The check engine light turned on in my '98 Toyota Camry just after I moved to the area. They had me bring the car in within an hour of calling, then notified me of the problem within a few hours of dropping it off. I wasn't sure about investing in an older car, so asked if they would be willing to look for other issues that may come up in the near future. They agreed and called me the next morning with the results and were very clear and helpful. When I picked up the car after deciding not to repair it, they only charged me for a smoke test related to the check engine light, demonstrated one of the problems they identified, and then talked with me honestly about the best options given the current state of the car. I will definitely come back when I have a new car! read more

Great guys with an expert command of German cars. Can't think of any reason to take an older BMW anywhere else. They diagnosed an unusual problem over the phone and fixed it in (and only billed for) one hour. Highest recommendation. read more

Exactly what you look for in auto maintenance. Trustworthy, knowledgeable and fair. Been going here for a couple of years and they are always straight up about what the problem is, give a fair estimate, and have always done great work with quick turnaround. Hard to find a shop you can trust -- I'd recommend this one. read more

Came in with a flat tire and busted trunk latch expecting to have to pay $100+, they figured out the tire was due to a bent rim and straightened it for $20, and fixed the trunk for the cost of the parts +reasonable hourly rate. Most of all it felt nice not to have to stress / worry that they were trying to nickel and dime me for fake problems and unnecessary replacement parts. Definitely going back here for all car needs in the future. read more

We have bounced from mechanic to mechanic to try and find someone who could deal with our problem child Honda Civic. When the check engine light came on this time, we turned to Foreign Auto Center after reading the reviews on Yelp. Well, folks, they're as good as everyone says they are! Not only did they fit me in with no appointment, they even took my car to get inspected since they noticed the sticker was overdue. All for MUCH less than I was quoted at a few other mechanics. I'd definitely recommend them 100%. read more

I found Foreign Auto and Nick through Yelp and am so happy I did. Been going to him for years. They are top notch mechanics, so good that they're often super busy. But they always take time to explain what's wrong with my car and try to fit my schedule. Very personal and friendly on top of being expert service for my VW. If I ever moved from MA, I'd still drive 100 miles back to have Nick and Jimmy and everyone at Foreign Auto care for my car. And if I get ever a new car, it would have to be a VW or Toyota -- whatever models they repair. read more

I brought my 2007 Subaru Forester in with a bad wheel bearing. The team found a few other issues with my car (things I had suspected might be a problem sometime soon, not any "surprises" like the last time I went to the local dealership). They had it fixed up by the end of the day and it's now running smoother and quieter than ever. The mechanics at Foreign Auto Center were friendly, accommodating, and courteous. I would take these folks over Cityside Subaru any day of the week. read more

First of all I should admit that this my 2nd ever review on any forum but I feel I have obligation to write one here. I took my 2015 Audi Q7 for oil change. I have never taken my cars outside authorized dealer but was fed up by the outrageous amount they charge. Thinking it was merely oil change and people do it all the time at home shouldn't be problem for a seasoned mechanic. I was charge $134 for oil change fair enough.After few days I saw my garage full of oil spots. I took the car back to the mechanic,he was kind enough to put it on the lift even without appointment. As per the mechanic it was bad washer, they drained the oil and reused the same oil. However oil leak was even worse after apparent fix. I had no choice but to take it to the dealer as going back to same mechanic to fix the oil leak which he caused and could not fix in two attempts did not make any sense. So eventually I took the car to dealership and they said my car had wrong after market oil plug and charged me $269 and guess what my warranty is going to be voided now. This whole experience not only costed me money but used 3 separate trips to the mechanics just for one OIL CHANGE. read more

These guys are the best. Fast, reliable, friendly, and reasonably priced. Don't bother going to a dealer or a big shop -- FAC is fantastic. I've taken my Subaru Outback there several times and have gotten great results throughout. read more

These guys are great! They are fast and affordable and made sure I was happy with their work. I just got my car back today from them. My 2003 Honda Element was making a noise that no one could identify. I took it to two dealerships and another mechanic before bringing it to Foreign Auto Center. The dealerships couldn't figure out what the noise was, but said not to worry about it. After leaving Foreign Auto Center tonight the car sounded great. I will continue to go there and recommend this place to my friend. read more

Wow! Honest, quick, and accommodating. They know what needs to be done and don't offer unnecessary repairs. They know their stuff! My little Jetta is back to new and will finally pass inspection :) read more

Nick is great. He explains exactly what he is going to do and does it. Furthermore, he always tries to find the most affordable solution possible. read more

I took in 3 cars for pre-purchase inspection. The price was only $70 (each), and I found out exactly what I needed to know about the condition of the cars. The cars were in various conditions, and the inspection results listed in detail the issues with each. When it came down between 2 cars for my buying decision, these guys were professionals. They told me the the pros and cons of the cars, but made sure to be neutral and not influenc my decision. I would go to them if I needed work on my car. read more

