I have been going to Charlie's Garage for well over five years. These gentlemen have been professional and honest on all the work they have done on my vehicles. Lou is a experienced, hard working, people person who cares about his clients. I trust Charlie's with all my work and have never been disappointed by them. Bring your vehicle there if you are local and in need of a great mechanic. read more

Exceptional service and repair. They always go over and beyond to help. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Especially for the elderly who need the help the most[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. read more

They charged me $280 for a part that was $80. [[HIGHLIGHT]]When I calmly asked them about the charge, they yelled at me, said they didn't need my business or someone disrespecting their work (and quite a few other things).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Its sad, because they do great work, which I would be happy to pay their premium labor rates for. But to put a non-OEM brand in, not ask me about what I wanted, charge me the OEM price and then yell at me when I calmly asked about the bill... nope. Three other people have now told me terrible stories about them since I mentioned this to my friends. Its such a shame, because they really do good work. I've been going to them for 5 years and have referred many other people to them. read more

I said this on Google as well, but I'll put it out there wherever I can. We were on a roadtrip from West Tennessee to Maine & my van started missing on cylinder 3 in the Bronx, NY. We pulled off and got the parts but kept limping north. I stopped in a Bill's first when we got to Salem but he pointed me to Charlie's Garage for the fix. They were swamped but [[HIGHLIGHT]]Dave took the time to walk me through the repair right there in the parking lot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] He was super knowledgeable, really knew his stuff and got the job done right & quickly. Price was super fair and [[HIGHLIGHT]]Dave also had some great recommendations for local food spots for me and the family.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If Charlie's wasn't 1,069 miles away they would be my go to shop for all my mechanic needs. I can't recommend these guys enough. Thanks again for helping us out in a tight spot. read more

Charlie's Garage - I pulled the dog house & Dave dove right in. - Auto Repair Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

We were on a roadtrip when we started having issues with our SUV. Called about 8-10 dealerships and car service shops and everyone was booking appointments 1-2 weeks out and wouldn't squeeze us in for an appointment. But at Charlie's, they took care of us right away! Dave jumped in the car with us, identified the problem quickly and had us back on the road in no time! He explained everything thoroughly and had a ton of knowledge. I definitely highly recommend this business and would come again! read more

Charlie's Garage - Charlie's Garage building sign - Auto Repair Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

[[HIGHLIGHT]]A GREAT well run family business![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They make even an "auto knucklehead" like me understand everything that they are going to need to do![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They are fair and compassionate, and I am so glad that I found them! Please do yourself a favor and go see these folks!! read more

My a/c was barely working in this sweltering heat. I dropped it off at Charlie's, and they took care of it for the exact price I was quoted and finished it on time. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great service on a hot summer day![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thanks Dave! read more

Awesome people doing great work! Best place to go in the Salem area! Couldn't recommend it more

The staff here is great. It's a family business. They do really great work. They are also very honest and charge fair prices. I won't bring my car anywhere else. I was really taken advantage of in the past by dishonest automechanics. But they have been wonderful. Just honest, hardworking people. I'm grateful I found them. read more

At first, I loved this place. The owner, Lou, seemed friendly and genuinely honest. I grew up around cars and know a lot about them myself so when he'd come to me about what was wrong with my car, I never got a sense that he was trying to screw me over. He made sense and often confirmed what I figured was wrong with the car based on it's behavior and any accompanying noises. However, as I came into the 3rd year of taking my car to this garage, a pattern of repeat repairs became evident that could only be explained as mechanic error/laziness or that used/defective parts were regularly being used on my car. The owner actually tried to convince me that it's normal for exhaust pipes to rust out and replaced every 10-12 months, normal for oxygen sensors to be replaced every 6 months, and normal for brand new brakes installed at his shop to fall off only days later. My favorite was the time Jose was working on my car -- had it in for an oil change and asked if they could tighten a fan belt that had loosened to the point of screaming at times. Jose comes into the office and tells the owner and I that it's not the belt, it's the carburetor. My car being a 2002 model, I laughed at the fact that this guy thought my car even had a carburetor to begin with. I'd still love to know what part he saw under the hood that had him thinking he saw a carburetor under there. I asked Lou to never have Jose work on my car ever again after that. There also were often communication issues between the owner and his son, Dave, that resulted in having to pay twice for the same work and parts replaced because the shop didn't do it right the first time. Lou would offer to fix their shoddy repair at no cost but if he wasn't around when you came back to pickup your car, Dave would charge you full labor and parts and claim that's what his father told him to charge me. Best thing I ever did regarding that car was get it out of there and go elsewhere for repairs. Had I not been so preoccupied with work and school at the time, perhaps I'd have noticed things were off sooner. Hopefully, this review clues others in sooner than I realized I was being taken to the cleaners. read more

