Be forewarned ladies (and gents): Advance Tires is a rip-off operation. I'm a young small woman and I hate seeing mechanics for this reason. I had a plugged tire that was slowly leaking, so I went into Advance Tires to get the tire replaced. My car is a 94 Geo Prizm. It's old and ugly, and I dont invest in fancy parts for it. I guess the Advance Tire counter guy knew he wouldn't be able to talk me into an expensive tire (s), so he decided to fool me into believing that my rim was bad. Showed me where it was rusty and gunked up and claimed the air leak was due to the build-up - said my tire wouldn't seal against it. Now in my heart I knew this was BS but I figured WTF if it ensures success, why not. I bought the line and a used $75 rim to boot. When I get home and tell my bf, he's pissed that I didn't call him before buying, but whatever it's too late - 75 bucks down the drain. Fast Fwd: Four months later. My brakes are grinding. My bf takes the car to his auto mechanic cousin. Find out that my brake caliper seized up because the BS used rim didn't even fit my car. Now, I'm shelling out big dollars for brakes, rotors, and a new caliper thanks to Advance Tire and their used rim. So... a $50 tire replacement ended up costing me about $400. I'm not happy, but I guess it's my own fault for going against my better sense. Do not be fooled by these jovial acting dudes. They are swindlers. If you are a woman, avoid this place like the plague. read more

Several months ago, I became aware of an issue with my brakes. Assuming that I needed new brake pads, I took my car to Advanced Tire. I dropped my car off to them, told them what I thought was wrong, and went to work. Several hours later I received a phone call from them informing me that I needed not only new brake pads, but also new rotors and calipers. They had called to ask if it was OK to proceed on the nearly $800 job. It was not. I called another mechanic and was given an estimate for pads, rotors and calipers for my make and model that was over $200 less than the price quoted by Advanced Tire. That alone would have been enough for a 1 star rating, but to make matters even worse, when I picked my car up from the other mechanic, he hadn't needed to replace the calipers which saved me another couple hundred dollars. Advanced Tire is the reason I joined Yelp, so that was positive, but I will never visit them again. I will also never visit a mechanic in business attire again. Lesson learned. read more

These guys are just unacceptable. They *appear* to be friendly, but what I've experienced is truly unacceptable. This is my only review on yelp, despite having had the account for 8 years. Because this shop is just that unacceptable. I had some damage to the sidewall of a tire, so I ordered a new tire and got it installed at this shop yesterday. When I left, I specifically asked: did you check the air pressure on all tires? The answer is an affirmative "yes my friend you have nothing to worry about". Driving home later that night, the TPMS came on. I used my tire gauge at home, jesus christ, it was off the charts. The maximum on my gauge is 60 psi, and it stayed there for 2 full minutes while I was releasing air before it came down below 60 psi. So the pressure when I left the store has to be way above 60. Just to remind you, my car recommends 33 psi and I don't think the maximum pressure for the tire is much above 40. I brought it into the shop the next morning. The mechanic did not even apologize. "Oh we normally use this gauge and it's working fine; when we installed your tire we probably used that other one which was faulty". He checked, and it was indeed way off. I want to emphasize, *he did not even apologize*. When I asked whether that kind of extreme pressure would do damage to the tire, he said "trust me I can drive anywhere with that car now and it will be safe". I asked again, on what extreme pressure would do to the tire, he said "oh now let me say it for the fourth time, since you don't trust me: it's perfectly fine. If there's any problem again, just come back". No, I will not go back, and I urge you not to either. The only reason I chose this shop was that I had to go out of town on 3.5 hours highway driving two days later, hence I really need the job done quick. Imagine what would have happened if TPMS did not come on. read more

My mechanics sent my car at advance tire for an alignment which usually takes an hour and cost roughly $85.they refused it yesterday but I booked for this morning 8-30 am. This morning they said they DID NOT know when they could do it - may be tonight-and Gave me an appointment for 8-30 am in ...2 days. I politely refused,took my keys back and drove down the street to Cambridge street To Cambridge Auto Center where they asked me to wait for an hour,a maximum of 2 hours To do it for $85.00 ! Moral of the my experience: please zap Advance Tire in Kendal square as they do NOT more business and refuse customers! read more

I've given up on these guys. They're extremely friendly, but there is consistent incompetence (a shocking amount from my experience), and their prices are high - way too high. If you need basic work I've found A&E on Concord Ave. to have the best price/quality ratio in Cambridge, although it's not a warm & fuzzy kind of place. If you have something complex then go to the best, Good News Garage, although prices are definitely above average. read more

Quick service nice staff convenient location. I had tire pressure problem. They had to order the tires. But it all went well.

