I haven't tried any other auto shops in the Cambridge area, but Aris Auto hasn't given me any reason to go elsewhere. I had my '99 Camry inspected here, I have regular oil changes performed here... they are almost always the cheapest price, and plus for regular maintainance it's less about price than it is about reliability and trust. I will need my brakes and rotors replaced soon, and I'll definitely be going here to get them replaced. read more

I am always so happy with the service at Aris. I feel lucky to have found them for repairs, randomly after a car inspection. Bob and Alex always take great care of me, and the repairs always come in a bit under the estimate. They are honest about when I need a repair or not and their fees are reasonable. They explain the repairs and show me the parts of my car in question. Their work is good and they are trustworthy. As a woman who knows very little about car repair, I find this so important. I highly recommend Aris. read more

Both my experiences with Aris Auto were great. All the staff that I have met have been friendly and helpful. First, I took my car in for a repair and was amazed when they suggested that it wasn't necessary to fix and didn't even charge me to take a look at it. After a few thousand miles of driving, I think their advice to let it be was correct. I think a repair shop who's honest enough to tell you when you shouldn't be giving them money is a valuable find. Second, I took my car to them for its annual inspection and was out of there in about 15 minutes with no problems. read more

the good old dependable aris is gone. the new management is either incompetent, slimy or both. brought the car becoz the engine light is on. NEVER got a straight answers about what was happening. after a whole week, got the exhaust repaired and the new catalytic converter, then engine light was off. not even 2 weeks later. the engine light is on again. i will bring my car somewhere else. read more

I went for an inspection sticker and the guy took my atm card, said it would be 35.00 then they charged amd swiped $35.75. As i was waslkin out i heard a customer ask why they were just charged the same amount. Totally against the law. read more

I've been a 100% satisfied customer since Aris opened. During this period of some four decades I've owned a '75 Volvo, '85 Peugeot and a 2000 Saab-- not easy cars to service. read more

I have been dealing with Herbie for over 20 years and with Aris for over 10. I have never gotten less than excellent work at a fair price. On the gas prices, the cash prices are 20 cents below what I would have to pay at most places (German engines run premium) ! Plan ahead and pay cash, or pay with credit and still get a bargain. total integrity, they have signs everywhere about the different prices for cash and credit. Herbie and the mechanics have helped me keep two ancient cars on the road when I had almost no money, (a 1973 Saab 96, may she rest in peace after long long service, and a 1990 Mazda 323: it's still running, I'm still frugal) I also trust them with the car that keeps my daughter safe: a 2000 VW Passat. As an ex-baker I have a very sensitive nose; I've never smelled or seen a drunk mechanic at Aris, Wassup with that,??? The mechanics are as thorough or as cheap as I specify (if it's not safe to be cheap they offer me grief counseling ;-) ) Always fair and attentive, usually remarkably inexpensive. Update, after 21 years, my Mazda 323 died. On Saint Patrick's day. I, too miss Herbie. read more

Apart from the fact that I've had amazing experiences here, honest and funny service and shared a story or two with Herbie & company, and despite my suspicious tendencies in auto body shops (they're trying to fleece me!), my delight at regularly going to Aris Auto was cut short this morning when I got some bad news when I went to pick up my old beater from some repair work.... The beloved Herbie has passed. RIP, Herbie. You'll be sorely missed by all of us who brought our broken cars to only one place around. read more

I took my car in to get inspected about 2 weeks ago and they passed my car. I asked the guy who inspected my car if everything looked good and if there was anything I needed to keep an eye on and he told me everything looked great and I had nothing to worry about. False! A couple days later I noticed my car was driving funny so I brought it into a different garage and my car was in pretty rough shape. They showed me cracks running all through out all four of my tires! My brake pads were almost completely worn down to the metal, and one of my tire rods was loose. No wonder it was driving so weird. I just can't believe they didn't notice any of the aforementioned problems with my car. This makes me think that they just walked around my car once and slapped a sticker on it. read more

Great service. Always pleased. Not for the impatient though. Might take a day for them to get to your car because they are so busy but they will be really honest with you about the work needed and estimates. Herbie, the owner is our favorite! read more

Staff not very friendly, but a simple Mass Inspection was $29 and done in about 20 min. Not sure I would use them for anything else.