An excellent shop. Very friendly, honest and knowledgeable. I have had my VW and honda repaired here. In both instances, they correctly diagnosed problems that the dealers and other "specailty" garages could not correctly identify, and fixed them properly at a fair price. read more

I work in the automotive industry and am pretty skeptical when it comes to repairs. Having just experienced Foreign Auto Center first hand, I am pleased to report that they really are as great as their reputation. I won't go anyplace else. read more

I took my BMW because the brake light was on. The owner at this shop looked at it and said that all 4 brakes need to be changed. He said he had sharp eyes and could see the brake lining from outside without raising the car and removing the wheels. He quotes me $960 for the 4 brakes. I thought he knew what he was talking. I thought I should check with my old mechanic in the suburb outside Boston. He quoted me $670 for all 4 brakes. I was shocked so I ended up driving 1/2 hour to my old mechanic the next day. The mechanics there said that the rear brakes still had 40% brake lining and need not be replaced. So I ended spending $230 instead of $960. What a scam these car mechanics are! Buyer beware and comparison shop. read more

Nicky and Jimmy are fabulous --- I own a very crancky British car who acts like a bad tempered Diva ----- the guys take excellent care of her! Thanks! Liza read more

Wouldn't work on my car (Eagle Talon) even though it's mechanically the exact same and built at the SAME factory as the Mitsubishi Eclipse. Bad business practice. read more

These guys know how to work on German (and I'm sure any other) cars. Took my A4 in for some repairs. They were honest and very knowledgable about the car. Nick there is the man on Audis. He identified a few things on my car that I should be aware of (he showed me underneath the car) for me next service. My car currently has 75K and is in need for some work (which I already instinctively knew). I'm going to be taking my car back to them for sure. read more

My first visit there for a 15,000 scheduled maintenance on a 09 Subaru ....oil change/rotate tires/check brakes and everything else on the list to check at 15k...including changing the cabin air filter in the dash was only $110..I called several dealers and independent shops and the average price quoted for same work was about $250. Me likey! read more

Go see Nick! trustworthy, reasonably priced, gets the work done when he says, friendly.

Nick is an amazing guy and all the guys working at Foreign Auto are great, They worked on 3 of my German cars in the past and have always done outstanding work, I live in Waltham now and i drive all the way to Cambridge whenever i have car issues with my Audi, because i know these guys take care of me every time from a mechanical and financial point. Highly recommended !!!! read more

LOVE this place. They are fair, trustworthy, and reasonably priced. I recently had a problem with my car that could have been 1 of 3 things. They worked through the 3 possible fixes, only charging me when they got it right. I've brought my car there since, and have gotten equally amazing service. I wouldn't take my car anywhere else! read more

They fixed my problem quickly and for a very fair price, and explained exactly what went wrong. They didn't try to sell me any other crap. That's all there is to it. read more

Really pleased with this place. I can't help but feel like mechanics only serve to rip me off because I'm a woman...this is one of the few repair shops that has made me feel comfortable and respected. My car was in for a new muffler after suddenly sounding like a herd of wild African cats. Dropped it off Sunday night and had it back by Monday afternoon. These guys are flexible and easy to work with! read more

Great service, very realistic and willing to help you without taking you to the cleaners.

Great customer service! Affordable! Just great! Definitely can trust them with my Mercedes Benz baby!

Foreign Auto Center is about the most reputable independent auto repair center you will ever find, hands down. Nick has been working on my Audi A4 for the past 6 years. Sadly after 175,000 miles its time to trade the car in. Nick and his team are experts, they're professional, and they're trustworthy. I would frequently ask Nick to look the car over, which is purely insane when working with a dealership. Rather than replacing a laundry list of things and handing me a bill he would identify the most critical issues, discuss the risks, provide accurate estimates, and in many cases make actual repairs rather than replace everything, all for about half the cost of a dealership. The net result was the best auto repair service I've ever found. They'll fix stuff the other independent guys scratch their heads at, meaning they've seen it all - on Audi's at least - and are experts at identifying and resolving issues. Make sure you schedule an appointment. Not suprisingly the word is out and the shop gets quite busy. Also, this is not a race shop or mod shop. Go to Shine Racing or Brian's Garage if you've got money to burn. Lastly a gift of wine or beer around the holidays goes a long way. I broke down a few times and Nick had my Audi back on the road in less than a day. read more

I've been taking my 2000 Toyota Camry to Jimmy for 4 years. I've never been disappointed with the quality of service, price and timeliness. I've had everything from my timing belt replaced to getting new rear lights and a suspension replaced. These guys know what they are talking about when it comes to cars. I wouldn't take my car to any other place. Highly Recommend them! read more

I cannot recommend this place enough. I brought both my 2001 Jetta and my 2005 Audi here and the guys here always made sure they were running smoothly. They have my utmost trust, and as a young(ish) female, this alone would be worth the 5 stars. However they go above and beyond this. I have recently moved, and have not found another shop that I trust: Boston/Cambridge- you don't know how lucky you are to have Foreign Auto Center to take your vehicles to. Don't bother looking anywhere else-- take your Germans cars to the experts here. They are amazing. read more