Let me start by saying that back in 2015, I'd have given this place a 5 star review. I'd been taking my car to Lou for repairs since purchasing it back in 2013 and initially, I thought this was a bang-up shop - Lou was always fairly genial, came across as being straight up with me, and seemingly honest about repairs on my car. I raved about this place to my friends and recommended them there if they were in search of an honest mechanic. I was mistaken. By late 2016, it had become apparent that my car, despite repairs, was having the same issues over and over again. Lou tried to convince me that it's normal to have to completely replace front flex exhaust pipes every other year, front brakes every couple years (I only average about 5,000 miles per year on the odometer), and tires every other year (see comment prior about low mileage put on the car annually). Brand new tires should not be bald with less than 10,000 miles driven on them. He kept blaming the parts, not the repairs themselves. If the parts are junk, why continue to put junk parts in people's cars? And why do the parts here cost at least 4 times more for just the part than I'd find online or at a local auto store myself if they're so crappy? I'd rather pay $20 for a crap part than $120 if crap parts were what I wanted in my car. The final straw for me came last year. Took my car in for a noise it was making. It was due for inspection and I usually take it to get inspected at another station myself as Charlie's doesn't do inspections there, but Lou claimed that my car needed a bunch of stuff fixed just to pass inspection. Over $800 later, I pick up my car and it's all set, right? Nope. A month later, my car breaks down on the highway. By now, that nagging gut feeling of "you're being screwed" has gotten to the point that I can't blame it on me just being paranoid about possibly having a dishonest mechanic - so I have the car brought to the shop that usually does my inspections. Sure enough, one of the parts supposedly replaced a month prior at Charlie's Garage had broken. Also found out that a number of the repairs done the month before at Charlie's hadn't needed to be done. I put off leaving this review initially because I still wanted to believe that maybe Lou means well as he really does come off as a genuine guy. I just wasn't going to let him work on my car anymore while the truth of that is unknown. But my car is currently at the new shop and two of the items on the repair list are things "fixed" at Charlie's Garage last year and the third are my front brakes that were literally just replaced a little over 2 years ago. So, the TL/DR is: Seemed genuine, but suspicions arose when repeat parts and repairs kept being done; got a second opinion as well as talked to car enthusiasts about expected frequency of replacing involved car parts, and common agreement was that Charlie's Garage took me for my money. read more

Charlie's is the best garage on the Northshore. Dave, one of the owners, is amazing at not only analyzing those mystery noises but is completely focused on customer satisfaction! He also understands budgets but doesn't cut corners. Every experience I've had here has been phenomenal and my car has NEVER run better! I can't say enough about how great the service is here. read more

I am so fortunate to have Charlie's garage as my mechanic! These guys are honest, very pleasant to deal with, do amazing work and will always get you in when you need something fixed! I can't say thank you enough! read more

I moved to Salem two years ago and thought that I'd never find a mechanic as good as the one I had in my hometown. I was wrong! Charlie's is reliable, reasonably priced, accommodating, and the mechanics all know what they're doing. I recommend Charlie's every chance I get. read more

I lived in Salem, MA for nine years and I never needed or wanted a different mechanic. I can't say enough good things about Lou (owner). I guess if your in business long enough, you'll have some problems with customers who are unsatisfied, hence the gentleman who left one star. I can tell you it is not deserved. Lou is the most honest mechanic I've ever had and I am sad I will be leaving him behind since I am moving out of state. Here's the thing about Lou - he is trustworthy and will always tell you exactly what is wrong, how much it will cost to fix on the cheap or all the way (he tries to get used parts if he can) and never, never tells you something is wrong that isn't. If your on a budget, he will often tell you if it can wait or list the priorities of getting things done. As a woman, he was always respectful and never talked to me like I was less than and really cares about his customer's satisfaction. He always exceeded my expectations. My co-workers went to him, my friends and neighbors go to him for all their car repairs. If your new in town or just looking for a better place, look no further than Charlie's Garage! read more