I forgot to update this but the owner did reach out and fixed the issue. Mistakes happen but they quickly owned up to it and made things right. I would have no hesitation going back to this place. read more

I needed to have my car inspected so I took it to Advance Tire since they are close to where I work. They did a good enough job but the place was definitely shady. The place refused to take reservations which is very annoying for standard quick things like inspections. Also, they only accept cash, which is never a good sign. Not only are they likely cheating the government (taxes), one has no recourse if they do faulty work or grossly overcharge. I will only pay by credit card to have extensive and pricey work done on my car. The inspection was a fair price at $29 and it was done quickly but I would never go to this place for anything other than that. I just don't trust this place. read more

The guys (and lady) at Advanced (both Brake/Muffler & Tire) are always really friendly, accomodating, and courteous. I was a loyal customer of theirs for ~2 years, until I moved last November, when laziness banned me from taking my car into a shop so far away. They always did a good job at fixing my vehicle, and I never had any issues with their work. I really can't talk car, so that's the long & short of it. They DO have some gigantic fish, though! I will admit that I have had occasional sneaking suspicions that I was being overcharged, but have no proof to back that up. I DO know, however, that nearly every time I've brought my car in with a seemingly benign problem, I've been told (& ultimately pay for) what turns out to be a much more malignant problem. Don't car issues remind you of tumors, as well? read more

I got a flat tire last week and was towed to Advance Tire bc the tow man said they would def have a tire and i had no spare. These guys are awesome! I was ushered over to sit down and read/stay warm while they took care of my tire. I told them I had been having work done, knew i needed allignment and that my other tire was probably about to go too, they didn't try pushing me into anything and actually offered me a used tire! They were so sweet and helpful! read more

In the past month, my car has had a string of bad luck: cracked windshield, bumper repair after being rear-ended, and then, a flat tire. Advance Tire was super close, and their price on the tire was reasonable. They took good care of me, and I'd go back. read more

I'm likely a typical consumer who doesn't know the first thing about cars, and I had a wonderful experience with Advance Tire on Broadway in Cambridge. After going to another mechanic in Cambridge and getting a quote of minimum $250 for brake work, I went here and they checked out my brakes and told me they were fine. No charge at all. They could have very easily charged me a ton for the work and done it even though my vehicle didn't need it. What could make me trust them more? Also, Hank was very nice - much nicer in fact than the people at the other shops. read more

Don't there for an inspection sticker! Total scammers!! Don't ever take your car there for inspection - they failed my car on purpose because the "front tires were worn." The car is two years old and i have never had any problems. When I looked at the employees shirt it said "Advance Tire" - he told me that he could get the new tires for me in a few days essentially holding me hostage until I bought them. And to add insult to injury he charged me $35 for failing my car which he would pass when I paid for the tires! A local mechanic outside the city told me that this is happening a lot in Boston - there is a group of scammers who go from garage to garage doing this. read more

Incredible service from smart, friendly and well-priced people. I had to drop in for a flat tire and they made the experience a good one. No pushy salesmen, no "well you really need this too." Just helpful, insightful comments from the guys here. I should also note that they don't over promise. He had a lot of opportunity to say "sure, we'll get you right in for that" but instead gave me realistic expectations for what to get done and when they had the time. I also love how they know their customers. Everyone is on a first name basis and seem happy to work with them here. I'll be back to get further services. read more

Had a pretty nasty piece of metal stuck in my tire that caused me to lose air pretty fast. Quick yelp search brought me to this place that was within 1 mile, and so glad it did. Rick welcomed me with a very reassuring manner and had his guys tend to my car right away. Never tried to upsell me anything, and patched my tire beautifully. While I was there he was very nice and had the time to chat about his fish tank (very interesting stuff he has there - very enjoyable to watch). All in all, tire was patched and I went on my way. Will absolutely come back for any future tire needs read more

Had a flat tire and they were able to get it patched up and had me on my way again in less than 30 min. Great quick service, pleasant employees, free Wi-Fi in air conditioned waiting room and reasonable price! Thumbs up! read more

Best shop in Cambridge and most trust worthy group I have ever worked with. Have been taking my cars here for years.