Been there for many repairs, always a positive experience with real estimates and real down time estimates as well. Carlos is very friendly and is quick with an inspection and Alex was able to give me a great idea of what my car needed long term. Love aris auto! read more

Aris Auto helped me out when my A/C in my car was broken. Alex fixed the issue in an hour for me! The dealership quoted me around $1400 to have it fixed, but Aris Auto was able to do it quickly and affordably. They were nothing but professional during the whole process - I will definitely be back whenever my car needs something! read more

Got my car inspected here today and they were very friendly and fast. They also waived a fee to attach some new plates on my friend's car because her car didn't pass inspection. Definetely a good place to get your inspection sticker. read more

Friendly, polite, and good-humored staff. I went to get an inspection mid-morning on a weekday and was second in line. I had my sticker in less than half an hour. read more

I Love this place! They are always friendly and honest, I wouldn't go anywhere else! They have fixed different things on my car over time and I've never been disappointed!!! I recommend them to everyone! Oh and gas is cheap! read more

You might like the cheap gas but Aris' station is a menace to the community,. They nearly destroyed my new car. Fortunately the repair shop manager is decent and fixed the damage. (Repair shop is a separate business owned by the same person). After a lot of work, drama, and waste of time. My daughter in her 20s borrowed my new VW Jetta TDI while I was out of town. She wanted to refill the tank and felt nervous because I told her gasoline will damage the engine. She naively chose Aris, thinking that it's a full-service station, the attendant could give her guidance . If they didn't sell Diesel he would tell her where to get some. She pulls in, rolls down the window. Attendant asks, "What fuel? Cash or Credit?" She says "Diesel, cash" and he starts to pump. Daughter gets out of the car and goes around, stands next to him, shows him the big yellow warnings on the fuel gate. "Are you sure it's diesel, read this, 'Even a small amount of gasoline can damage the engine." ?? The attendant says, "Diesel, sure, honey, Diesel, don't worry. I do this every day," and pumps $20 of gasoline into my tank. The diesel fuel pipe is bright yellow, much bigger than a gasoline pipe, and surrounded with warnings. That night I get into my VW and it makes a horrible noise and is hard to start. I think I must be the problem, since diesels start a little differently and I've owned it less than a week. Fortunately I drove it less than 10 miles that night, but the problem kept happening. AT home my daughter and I decided it must have been the fuel. Was the diesel old? Or maybe not ultra low sulfur? People on the Internet say don't drive the car ... The next morning I rode my bike to Aris... I actually meet the same attendant. Ask him if they have Diesel and he mumbles and sends me to the office. No diesel, he pumped gasoline into my car. While I was standing there upset a mechanic suggested, "Just throw some motor oil in the tank, it will be fine." Having stayed up all night reading the owners' manual I was able to tell him "Never put any additives in the fuel of a VW TDI!" This was a mechanic? Later that day, he turned out to be the one doing my repair. Smelling like beer. I told myself it must be from the night before (but still he didn't inspire great confidence). Bob, manager of the repair shop, said he wanted to check the the security footage and I said "Be my guest, you can even confirm my daughter got out of the car and had a conversation with the pump attendant." (He hiding behind the gas pumps at this point--trouble was the last thing he needed I am sure). Bob decided to believe me, offered to perform repairs free of charge. I called my husband's mechanic (Koko Aroyan in Medford), who said it is an easy job, give them a chance to make it right. We had to push the car out of the driveway to hitch it to the tow truck, also walk back and forth 2x in the heat. The repair took all day and overnight. Bob refilled the tank. I said If the car has more trouble I will take it to the dealer and bring you the repair bills. Bob agreed. He was a gentleman, able to look me in the eye. His apology seemed sincere. Car seems fine. But no one at Aris--either shop or gas station--seems outraged about what happened. Another mechanic said, "When your daughter saw he didn't speak English she should have driven away." I said, That pump attendant repeated the word 'Diesel,' assured her he knew what she was saying and what he was doing. But he obviously couldn't speak or read enough English to understand 'Diesel' or even be alarmed by the big yellow warnings on the fuel gate. I am no anti-immigration fanatic. You can see from my narrative that some of the mechanics in the shop, who seemed to be born in this country, were making almost equally idiotic suggestions. But a gas station attendant needs to read and speak enough essential English to prevent him from destroying customers' cars. This guy had been working there less than 2 months, trained by his fellow attendants, the mechanics said. Now I wish I had spoken to the gas attendants instead of talking only to the Anglo guys in the repair shop. When I had another car I used to feel friendly to them; I still don't wish them harm. I wonder what an investigation would turn up about the gas station owner's income tax practices (all those cash transactions) and environmental compliance. For him I imagine the cost of repairing my vehicle is nothing compared to paying his workers better. Of course if there is an investigation the attendants will suffer most. In that respect I was glad nobody seemed to be too worried about what's going on there. Just hope my new baby VW doesn't have lasting damage from its adventure in Aris land. read more

