Don't we all have one of those neighborhood businesses we want to praise on yelp but keep putting off posting as it's so part of our life? That's what A-Z is to me. A-Z is the first thing that comes into my mind whenever there's anything that needs to be done on my car. Everyone there is so friendly, and always trying to be of help. What really blew my mind was when Billy told me that he wants all his customers to feel special. Exceptional professionalism! I'm so glad that I decided to go to A-Z to get my very first state inspection done when I first moved here 4 years ago. I have been recommending A-Z to everyone I know, and will keep on recommending this awesome auto center for sure! read more

tl;dr they broke my brake light while completing work on a different part but are blaming it on me. Took my car here for the state inspection where they said I needed to replace the center taillight due to condensation building up in it (which they outlined in the paperwork). I had to pick up my car to go to work without the work completed because they were taking so long. When I went in to pick up my car I saw they had tried to replace the top brake light and broke it. When I confronted them, they said that it had always been broken and that's what failed the inspection. Once I pointed out the obvious lie in the paperwork they changed their story and said that they missed the broken brake light and that I would need to get it fixed by the next inspection and still need to replace the center taillight. So now I'm out about $1000 for a broken brake light they broke and are refusing to own up to. read more

Getting work done here cost me a whole car engine, due to multi-point inspections that weren't thorough and having a goose chase of repairs. High labor costs too. Avoid. read more

On my way to work the engine thermometer light went off on my dashboard. I called A-Z because I happened to be nearby. They said they would check it out for me. The light had turned off by the time I arrived a few minutes later. They checked the coolant, added a bit of coolant, and checked my oil as soon as I arrived. They described what they were doing and why. And checked to make sure the thermometer light was still off, ensuring I was all set to continue my drive to work. They were kind and clear, and they didn't even charge me for all there help and the coolant! Highly recommend! read more

Went to A-Z for an inspection sticker. Was taken in immediately. It was done in 20 minutes, just like they said it would. Was told I needed a directional light replaced. Easy peasy. Cost $15, which I think is fair and reasonable Inspection was $35 plus the directional light; came out to $50, which is fine by me . All the guys there were genuinely wicked friendly. Shout out to Adnan for being awesome . I am definitely going back to A-Z for all my auto needs. Also, the price for regular gas is usually always the best price around. Love you, A-Z . read more

Many thanks to Ely , who scheduled my car inspection for the next day when \I was going to Canada with my old car and needed to make sure the car will make it.Also,5 stars to Leo ,the wonderful mechanic ,who took care of my car .Thank you,I appreciate your help and you professionalism. read more

I am pleasantly surprised by how easy it is working with A-Z auto. I always get honest answers and a through inspection of recommended repairs. Work is done incredible fast and I never had to hunt them down with an update on my car. There bedside manner is way better then any other auto body I've worked with!!! read more

I cannot overstate how great everyone at A-Z is. They helped me buy a little beater city car without any judgement that I just wanted a safe, cheap car that ran. I brought in one and Billy told me to pass on it. The next one I brought in needed a lot of work and Darren helped me slow walk the deal to make sure the dealer did the work before I bought the car. They weighed in on price and squeezed me in last minute to make sure all the work was done well before I gave the dealer the check. Could not have done it without them! read more

I've been a customer of A-Z for over a decade and have used the auto repair and body shop services at 1550 and 1686 Commonwealth Ave extensively. All the staff are friendly, honest, hard working and great at diagnosing and fixing cars. They will offer economical repair solutions when possible and will also advise you if repairs are unnecessary. I can't imagine taking my car anywhere else! read more

There are a lot of better places to bring your car in the area. Like others have said, they hike up the bill with tons of other unnecessary repairs. They also held the car for multiple days without taking a look at it. Would call every day and be told they were just about to look at it. I'm confident you can find a better spot without too much hassle. read more

I had been going to this place for years out of convenience and dropped thousands of dollars on car repairs like an idiot because they always find things that need to be repaired to hike up your bill. The last straw for me was last week when I went in for an inspection straight from the DMV and they wouldn't do the inspection unless the plates were on my car. They were willing to put them on, but for a fee of $10. I understand that everyone has to make a living and that this is not a lot of money (for me) but there is also the notion of community and being decent. Everything is to the penny here and they do not give discounts. If they do give you a break it is usually to their benefit. Repair shops are what they are but this place rubs me the wrong way and I will not be going back. read more