I've needed to drop by this shop three times in the past six months and they provide excellent customer service. One time I came in to have my clunker's clunks looked at. Hank gave me all the information I needed and I saved a ton of money. Just today, Rick got me a really good deal on used tires. As with any garage, I recommend you do your homework before you have any expensive work done, but choose good mechanics like the guys at Advance Tire Company to do it. They're as trustworthy as they come. read more

Super friendly team! Knowledge, expertise, and overall customer satisfaction surpassed my expectations. My rear right caliper busted on me and they took it in immediately. Turn around time was great!They replaced only what needed replacing. Honest crew and hard working. Worth every dime and more! In their generosity, they hooked me up with a first-time customer discount. Needless to say, I'm an Advance Tire customer for life. You rocked it, Team! Thanks again for taking care of my car! Definitely will be back for future maintenance needs! read more

Awesome service! Ran over a screw on my way home last night and they were able to take me right away to fix the tire. In addition they could do my overdue inspection on the spot. Very efficient and polite. Thank you!!! read more

Great Organization, fair, knowledgeable, friendly. Great at explaining things. They do great work at a fair price. Highly recommend them read more

I went here to get my car inspected and my snow tires put on. The tires were replaced quickly, and I paid with my card. The next day one of my tires was flat. Clearly something was wrong with the tire or the rim. It's not their obligation to police this, but a better shop would have looked out for their customers. This leaves me unimpressed with their service. I feel that I would have saved myself a good amount of effort and money if I had gone somewhere else. These guys are sketchy at worst, and ignorant or inconsiderate at best. I won't be going back. If you must go here, make sure to keep your intelligence with you before agreeing to anything that may seem sketchy. Remember you can always go somewhere else. read more

These guys were awesome. Don't let the name fool you- they are full service. They recommended fantastic tires, had fair prices, and were very informative. They care about the cars they work on, and definitely keep the customer's best interests in mind. If there were a 6-star, I would give it to them! Will be back, will recommend to friends. Matt read more

It is always tough finding a garage you trust and are happy with. I was lucky to have advance tire around the corner from my work and have been coming here for the last four years now. The counter guys and the mechanics are all very friendly and honest. Labor/part prices are a little higher than if you shopped around but I suppose there is a premium for being in the middle of Kendall Square and the convenience that provides. I would not hesitate to recommend them to a friend and will be sad to loose the garage now that I am moving out of the city. read more

I came here again after getting a nail in my tire. I seem to have bad luck with tires and get stressed every time something happens. Since my experience with Advance Tire the first time was great and easy, I decided to come back again. Once again, I am wowed (!) by their customer service. Everyone is super friendly and accommodating. Their system is organized (such a blessing) so they knew of my history. The service is fast and high quality and the staff is knowledgeable. They have coffee and wifi while you wait. Now if something happens to my tires again, I know I am well taken care of at Advance Tire and will be treated with excellent, fast, reliable, and well-priced service. I won't go anywhere else from now on! read more

So here's my story with Advance Tire: I got a nail in my driver's side rear tire the other day so I looked on yelp for reputable shops to get it repaired as I just moved to the area and hadn't established a local go-to yet. I work right next to Advance Tire so I decided to stop in there first. They told me my tire had two punctures and because of that, it could not be repaired and they offered to put a new one on for $175. Not because it was near the sidewall but just because there were two. They then charged me $20 to put the spare on my car (which I didn't ask for) when I said I didn't want a new tire. I called up Car Zone as they were the other shop with good reviews in the area and they said to bring it in immediately. I dropped it off and Murph had it fixed within an hour. To top it off, he refused to take payment for the service! He has certainly won me as a return customer and I will spread the word wide and far on who to avoid and who to go to! read more

