule and he was very polite. I sure recommend this place!

I had my first visit to Mike’s last week after purchasing a very good LivingSocial deal for an oil change, tire rotation and overall (not state) inspection. I found it very easy to set up the appointment online and my car was looked at right on time. There were no surprises and Mike gave me tips on when to fix my brakes in the future. I didn’t feel scammed or pressured into anything at all. I also liked the waiting room, which was nice and clean. I look forward to bringing my car back here for other services.

Mike’s is just one of those shops who assume that their customers have money to burn, and are willing to spare no expense doing unnecessary or excessive service on their cars. I took my car in there to repair a broken engine mount. Mike himself actually called me to lecture me that I was «overdue» for an oil change (the car had barely hit 3000 miles). For cripes sake, even my manual advises oil changes only every 5000 miles. Mike continued arguing though, and finally agreed to «comp» the oil change, which probably means his techs had already done it.
The engine mount is a sorrier story though. For those who don’t know, it’s the part that holds your engine onto the frame of the car, and if it’s broken, the engine will shake causing the whole car to shake violently. Well, Mike’s «repair» didn’t last long, only about a couple of weeks. Mike had replaced the engine mount, but the part of the car’s frame that it bolts onto was completely rusted out. It would have been like trying to mount an engine on a sheet of paper. The good people at Hillside Auto (also in Somerville) got the car up on the jack to show me the gaping hole where the engine should mount. I can’t trust a mechanic who would knowingly do work this poor.

The waiting area was super clean and nice. I may have just caught Mike on a bad day, as the unreasonable customer in line before me was certainly wasting his time; he did seem a bit rude initially, but I decided to leave my ’01 Audi A4 with him to investigate what I thought was a dead battery.
After I dropped it off and thought about it, I knew it was the alternator. Sure enough, he called me up and let me know that it would be $ 1050ish to replace the alternator, battery, and serpentine belt (I knew this needed to be replaced). I wasn’t sold that the failed alternator fried the $ 170 battery though, so I gave my man Eli at Alewife Automotive a call, and he promised that there’s no way it would cost them over $ 800 to do the job. Mike was accommodating in that he let me pick up the car after the shop was closed and let me give my CC# over the phone, which was nice.
I still had to pay the $ 50 ‘diagnostic fee’, which I’m not a fan of. I drove it Alewife Automotive on my ~15 min of battery power, and they notified me that the battery was fine and didn’t need to be replaced, and did the alternator & belt for $ 720. The battery is still perfectly fine. Saved myself over $ 300 by taking my business elsewhere.

Mike’s Auto — they’re honest, they do great work, and they detail what services are immediately necessary versus one’s that you can put off for awhile.
In the last four years, I’ve had a lot of repairs done on my Jeep — wheel bearing replacements, exhaust system replacement, rear brake adjustment, transfer case leak, separate oil leak, many oil changes and tire rotations, and a very necessary fuel system flush on an 9-​year old car, which returned my fuel economy back to what it once was. Compared to what I’d pay at the local dealer, Mike’s Auto’s prices can’t be beat, especially considering the quality and care that goes into the work.
I’m big on questions — I ask a lot of them, especially when I“m looking at a pricey fix. Mike has always been patient with me and answered my questions directly, given me his opinions and my options. I’ve overheard him offer to talk to parents of his younger college-​age clients.
Great value for your dollar — I’m sticking with Mike’s.

So, imagine at around 9am and you’re heading to a doctor’s appt feeling good about being on time and then suddenly, the radio turns off and none of the electricity in your car works. At the next red light, your entire car just DIES. Middle of Rt 28 in Cambridge in rush hour, and you’re unable to even put on hazard lights!
That was me. But thankfully, the cops and tow truck got me out of my pickle and I said the name of the first place that came to mind for auto repair– Mike’s. I’d had such a positive experience with the oil change, I figured why not.
To be generous, we’ll say my car arrived at their shop around 10am, and they said they’d take a look at it somepoint during the day. Not only did I get a call with what was exactly wrong with my car by 1pm (bad alternator and dead battery, in case you were wondering), and they had it completely fixed by 5:20. As I was not going to make it in 10 minutes, and didn’t feel like an after-​hours pick up, I stopped by the next morning, paid the bill (not super cheap, but not ridiculous either) and was on my merry way. Great, friendly FAST service. I can’t ask for more. Well I could. I wish they did body work cuz I need to get my bumper fixed!
And, I really like their waiting room. Snacks, drinks both hot and cold, magazines, TV, and internet access. I’m going back to Mike’s with my next car problem (cuz lord knows it’s not if but when).