I have brought my car here three times. I had them replace my leaky oil gasket cover and windshield wipers (during state inspection). One of the windshield wipers fell off on the freeway in the middle of a rainstorm. Thankfully, when I stopped by right after this happened they replaced it for free and were nice about it but that was pretty scary experience. Similarly, a year after they replaced my oil gasket cover, they said it needed to be replaced again. Not sure what's going on here but I will likely make the 40 min drive to my old mechanic from now on. read more

Lied to my friend about needing a new battery. Thank god triple a came to tell the guy he is full of shit. Then one of the workers gave us attitude because he lost our key and kept telling us we still had it. Never again!!! read more

I went to A-Z Auto Center to do my MA state inspection. The manager told me that my car failed inspection because the threads are too low. I wasn't knowledgeable with tires at that time since this was my first car. After telling me how dangerous it could be to drive on the road, the manager tried to sell me a set of 4 tires from his store. He said these tires can perform better than my original tires. He recommended me to get this done right away. I had another appointment (for an oil change) in the afternoon so I told him that I would come back later to get it done. I then went to a dealership to get my oil change. I figured that I might as well get my tires change at the same time. After the work is done, the dealership told me that they finished installing a set of new tires for me, but my old tires are far from failing the inspection. I now know that A-Z was not being honest. I wasted $800 bucks buying new tires because A-Z tried to cheat me into buying the tires from them. I would not come back for state inspection and I would not recommend this shop to anyone. read more

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I Called and asked how much to put a headlight bulb in an old Accord. They quoted me at $35, over twice what the bulb itself cost. I went to A&I auto up the street and they put it in for $10 in about 10 minutes. I wish auto repair places wouldn't take such advantage of people, especially with something so simple!! read more

I never leave reviews for anything but felt compelled to based on my experience at this brighton location. Amazing! I originally went in for an inspection sticker and before even taking my car in they let me know it wouldn't pass due to having my broken side mirror duck taped. I then asked them to give me a quote for having them do the repair - ordering the part + labor. Veryyy fairly priced and I decided to have them do it. (After that I could then get my inspection sticker done). This process was insanely easy- all the guys I dealt with at the front desk were extremely nice and patient with me, super helpful. As a young female going alone to an auto shop I'm very on guard to not get ripped off or deal with scumbags - I certainly didn't have to worry here. They even saved me money by suggesting they pop off the shell cover of the broken side mirror and use that on the new part instead of me having to also pay for a paint job to the part they ordered. They were not after my money or ripping me off, which is nice for an auto shop, right?! They ordered the part the day I went in, and a couple days later I dropped off my car at 8am before work, then picked it up same day after work. All of this got done in 1 day! And inspection sticker all set too. The process was just so easy no stress. And I really appreciated how upfront, polite, and helpful these guys were. I will certainly go here if I need anything done, highly recommend!! read more

Long story short: Their mis-repair caused over $5K in damages to my car. It would be ok with me if they had taken ownership of their mistake. Instead they blamed everything else, but themselves. I had to settle the dispute in court (Trial Court of Mass. Docket #: 1208SC000311) . It was a long half year of bullshit I had to go through. The court found them guilty. They had an entire month to pay me after losing the case, yet they were 2 months delinquent on their payment. Despite winning the case, I still paid half of the repair out of pocket. Detail of damage: Went in for a clutch job (they took three weeks to perform a one day repair!). After replacing the transmission fluid, they didn't tighten the drain plug which holds the oil in the car. A couple weeks later, the drain plug falls off and my transmission ceases. $4.6K repair cost + ~$500 for other misc. cost to me (i.e. towing, small court case fee, etc.). A very obvious mistake on their part.... They may seem friendly up front, but don't fall for their charisma. These guys are irresponsible, delinquent, and most of all DISHONEST. Watch out for the manager with the red jacket and backwards hat in the pictures. He's the biggest liar of all. read more