5/5 stars without a doubt. Quality work, honest, and up front about everything. Even went back after a week to have them check something else out and they did everything I asked - no charge. Knowledgeable guys, didn't mess around or waste any time with the car. read more

The fine people at Advanced Tire have been fantastic to work with for my car needs. They've extracted me out of tight spots on short notice a few times: first with a flat tire (improperly installed elsewhere), then a broken stud, and an urgently needed state inspection sticker. For a full brake replacement, they had me in and out of the shop on the same day. They even offered to drop off my car at home nearby. All their work was done right on the first try, delivered on time and at a fair price. They were eager to discuss my options and I felt better informed after speaking with them on each occasion. It's reassuring having Rick and his staff of friendly professionals in the neighborhood ready to take care of my car--I'm glad I found them. read more

I went to advanced tire and auto for years, buying tires and rims there several times. The last time I went left a foul taste in my mouth, and I don't feel like going back again. The Advanced Tire & Auto guys told me that two of the nuts holding on one of my tires had rusted and siezed up, and that I needed two of the studs (i.e. the bolts holding on the tires) replaced immediately because I couldn't drive it that way. I was charged $30 for the parts and $85 for the labor for fixing the bolts. I wasn't aware that the bolts holding on tires typically rusted like this. Certainly bolts can be damaged by those power screw drivers if you put them on sideways and strip the thread. Regardless of how this problem was caused and by whom, the $115 price they charged replace the two bolts was ridiculous. I took my car in to my volvo repair shop (which is not a tire place and not a competitor of advanced tire), and they told me to NEVER go in to advanced tire again because replacing two studs and nuts on the same wheel is NOT a $115 job. Certainly it wasn't at my regular repair shop. Furthermore, they put leaky winter tires on my car and temporarily reinflated them so that I had two flats a few days later. It was completely obvious from throwing soapy water on the tires where they were leaking, and they had "fixed" the problem before. (Volvo steel wheels rust around the rims. A good tire place will put bead sealer there and stop this from reoccuring. Not Advanced Tire.) I mentioned the bolt replacement fiasco to a few of my collegues and one of them had also had a bad experience with Advanced Tire. He took his girlfriend's car in to be diagnosed. They charged him $145 when all they did was hook a diagnostic computer up to the car and read the indicator lights. He took the car somewhere else and the other place hooked up the computer for free before estimating how much actual repairs would cost. That being said, they were nice enough to point out that one of my rear brakes needed some work. But both my volvo repair guy and my new tire guy were outraged that Advanced Tire charged me $115 for replacing two bolts, and told me NEVER to go there again. read more

I had a gift certificate to Advance Tire and I needed new tires so I figured I'd try it out. Not a great experience. First, they gave me the quote and told me the work would be done in an hour. Two and a half hours later, they called to say it was completed. The total price was about $150 more than the original estimate. Then they told me they had a hard time getting the nuts back onto the tires, but that it was nothing to worry about safety wise. They said they could fix them, but I should talk to my husband and have him call with any questions first. Grrr! They also did the state inspection for the car, which they asked me specifically to pay for in cash. Later that night, I got a phone call saying I didn't pay for the inspection sticker. When I said that I did, the woman said, "well you say you did and he says you didn't." I tried to describe the person who I was talking to and she said no one by that description worked there. What else can I tell you?? Now, a few weeks later, I took the car for some routine care at the dealership and they said that the tire work was not done properly. The wheels weren't fully aligned and the nuts on the tires were so stripped that one literally fell off in the mechanic's hand. Sigh. So much for trying to save a little money. read more

I brought my car in this morning for inspection. Since this is a very old car, this time of year I'd normally lose some sleep and some money on repairs to get that sticker. Looking back, some of the repairs were probably unnecessary. This time at Advance Tire though, I went in and out in about 10 minutes, with nothing but good news. Staff is super friendly, pleasant, and efficient. I'll do inspection here again next year. read more

I've been here for wheel changes, an oil change, and car inspection. The staff is always extremely friendly and helpful, and there is never a surprise with the pricing. I would recommend this shop to anyone in the area. The location is also very convenient for MIT employees/students read more