I brought my Prius in several times for an intermittent electrical problem, but only paid once. After it was fixed, Jimmy followed up 2 weeks later to ask how the car was running. Communication was great throughout, and fantastic customer service. read more

I have had a very good experience here. I bought a 1997 Audi A4. I knew it had some issues but I got it for a good price. Nick always checks the car out and lets me decide what I want to do before he gets to work and he has never charged me until he actually performs work on the car. The first time I had him do quite a bit of work. It came to over $1200 but likely would have been double that or more at a dealer. All of the things he fixed have been fine since then. Shortly after this, there was another problem (unrelated) which initially appeared to be the automatic transmission. He did all the work to find a transmission but before committing me to it he took apart the car to make sure. It ended up being a blown gasket instead and the total cost for all of this was just over $100. Overall he has been very straight-forward and lets me know when things don't necessarily need to be fixed right away. The other customers seem to know the place well and all have positive things to say. read more

I read these reviews here and just had my 2001 Cabrio's complete exhaust system replaced by Nick and the guys. True to the other reviews here, they are pretty straight up no B.S. guys, and they got the work done quickly and cost effectively- yet they are super friendly and have kind of a warm jovial atmosphere (relatively unheard of at a mechanic!). Nick brought me under the car and showed me exactly which pieces of the exhaust were broken and needed to be replaced (and what could be salvaged). Good guys. Mechanics are hard to find. My other car is on it's way to these guys now to be tuned up. As a final note- these guys are the first mechanics I'd actually feel comfortable sending my wife to without fear of normal mechanic chick downtalking. read more

I've been on a mission to find an affordable, honest mechanic for years. Nick is the most honest and sincere mechanic I've ever met. Not only are they cheaper than most in the Boston area, but they recommend a cost effective solution for your problem. read more

I look at the reviews on yelp and since this place is a couple of blocks away, I take my VW Passat in this morning to get my oil changed. When they call me to pick it up, it's an hour earlier than I expected. Plus, they replaced a tail light that was out (I had no idea) and repaired a punctured tire (apparently I drove over a nail at some point). They only charged me for the oil change because it was my first time there. This is the kind of place you don't see a lot of these days. Some people realize the value of service and aren't in business to just do the bare minimum. If you've got a German car, take it here for service. Any thing else I need to do, I'm going here. Just be sure to call ahead... read more

I totally agree with what Nikki said," five stars is not enough for it." I just got my flat tire repaired at an incredibly low price. They are so nice and efficient. Go for it and you won't regret! read more

Nick gets five stars from me. I own a VW Passat, and I hate it. There's always some problem or other, and repairs are generally expensive. I found Nick through Yelp and figured I'd give him a try. He immediately identified a problem -- there was more than one -- reset the check engine light, and told me that I possibly needed a module that controlled the ABS. He did all this without charging me. Only when we were sure the ABS module was the problem, did he replace it. Since then, no problems. Not only is Nick competent, he's good with people, and he's not a rip off artist. I know that I'll be seeing him again someday because I'm a VW owner. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend him and Foreign Auto Center. read more

A good mechanic is one of those recommendations that you look for your whole life. It's like seeing a unicorn or a dog walk on its hind legs. Here's why I love Jimmy and his crew at Foreign Auto Center... -They triage the problems with your car: they sort issues into easy-to-understand concepts like, "This is a big problem with your car and it needs to get fixed right now", "This is an issue with your car that needs to be fixed in the next few months but isn't urgent," and "I'm not sure why the dealership told you that, because that's not even the problem." -They are fast, reliable, and do quality work: All of a sudden (sort of...I tend to rely on benign neglect as one of my car maintenance strategies), my heater stopped working. The Google told me that this could be a problem with the thermostat and I made a mental note to get it looked at. Then, the next day, the car overheated and started spewing steam. After loading it up with coolant (of which it took a gallon), it was still steaming. It's important to note that in this story, "the next day" is "the Monday before Thanksgiving." FAC said they could look at it the following day. After confirming a cracked radiator, they did the repair in one day so that I could head home. -The cost is totally reasonable. A family friend in another state owns a garage, so I always confirm the cost of all repairs, and FAC's estimates always come in at or below the "fair price" range. read more

I called these guys after being jerked around by Hondar House just down the street. (Look for my review in the filtered section- thanks, Yelp!) Jimmy at Foreign Auto Center gave me a much lower estimate for the work on the phone, took care of the problem that day, and then, when I got there, charged me $10 less than what he quoted. It's great to know there is a reasonable and trustworthy mechanic out there! read more

The other great reviews on Yelp are legitimate - Best car shop I have taken my car to. After recently moving to Boston, my Maxima was going through a bit of wear and tear driving around the city. I needed new brake pads, new tires, etc. I decided to try these guys out, and I couldn't be happier with the service. Exactly what I want from a car repair shop: honesty and straight-shooting analysis, along with quick turn-around times. Very friendly and professional shop, and they have certainly done enough to keep my business. read more