"Can I call you right back? I need to figure out what we have done with your car" is not what you want to hear. Especially since they never called back and it's been over an hour now. I called back 3 times after this, with the dude that was helping me avoiding my calls. Every time I called back, someone else picked up the phone and the guy I asked for was "not in" mysteriously even though he was there. COOL DUDES. Also, they tried to convince me my car was a 98 Honda Accord 4 door, when I most definitely drive a 99 Honda Accord 2 door. Maybe I don't know the exact year of my car, but I can certainly count and I count 2 doors on my vehicle. Turns out a similar car but different year, color, and model was dropped off by a tow truck around the same time as mine was and they mixed us up. They definitely also tried to convince me my name was Jessica. I feel bad for the other chick that was called Danielle, and also told her work cost $250 when it was actually my car and her car's work was actually closer to $1,000 which they told me. SORRY DUDES. It was a huge ordeal that gave me a huge anxiety attack. They didn't know anything about my car, my name, my issue, and couldn't even FIND my car for an entire evening. THANKS DUDES. My friend went here too and had a problem as well. Wish I had known before I agreed to get my car towed here. It was kind of funny because we were at dinner and I didn't mention the name of the place and I proceed to tell my story and he interrupts me and says "did you go to A-Z Auto?" and I was like "HOW DID YOU KNOW?!" And he said "something similar happened to me, but they asked me to pick up my car before it was finished because they didn't have space and never actually finished fixing my car because they couldn't fit me in before I moved, 3 weeks later... " So they started to fix my friends car and then just stopped, told him to get it, then never finished the job they started. AGAIN, REALLY DUDES? read more

Honesty and not getting ripped off feels far from the truth at A and Z. My breaks were feeling a little squeaky after the winter so I thought I would bring it in for an inspection. The guys said I had 10-15% left on my breaks and that I needed my pads and rotors replaced. Given their high reviews on Yelp, I thought, heck these guys seem to be pretty honest. They quoted me $800 for parts and labor-- pretty on par with the places around Boston. This is when thing got sketchy. I wanted to save a bit on parts and grab everything from Autozone, something that would have taken 30 min. If I used their parts, they could have fit me in, suddenly, they couldn't. Regardless, I decided to make an appointment for the following Saturday, after my parts came in. Ended up getting a second opinion. My rotors were PERFECT and my back break pads had another 5000 miles left on it. Wow, thanks but no thanks A and Z. I went with another company that charged me $200 for labor instead of $400 for the same operation. Overall, value on par with Boston market, but honest leaves MUCH to be desired. read more

Went to A-Z about a year ago to have my windows re-tinted, apparently the blackout windows I had in Phoenix aren't legal in MA ;-) Made an appt for first thing on a Saturday morning (8AM I think) and when I went to drop off my car the manager said that the window tint guy wasn't in yet but I could still drop it off. A half hour later I got a call from the manager that the tint guy called in sick, admitting that he's a young guy and probably partied too hard the night before. He said it wasn't the first time it had happened, but he was reluctant to fire him because he does such great work. I would have taken my car elsewhere and given this place a one star review, but the manager apologized up and down and told me he would take a substantial amount off the price if I brought it back later in the week. I took him up on the offer and the tints turned out fantastic. Now I know why he's reluctant to fire the guy. The 4 stars are not only for the fantastic job on the tint, but a big kudos to the manager who knows how to treat customers. read more

Took my car here for an oil change and inspection and everyone was very nice and professional. They did the whole works and even cleaned the inside of my engine. It looks like new! You can tell they really take pride in their work. I'll definitely be coming back for all future needs! read more

Someone swiped the corner of my car and badly scratched the corner. Fortunately I had his contact information and he offered to pay, so I went here since it was the closest repair shop. The office was very professional, and they took a proper amount of time to diagnose the solution and give me a reasonable and exact quote. The only reason it's not five stars is because the process took longer than expected -- four days instead of two. However, I did not express any urgency and I know that I was in a queue, so maybe I was low priority, but the time wasn't terrible and didn't conflict with my needs. These guys are great! read more

Great Experience! I brought my vehicle in for a rear bumper repair after being rear-ended. A-Z Auto Center replaced the bumper, painted it to match perfectly, and made it look better than it did before the accident. They deal with your insurance company for you and arrange a rental vehicle during the duration of your repair. I highly recommend this body shop. They go above and beyond and are honest with you the entire time. When my car was returned to me, the entire inside was cleaned, exterior waxed, and tires and rims were shining. Thank you so much for the quality work. I would never bring my vehicle anywhere else! read more