NOT TO BE TRUSTED These guys will tell you anything to drive up the bill. My first time in there I dropped my car off to have a fluid leak looked at. Long story short, they came up with a huge list of repairs, which they continued to add to as they worked. After all that... still leaking fluid. When I needed an inspection I thought I would give them a chance to redeem themselves by fixing the leak. I get a call a few hours later saying that they can't do the inspection unless I buy new tires. The tires on there are only one year old, and sure enough the shop down the street had no problem inspecting it. Here's the bottom line: every time I bring my car there, they come up with a list of repairs, but can never seem to complete the repair it really needs. read more

Fast n friendly, these guys know their stuff!! Took my '13 G37 in for a slow leak, and come to find out my rear caliper was seized. Noticed a bit of shaking while braking, but didnt think much of it - not the point, the point is they quality inspected my car and found a major problem. Nice save! Fixed one and changed the other tire, complete rear brake job, done and done right within hours!! I used to be a firm believer that only dealerships (tho pricey) provide the best work, I STAND CORRECTED! read more

DO NOT trust anything these guys say! I brought my car in on Monday morning at 9:00 to diagnose a "check engine" light. They said it would take "a couple hours" to diagnose. When I called back at 11:00 to check, they said they were "working on it right now." But when I called back at 12:30, they hadn't started working on it yet! What the hell? When they finally called around 2:00, they said I needed a $500 part replacement. My wife said she needed the car on Tuesday, and they said they'd try to have it done by the end of the day, or at least by noon on Tuesday. But when I called on Tuesday morning, they said they wouldn't have it done by noon, and I'd have to come pick it up and reschedule. They said, "the part didn't come in until late yesterday." Um, what? They never mentioned to us that they needed to order a part! When I went to pick up the car, I tried to talk with the manager about what happened. He was very rude, interrupting me and acting like I couldn't possibly have anything useful to tell him. Obviously he doesn't care what customers think of the service his business provides -- even if that service includes lying and misleading customers. Needless to say, these people will never see another dime of my money. read more

I have been going to Advance Tire for over 25 years. This place is the best. They get you in and out fast, are friendly and always treat customers right! Keep it up guys! read more

I bought a set of tires, and they offered to swap off the snow tires (on 2nd set of rims) (it was spring) for free. Why not. Some weeks later I had to take off the wheels to work on the brakes. I found that Advance Tire had torqued the lug nuts so tight that I couldn't loosen them even by standing on the lug wrench. I took it to a real mechanic, and he had to replace all the threaded studs (he charged like $2 each, which is way cool, but unfortunately he's out of business). Fortunately I had standard steel wheels. Aluminum alloy wheels might have been ruined. Overtightening lug nuts is a moronic rookie mistake that any tire store mechanic should learn before they are even allowed to touch the air wrench. It can really ruin your day if you need to change a flat -- or worse, if you lose a wheel because of broken studs. I've always wondered if it was deliberate, but I can't imagine what I could have said. They seemed friendly. Maybe they hate Volvos? read more

My personal experience wasn't that great. I needed to switch out my tires, and I originally planned on going to Costco because they have pretty good value for their tires. However, I thought I'd give a local place a try. I gave these guys a call, told them my car model, and they gave me a great quote and told me that they would be able to replace the tires in under an hour. So I showed up, but they then told me they had made a mistake and had sized my car incorrectly. They also didn't have the right tires in stock - so not only did I have to leave my car there for ~8 hours (so they could get the right tires delivered), but they also had to sell me tires that were more expensive than I wanted (because they ran out of the lower end tires). In the end, I got roughly the same price as I would have paid for Costco. So the sizing was an honest mistake, but I definitely will not come back. If I can't trust a quote on the phone (they later thought I had given them the wrong size!), then I might as well go somewhere else. read more

very proficient, responsive, quick and effective. My car needed a bunch of things and some troubleshooting, They did it efficiently and affordably, with an excellent attitude. I believe I have found my mechanic! read more

AVOID AT ALL COSTS! YOU WILL BE RIPPED OFF! Absolutely, positively DO NOT go to this shop. You will be completely and totally ripped off. Somehow they inflate a $200 fix into a $1100 job. Unreal. AVOID! read more