Mike is rude and incredibly unhelpful. My husband took in our car to get the timing belt replaced. The estimate was more than other places he had looked into taking it, but he was told that Mike’s was a place where you get your money’s worth. The day we picked up the car we had planned a trip to Maine. As we were driving up we noticed that the engine was running oddly. When we got to our destination my husband opened up the hood and was shocked to discover that several hoses were unclamped and several bolts were obviously missing. The hoses and bolts were all items that had needed to be moved to access the timing belt. Furthermore, there was oil spilled on the back of the engine and the air filter compartment.
We called Mike and left a message detailing the situation. He called back and said to bring it in when we returned from the trip. However we could not drive our car back to Mass. in that condition so we brought it into a local Honda dealership. Luckily, the dealership replaced the missing parts and flailing hoses for free. They also took it for a test drive and suggested in their report that the timing belt, that Mike was suppose to have fixed, had not been installed properly.
When we brought the car back to Mike’s and explained what happened he was evasive and refused to admit that he did a less than stellar job. My husband asked how Mike would make things right in this situation. Mike acted aggressively by taking a step closer to my husband and said he wouldn’t give any refund. Mike said the dealer had replaced the missing parts for free and we should be satisfied with how things had worked out.
When my husband pressed him further, Mike became belligerent and stormed off.
Buyer BEWARE!

I took my car to Mike’s to try to keep my spending local, and after using them for several repairs, I’m going to move on. Mike touts using advanced technology to diagnose your problem, which is a $ 198 charge for 2h of diagnostic work to tell me I needed new catalytic converters, with a $ 3000 total work charge. In my mind, that $ 198 should have been gracefully folded into the charge. I had to take the car back once because the converters had been mounted in such a way that the engine block hit them when shifting into reverse on a hill.
I have had much better luck and friendlier service just a block away at another repair shop. I’m sorry Mike; you’re going to have to work harder to keep business. Yes, I came to you with some pricey repairs, but it all came down to attitude and convenience.

My Saturn was having trouble starting up. Mike’s said I needed a new battery and alternator. A repair cost of 1400. Took it to Saturn of Medford dealer who fixed a loose connection for 20 bucks.
Watch out! Mike’s will try and bill you for services you don’t need.

I really wanted to like Mike’s. A couple of good friends had been taking their cars there for years, so it seemed worth a shot when my «Check Engine» light came on suddenly.
After holding onto my car for three days, he called with an estimate: $ 200 for a diagnostic test (I’ve never heard of this anywhere else), and then he quoted $ 1100 to replace a couple of parts in the emissions system. I asked if I could put off this type of expensive repair, and he assured me I’d be polluting the environment if I didn’t replace the parts immediately, so I consented. When I picked up my car, the final amount was almost $ 100 more than he’d quoted to me over the phone; when I questioned the discrepancy, he told me it was sales tax (fine) and accused me of wanting to get out of paying taxes (strange, irrelevant, and rude).
I paid the $ 1100 and washed my hands of Mike’s (or so I thought). Four days later, my «Check Engine» light came back on. I immediately took my car back in and Mike’s diagnosis was that the gas cap wasn’t screwed on tightly enough. Here’s the catch: I hadn’t gotten gas since well before I took the car in the FIRST TIME! In other words, he should have caught the leaky gas cap during my first visit. Sure, the problem could have been both with the gas cap (free repair) and the emissions parts ($ 1100) but I have my doubts after the series of sketchy, rude conversations I’ve had with the staff.
I hate to say this about a local business, but please, please stay away.