I joined Yelp just to review this shop. These guys are like the big brothers that I never had! I have never had a family member take care of my car but I can only imagine that they would have the same care and consideration as A-Z Auto. Being young and female, I am accustomed to being taken advantage of by garages. I can't say enough good about this place. They are honest to a fault. The quality of work they do is amazing and in my experience the customer service just keeps getting better and better. Through repeat encounters they made it clear that they are genuinely concerned with the wellbeing and safety of their customers. Plus, they do it at a more than reasonable price. I initially brought my car in because the check engine light was on. Sadly, upto this point I had neglected any maintenance except oil changes for three years. As a result they found several small exhaust leaks that were causing the light to go on but offered to replace one at a time to save me money. Because I needed my car on weekdays, this meant that I had my car filling up a space in their garage every Saturday for minimal service until the problem was solved (changing out the next suspicious leaky hose). They fixed one possible culprit every week for about a month and waived all charges except parts citing their "inability to solve the problem the first time". Are you kidding me?? They could have done all the repairs at once but opted to do one at a time to save me money on unnecessary repairs! I then asked them to fix my brake pads which they did for a price WAY below the competition and with a very short turnaround time. During this time I mentioned that I would be driving across the country soon. They insisted on looking over my car to be sure it would be safe for the trip, again for no charge. It was clear they were not scouting for additional repairs - I caught them tightening a few screws without even telling me and they didn't come back with anything that suddenly needed to be fixed. They really were simply concerned that I have a safe trip. They even insisted that I come back for a free coat of wax the morning I pulled out of town to protect my car's paint job. In sum: Honest service, great mechanics, genuine concern for their customers, and competitive pricing. I have recommended them to all my friends. read more

Sparky is the man! Granted he and the company took around $2k of my monies but still... everything checked out in terms of what they did/ what my car needed to pass inspection but damn these guys aren't cheap! Frankly i'd rather pay someone like Sparky and the crew to get things done right and on time than go with someone cheaper and have to go back every few months. They also have web based surveillance so you can watch them working on your car. The best part: After reading the laundry list of things wrong with my jalopy Sparky ended his call with "Happy motoring"! Hilarious! Check these guys out, they'll call with an estimate before they do any work, which is where most shady places start the "screwing you" process... read more

A few weeks after posting my earlier review of the bad experience I had with A-Z in the Spring of 2014, the owner Billy reached out to me personally here on Yelp. He apologized for the poor service and asked that I give him and his team a shot again. Not only did they do right by me with regards to the coolant job -- by finishing the work for next to nothing (I just paid for parts), but he gave me a very generous discount on top of other work that needed to be done. The communication this time around was spot on -- I got updates every day, thorough explanations of what came up in the diagnostic report, and they really worked with me to keep it within my budget while still doing what work needed to be done on the car. Not only that, when I picked it up (just a couple days after dropping off!) the vehicle was cleaned inside and out and looked great. Honestly it is like night and day -- I currently have my vehicle being serviced again and have had the same great experience. Great communication, great customer interaction, thorough and detailed explanations...these guys really turned it around. It is great because not only did these guys go above and beyond to do right by me after last Spring, but now I have a local mechanic who really knows his stuff, I can trust, and is affordable as well as honest. I would recommend A-Z to anybody living in the area...really great team. read more

I came in because I wanted a plug in my flat. They couldn't plug it but sold me 2 tires they had that were much better than the ones I had. The guy told me I may as well get both because the other one was "just as bad." I agreed, 5 days later I have a flat in the one that was fine to begin with. So I went back thinking they'd fix it free of charge because they basically told me I should buy it. Nope, charged me $15 for a valve stem. I'm not disputing that it needed to be fixed but c'mon. I had to call out of work and deal with the hassle of pumping up the damn tire to bring it back. They should have given me a discount or maybe not sold me a crappy-valve-stemmed tire to begin with. read more