Honest guys. They don't nickel and dime you like all the other shops. Bob is great.

i had the worst experience at this place. I towed my car there on a Sunday evening and it was there for three days without being fixed. To my astonishment, Bob didn't know what the problem was however, he knew how much money he was going to charge me. I called him on Monday morning to tell him that I left there to be fixed. He promised to call me late in the afternoon to tell me what the problem was but never did. From monday onwards i called Bob every single day trying to get car from them but they kept on telling me that it will be ready the following day. So, on Wednesday morning i took the train and went there. Surprisingly, still it was not ready. Boby told me to grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks while they were trying to figure out what was the problem. He then called around 3 p.m. to come over. When I got there, they still did not know what the problems was but Bob charged me $254 and some change. He told me that they put in new spark plugs which according to him would take care of check engine light which was on. I drove it about two minutes then the check engine went on again. I turned around and went back to them. When i told Bob that the check engine was still on he told me to drive it for a couple of days the check engine light will eventually went off. I drove the car until Friday and went back to them. I told Bob the light was still on and he took the car key and drove it. He came back and started fixing or pretending to fix yet again. When asked how long it was going to take them to figure out the problem, Bob told me that it might take another day or so. I was more than frustrated because I spent five days already without a car and he still wanted to keep it for indefinitely. Again he told me to go and grab a coffee he will call me at 10 a.m. At about 10:24 am Bob called that I should come over. Amazingly, the car was still not fixed and worst of all, Bob took out the parts he claimed he put in it. He said they did not know what the problems were and suggested that i should go to dealer. what made very angry is that he never apologize for their incompetence or failing to fix my car. He promised to refund me but never did. I tried to understand why they had a car for three days but spent only one hour on it. I never got the straight answers from Bob. This was the worst experience I have ever encountered with garage people. I'm still having the problem with my car and lost $254.00 which I paid for nothing. This is wrong and Bob has to refund me my money because he did nothing but wasted my time for nothing. This is fraud and Bob ought to be arrested for that.. read more

Herbie is Rambo. He fixes what is needed, and doesn't over charge you, unlike the parasite over at Mass Ave Gulf. He recently fixed all four brakes including pads, rotors, etc, and fixed a nasty grinding sound on my power steering, and my A/C for about a grand. Sounds like a lot, but the car was hurting, and now it is like new. I highly recommend Aris. Herbie is honest, and a nice guy. read more

Just moved to Somerville recently and this happened to be the nearest shop to my new apt...and thank goodness! These guys really know their stuff--PLUS they're funny and fun to talk to. You can tell they aren't just looking to make a quick buck with add ons and extra surcharges. Personally, I know (almost) nothing about mechanics and the inner workings of my car, so I'm extremely grateful that they've been really honest and up front with me. Will DEFINITELY be returning any time I have car issues!! read more

Great service here! The guys who took care of us were very sweet and engaging. Carlos was awesome with repairing the tire. They were genuinely nice to two girls who needed their tire fixed! :-) keep up the great service! I definitely recommend it to all my fellow yelpers in the Somerville area. read more