I have taken my cars to Charlies for over 20+years and they are the best. They understand budgets, how to repair without breaking the bank. They are trustworthy, and experienced. I don't bring my car anywhere else. read more

I took my Ford Focus to them after experiencing transmission and clutch issues. While I know it's a strange review for a repair shop, I have to give them 5 stars for NOT working on my car. They ran diagnostics and found the error codes related to issues under a recent extended warranty I wasn't aware of. This garage gave me all the information to take to them, including their card to call if the Ford dealer tried to give me the run around. Sure enough, I went to a Ford dealer, who covered all of the repairs. I am definite coming back here for any issues I have that do not fall under warranty. They could have easily taken advantage of my ignorance over recent recalls, but instead were focused on getting me the best deal. Everyone wants an honest mechanic- they definitely have them here. read more

I never thought I would have such fondness for a garage but Charlie's has impressed me for the past three years. Friendly, trustworthy, prompt and I've heard them say "it will save you money if you do this or this" so many times. My wallet is thankful and my 20 year old car keeps going. read more

I have been a very happy customer of Charlie's Garage since 2007 after the recommendation of a co-worker (a lifelong Salem resident). Lou (the owner of Charlie's) is always around either managing the phone's, processing payments, or working on the car's themselves. Lou remembers his customers and is very nice which reflects in his employees. I am always given fair quotes, receive quick and most importantly HONEST service. Whenever I have car problems or need the standard tune-up/maintenance Charlie's is where I go. read more

I don't think I could trust anyone else with my car. Always fair, always thorough in whatever they do. And always friendly and informative.

My brother in law and I have been taking our used cars for repair to Charlies Garage for over 12 years. Nothing but the best-HONEST-straight forward dealings. Lou Russo is a stand up guy. Even arranged a 2 payment when I was down and out from the recent wall street melt down that nearly killed our small business. He never repairs unless you sign off on it always giving a requested estimate of repair. His hourly rate is extremely fair compared to the midas muffler, monroe etc type of garages. Wouldn't go anywhere else. Even had AAA tow my 1997 LeSabre to Charlies just last week after and old part finally gave out. Rather than go to a garage we didnt know, we paid the extra tow $$ just to have Lou and crew repair it! Dan Marblehead, Ma read more

When I lived in Beverly, Charlie's was the only place that I ever took my car to. Lou was always nice, and did lots of work on my old cars in a timely manner. I trusted him for the best price and the work was always done safely and properly. read more

They aren't afraid to answer my insane questions and they always are honest with me and I never break the bank here. I'd never go anywhere else! read more

I had minor car repair have to be done and Lou was very helpful of giving realistic and very honest opinion - here is that it will take to get work done, here that you should expect from insurance company, est. I appreciate that he took time to explain to me and not just throw in estimates numbers with multiple untranslatable codes (another garage gave me 3 page paper with estimated 14+ hours of work in codes without any description that it's actually mean). Charlie's Garage is reliable, reasonably priced, accommodating, and they are highly skilled pros. read more

Charlie's Garage had to do a substantial amount of work on the front end suspension of my truck not only did they get me my truck used to run my business back immediately but I learned that the front end of my vehicle should not sound like a symphony of noises when I go over bumps it is so quiet and everything is so tight this is what my truck should feel like thank you to Charlie's Garage read more

If i could give more than 5 stars i would, Lou has been fixing my entire family's cars for a few years now and he has always been great to us. A year ago my 4 year old car got flooded and my insurance company wanted to total it... lou told me that it didnt make any sense as to why they would want to total it so i canceled my claim and had lou see what he could do. Later that day lou calls to telll me that he has the car running again and that he took up the carpeting and was going to leave it in his friends paint booth over night to get all of the moisture out of it. Lou did all of this for well under $1000. My insurance company wanted to total a 17,000 dollar car! if ypou live in the salem area do yourself a service and go to Charlies Garage! read more

i live up the street from charlies and he's kept my 12 yr old nissan exterra going! he's so fair and honest when i say lou please on the cheap he's on it! matter of fact my cars getting towed there tonite! i will not go anywhere else. read more