When my recently acquired 10-year old Kia POS decided that "starting" was passe, I found myself in need of a local auto shop. I asked around and eventually opted for A-Z Auto based on (1) a friend's rec, (2) their good Yelp reviews, and (3) their relative proximity to where I live. The TL;DR version is that I went through a somewhat protracted process with my car there, but despite some bumps on the road, overall I consider it a positive experience, and I will likely go back in the future. Long version: One day, my car died when I parked it. I turned off the ignition, and BAM -- totally dead. No clicks, no lights, key fob stopped working. The car slowly came back to life over the next two days (seemed like power issues), but I still wanted to have it checked out. I called A-Z and described the problem, and the man I spoke to (Darren, I believe his name was) was professional and upfront. He said it would be a $95.00 diagnostic charge for them to assess the car, and they would remove that charge if I decided to have the work done there. That all sounded good, so I dropped the car off on my way to work the next day (Wednesday). Palmer, who was working the desk when I dropped the car off, was very friendly and upfront as well; I wanted to have my oil changed while the car was there, and when I asked him the difference between the kinds of oils they offer, he told me which one -- the cheaper one -- was better for me based on the year of my car. I heard back from A-Z the next afternoon via text and e-mail: they had determined that I needed to have a belt and the serpentine tensioner replaced (they were not keeping tension on the alternator, so the alternator was not charging). The cost was very reasonable for the parts based on research I did for averages, and they sent me a breakdown of the parts/labor/recommendations via e-mail, which was really handy to have and be able to consider (again, their communication and honesty was really great). I had them go ahead with the work, and I got a voicemail later that day that the car was ready to be picked up. They offer 24-hour drop-offs and pickups (you can pay the gas station attendant if you pick up after hours), but I decided to just stop by on the way to work the next day. I stopped in the office early the next morning (Friday) and saw that A-Z had not only removed the diagnostic charge, but they also threw in the oil change for free, which was wonderful. The car started right up, and I drove home, which is about a 7-minute trip. I pulled into a parking space on the street, adjusted my position, turned the car off... ... and it immediately died, same as before I took it in. SIGH. I wound up having to get the car towed back to A-Z about a week and a half later, which was not great, Bob (however, if you need a towing service in the Allston/Brighton area, call O'Shea's Towing -- Brendan is awesome). I called A-Z ahead of time and told them that I'd brought the car in recently and it was having the same problem as before, except worse, and they were very apologetic and put a note in my customer file that the same problem was happening. The car was towed there late on Tuesday morning, the shop was closed Wednesday for the Fourth of July, and then I called them back early Thursday afternoon to check in. The guy on the phone (whose name I did not get this time, alas) said he was about to call me -- turned out that the new belt on the tensioner "appeared to have come loose," so the car was running off of the battery alone, which had promptly died after being run for a bit. So A-Z had reattached the belt and charged up my battery, and the car was ready to be picked up. I asked if there would be a charge, and the man said, "Oh, no, no charge -- you already paid for the labor, and this was our mistake." I was VERY glad they said that, as this review would have had an entirely different tone if they'd tried to charge me again. All of that said, the car has run fine since I took it back in. It was annoying having to pay for a tow, but overall, I still consider this a net positive experience. Again, all the people I spoke with at A-Z were courteous and honest throughout the process, which goes a lonnng way with me: they owned their mistake, their prices are reasonable, and they did not talk down to me, which is worth a lot (especially for women with Boston auto shops... I have heard some horror stories). And no one bats 1000, so I'll chalk this experience up to someone having a bad day when I first took my car in -- not ideal, but understandable. And when I take my car back to A-Z in the future, I'll update this review based on additional experiences. read more

I have used A to Z for my auto repair since moving to the Boston area in 2007. Over that period I have seen the ownership and/or management change hands several times. The current management is lackadaisical and fails to pay attention to the details that used to set this place apart. Under prior management, I was known and greeted by name. Whenever my car was in for service, I would get a detailed report of those things that would be needing service before my next oil change was due. Since my car currently can have an oil change every six months with the synthetic oil, those alerts would be indispensable. In the last year and a half, I have had several unexpected repair surprises. Most recently I had my car in to be checked before a long road trip. Before I got it home, the light was on telling me there was insufficient fluid in the windshield washer reservoir and upon arrival home I noticed that they had not adequately reinstalled the wheel cover after the brake job. Each time I have gotten the car back from them in the past two years, there has been some little or not so little aggravation and I have said to my husband that it's time to find a new mechanic. And I have kept going back, mostly because of its convenient location near the T. Well, as there has been no improvement, I am deciding that the waits, the lack of customer service (a free cup of bad coffee at the gas station convenience store does not make up for telling me that my car is not actually done and I will have to leave it or bring it back tomorrow), and the unwillingness to sweat the details is not worth the convenience. Time to find someone new. read more