They charged me $60 for a rotation and an oil change, charging me $25 for oil. oldest trick in the book, the oil markup. I wouldn't trust these guys, take your car elsewhere for routine maintenance. read more

Smart, professional, helpful, and reliable. Alex at Aris Auto took the extra time to talk with me about what was going on with my vintage Volvo and I can't say enough about how helpful he was with car issues big and small. I will definitely be returning for future services needs. Why did it take me so long to find this place?! read more

I came here on the last day of the month to get my car inspected. Despite my procrastination, and the pouring rain, the guys at Aris made the experience great. I was in and out in under 45 minutes with my sticker. I'll definitely be back next year! read more

I have been going to Aris for 20 years. With new cars and with old cars. They have always been honest and friendly. Herbie was a great guy and after his unfortunate passing I did have worries about the new management. But Carlos is still there and they seem to be making a come back. I just got a repair that I thought could potentially go over $500. They told me it was a gasket and just $40. Don't expect miracles, they might miss something that could be repaired, but they won't rip you off for something that obviously needs repair. read more

I went to get a state inspection. I am 99% sure I got ripped off. One of my Rain-X windshield wipers conveniently broke at the moment they tested it. They charged me $20 to replace it with a cheap squeaky one. He said it must have rusted, but the attachment piece for the blade is 100% plastic. What happened is that the locking part of the slide-and-lock attachment piece was completely broken off. It's possible this just happened to happen at the exact moment they tested my wiper blades; they aren't brand new. It's also possible I'll win the lottery. read more

I LOVE Aris Auto! As a woman I think that it can be tricky to find trustworthy, dependable mechanics, but I completely lucked out when I found Aris. Their hourly rate is lower than nearby auto shops, they are open an honest with me about which services I need to have done vs. which services can wait/don't need to be done, and I feel completely safe and secure trusting them to take care of my car. I made the mistake of taking my car to another shop for an oil change this morning (I got a Groupon for a $10 change), and after that shop tried to screw me over I've learned my lesson - I will NEVER take my car anywhere else! read more

If there was a 10 rating, Aris Auto would earn it! I landed in this shop by happenstance having moved here from Chicago in 2015 and they were nearby. Now that I have moved from Somerville, I return there for any & all auto needs because Bob & Alex are beyond outstanding. I recently had what we are now referring to as a 'perfect storm' of events with my Prius wherein it would not accelerate over 60. These guys did more research than required for a dissertation, did consults and numerous test drives to pin down what had caused this fluke to occur. Turned out to not simply be a single sensor but a coalescing of several factors which contributed to the car's behavior, & Bob & Alex were determined to discover what created this problem. Their abundant patience and amazing persistence was only surpassed by the generosity in their fair pricing for what would have undoubtedly cost 2-3x's as much with the dealer. Have never met amazing mechanics like Bob and Alex, the primary guys with Aris, and I would recommend them to anyone wanting a positive experience in a time of stress. read more

I don't think this applies to every customer but I just had the most awful experience there. I pulled in, asked for $20 worth of gas. The guy put the hose in the tank, but I don't think ever reset the button. The pump gauge read $25 when I got there and $25 when I was pulling out. When I realized my gas gauge hadn't moved from halfway between empty and 1/4 of a tank (I hadn't left the station lot yet), I went back and demanded my gas. They put it in after telling me I was wrong, telling me the needle doesn't always move right away (I've had the car for 2 years, so I think I'd know), and then demanded another $20. I'm not sure if the guy just made a mistake and didn't want to own up to it, or was genuinely trying to cheat me, but I got into an argument with almost every member of the staff, including a very condescending drama queen manager, but the owner (I think he was anyway) set it right and I was on my way - only 1/2 hour later. I don't think I'll go there again. I was ready to call the police. read more

Bob, Carlos and the rest of the guys at Aris are the only people I trust with my car. A month after I bought my car I got a check engine light. I took the car to two different place that charged me over $100 and could get rid of the light. It took the guys here one day to fix it and only charged me $50. Since then I've taken my car to them at least four times and they always get it done quickly without overcharging. I'll never take my car to anyone else! read more