I took my son-in-law's car there for an inspection. I got there right before they closed and they took me right in and did the job quickly. They even put on his front license plate for him. Great customer service! read more

I just brought my car here after it died on Harvard Ave, turns out it was something to do with the oxygen sensors? Anyway, the car died on Wednesday afternoon, it got dropped off on Thursday at noon and was ready to pick up at 6pm that night so I could drive it to Holyoke today (Friday). The speedy service was amazing, and I'll definitely bring my car here again. They fixed me up awhile back when my muffler flat fell off the car too, so the greatness seems consistent! read more

This rating should probably be lower, since I still haven't gotten my car back from them, but I am giving these guys the benefit of the doubt because of their personalities. I initially brought my car (Audi A4) in after an accident on a recommendation from my roommate. Everything started out really well--the guys were super friendly and really straight shooters. Their in person communication was fantastic, but immediately after I left the shop, it broke down. I never got any calls from them on updates, I always had to call if I wanted to know anything (including a breakdown of repairs to be done). They have had my car for almost 3 weeks now, and I still haven't gotten my car back. Every time I called to ask when the repairs would be complete, they always gave the excuse of waiting on parts and pushed the date back a few days. It has just gotten a bit absurd at this point. read more

These guys are awesome. I've been going to them for a few years now, and they've helped with some brake issues and handled all my MA state inspections. Super nice owner and great staff. Would highly recommend to anyone in the neighborhood! read more

One of the toughest parts about moving to a near area is finding a reliable auto mechanic. I moved here from Somerville where I have been a loyal customer of their sister branch, A-Z Auto in Cambridge. These guys were just as nice, honest, and efficient. Please note that they have two shops in Brighton - the one next to Beacon Hill Athletic Club is their autobody shop, where they do body work & repairs. The service/engine repair shop is a few blocks away and took over the old Econo Gas station. Make sure you have the right number when you call about an appointment. These guys usually have better prices compared to dealership estimates (but not always, so shop around if you're not sure), but they are quick, honest, and upfront about costs. I have been here 4-5 times for various repairs and have always been satisfied with their excellent customer service and turn-around time. I know very little about cars, but they were always great in explaining repairs and options. read more

I had my car detailed here in preparation for my lease turn in inspection. The inspector said in 7 years he hadn't seen a car so clean. We have a toddler that snacks in the car a lot so it was definitely not clean to start with. Thank you so much! read more

My first encounter with A-Z is when they helped get my sister-in-law unstuck from a nearby alley (snow). They also helped us when her battery died. So, when I needed an inspection, I took a drive over. Honestly, they are a fair and reasonably priced business. I normally don't trust auto mechanics, but the individuals who work here are very straight forward and accomodating to all. They try their hardest to fit you in no matter what. They even drilled holes for my front license plate for free (I couldn't have done this myself). I will definitely be back next time I have any car issue. read more

The owner and manager Billy is all about TOTAL customer service and satisfaction.... Something you do not find from an automotive establishment. Enough said if you ever had to deal with getting your ride repairs. They provide fantastic auto detailings at their body shop/service center if you care about keeping your ride looking sharp! Great work.... read more

This auto shop provided me with EXCELLENT service! I found this company on yelp when looking for a auto shop to replace my front tires. During the initial inspection, I was informed to my surprise that the two rear tires were actually the wrong size for my car model and did not match the front two. I had both rear tires replaced about 11 months ago while living in another state. I called the rear tire replacement shop and told them the situation. Billy, the service man, kindly spoke to the representative to explain the situation. I will be refunded for my previous rear tires,and all four replaced today. I could not ask for better customer service in a non ideal situation. I also used their yelp deal: $75 for $50 read more

My car had flat tire. A-Z Auto Center was near the place where it happened. I had never been there before and was pleasantly surprised how good the place was. The customer service was outstanding, everyone was friendly and professional. And the price was fair. They ordered a new tire and had it installed quickly. I would definitely recommend the place to anyone. read more

They guys are great and honest. I had to get my battery replaced and they did a good job and explained everything upfront to me and didn't want to sell the most expensive option. I would recommend this place to everyone. Oh, they also were very courteous and offered me coffee. read more