I have gone to Aris a few times now, ranging from state inspections to oil changes and other maintenance. I've never purchased gas from the station, so I haven't experienced any of those issues mentioned by previous reviews. What I can say is that I've always excellent experiences here. The place is super small, so it can be a bit of a wait. If it seems like it's gonna be more than 20 minutes, I usually just try to drop the car off and have them call me to come back. That's always worked out fine and they have never done any repairs to my car without first calling to get them approved. The manager is always very friendly, accommodating, and honest. read more

Went in to get my car inspected and received some bad news about the brakes and other things. They were extremely helpful in budgeting things out in terms of what needed fixing first safety-wise. Explained things well, had great energy, and drove me home and then picked me up when the work was done. They also fixed my radio which hadn't worked in months without me even mentioning it as a problem and didn't charge me for the time or work on that. While I was sitting there, several people walked in who were regular customers. I'll be back! read more

I have been going to Aris for at least 8 years and am VERY VERY happy with them. I am in my second car and they always are funny, pleasant and most of all helpful. Being a "chick" I have encountered many times possible rip-offs by mechanics/garages. Once at a "chain" my engine light went on and they said it would be about $3,500 to fix....I went to Aris, they checked it out - Herbie put a put of tape over the light - problem solved. It went out eventually as it was not anything. I have never felt I have been over-charged and they work hard to keep pricing low. They will tell you if a procedure/work is un-necessary. On a sad note - one of the many personalities there - Herbie - unexpectedly passed away in mid-June which brought considerable sadness to me and I am sure anyone who was lucky enough to have crossed his path and his great sense of humor. Alex is now in his place and is doing a great job as well. Go there and if you don't - your loss. read more

Garbage, rebuilt a transmission there for a cost north of $2500.00 and 20,000 miles later it was broken again. The manager would not stand by his work and told me that it wasn't there fault. I never beat on that car, it would be rare for it to approach 3000 rpms and the transmission went?!!? Overall rude staff and poor poor quality work, I could have went to honda for close to the same and my car would still be running today. DON'T GO TO THESE CLOWNS read more

I do not recommend this place. The attendant charged me $65 for $36 worth of gas. Unfortunately, I did not notice until it showed up on my credit card statement. I was able to get in touch with the manager and straighten everything out (they refunded the overcharged amount to my credit card), but it was a hassle. I'm certainly not going back any time soon! read more

I came here for an oil change about a week ago. They were super busy, but managed to squeeze me in. The mechanic finished the oil change in about 20 mins, and inspected my suspension for worn parts (My car is a 97) . He noticed that my driver side inner tie rod was shot, and was very dangerous to drive in that condition. He recommended that I get it done ASAP. I told him I couldn't afford it that week but would try to come in the following week. He understood and told me to be careful in the mean time and not to go over 60mph on the highway or take sharp turns. I felt he was genuinely worried about my safety, Well went in today to get it done, It took only about an hour and feels like new!! The best part, cost me a measley $132 parts and labor. (I compared other places and they were charging $160-$180 for the same repair.) Very friendly and funny bunch of guys and will definitely go to again for my auto repairs in the future! read more

It seems that the mechanics at Aris really care about you. They took a long time to explain the issue with my car and how I can address the issue in the most cost effective manner. It seems that I have found a mechanic that I can finally trust and I have already recommended Aris to my Dad. I will certainly be back to Aris. read more

I had a really great experience with these guys. Herbie, the manager, is a good, honest guy and his mechanics were able to find a rather obscure problem with my car. I definitely plan to continue taking my car to them for all kinds of service. read more

I went this place few trips for maintances and accidents based on yelp review. Yes. They are really nice people. It deosn't mean they charge you less than others. Please confrim total price before they fix. They will rip off you with smile face. They will charge you base on your car. I suggest you this place if you have a 1988 civic or 1992 GMC. Don't go this place if you have 2009 carmy or BMW. They know how to rip off people with smile face read more