I had a great experience with this shop, as follows: 1. I was given a ballpark $ for replacing the front wheel bearings before scheduling the repairs & the final bill came out substantially less. 2. After repairs, the car came out as quiet, as new. 3. The next time I brought my wife's car over because of some repetitive clicking sounds from the suspension & the car was examined, nothing wrong was found & I wasn't charged a penny. 4. Jeff is beyond of what friendly, honest & understanding mean & I'll be certainly trusting him completely with my car in the future. read more

As much as I thought this would be an easy, stress-free task, it was not. The mechanic was disinterested, didn't engage, didn't speak English, and after he had changed the oil instead of telling me it was done, and could he have the keys, he sat in the garage on his phone while I was in the office waiting, and in a serious hurry to get to my destination. How is any of this OK? Do we really all have to speak Spanish to live in the US? He kept turning the ignition key when the engine was already on, Tthe car kept making that grinding sound. After he checked the miles, he left the engine on. His boss, who he called on the phone, defended him rather than help me. 1 read more

This was a bad experience. The mechanic was disinterested, didn't speak English and didn't engage. I tried to explain I was in a hurry, and after waiting much longer than 20 minutes for the oil change, I walked into the garage to see him, just sitting there looking at his phone. He said he needed the keys, but I was right in the next room in the office. He kept turning the ignition key when it was already on, and the car kept making a grinding sound. He seemed disrespectful and disinterested. It didn't matter that I was in a hurry. His boss, who I spoke with on the phone, defended his lazy unprofessional behavior. So here's a question, are we all expected to speak Spanish now in order to successfully get our cars repaired, oil changed, etc.? There was no apology or attempt to be fair to me, and if I hadn't raised my voice and told him to stop turning the ignition over when the engine was already on he would've ruined my car. Anyway, you get the scenario. How is any of this OK? read more

Terrible work, terrible price and very unprofessional. brought my car for a blower motor replacement and didn't get. employees smoked inside my car, charged me overprice for oil change and spark plugs. I do not recommend this place not even for enemies. read more

Coldn't be happier with my experience at JandL auto. Was very impressed with Jeff, how he treated my car, and I really felt heard and understood. I do a lot of the work on my car and have found it hard to trust mechanics but I trust Jeff and will be bringing my bussiness here whenever I need something. After bringing my car to a Honda dealer it sat in their for 4 days before they looked while I rented a car from them. They wanted to charge me $800 for a test I didn't need and I told them no. I went to Jeff and he looked at my car the next day and told me what was wrong and was more than reasonable. I'm glad to have finally trust a mechanic I can trust and will be bringing any cars I have here. This is the best shop I've found. read more

Great shop, family oriented business. He's not going to waste your time. Quality work for quality pricing. I take all my family cars / motorcycles here. read more

New to New England. Came in after a big winter storm because I heard some rattling and felt my car shaking. Talked with Jeff who was super nice, honest, and informative of what might be the issue. Fortunately nothing major was wrong but helped rebalance my tires for a reasonable price. Will definitely come back if something goes wrong with my car read more

More than satisfied with the service here! I looked around for people to fix two door handles and was over quoted in 3 other locations. When I took it here, I was given a quote and when I picked up my car that's exactly what I paid! Clearly a small time shop, trustworthy, and does great work! read more

Since Paul closed on High Street, I had to look for another auto repair spot within walking distance from me. Yelp lead me to J&L. On Tuesday, I called for A/C repairs and was told to take it in. Whoever I spoke to was very pleasant on the phone. Pulled up...and it's a bit small so I could see why they told me they might not get to me till Thursday. So I dropped my car there and off I go. 2 hrs later, jimmy called and explained what's wrong. Quick and fast service. Price wasn't bad for A/C recharge. read more

Well.. a few years late... but got the Subaru detailed today. Unbelievable job at J and L Auto Repair on Newton St in Waltham. Call the detailing number if you want the most amazing job ever!!!! Also, if you have anything wrong with the car, it can be done at the same time. The car is better than new! read more

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HIGHLY recommended! The price is right and service is even better. Need that local guy who can take care of your car and actually fixes only what needs to be fixed? Ask for Jeff at J&L!!! read more

J & L Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I needed a complete set of rotors and pads for my truck. J & L was my last call for a quote since they had the best Yelp! ratings in my area. I figured if they quoted me the lowest price it would be the place to go. You guessed it, they quoted me the lowest price and even agreed to work with me if need be. I called back a week later, they remembered me and the original quote and scheduled me for the next day. They even had the service done before they said they would. Not sure what else you could ask for...straight forward talk, quality service and an appreciation for your business. I am glad now that if someone needs a good auto service place I have one to refer them to. read more

Wow!! Hand down the best mechanics and people I have come across. Jeff was very helpful and patient, understanding what I needed done, and explaining the issues and options. I was in a real pinch and he helped me out like a Rock star! I would highly recommend them to everyone. Been to other auto shops in Waltham, and they all have their ways of screwing you over. Not at J&L Autos. Keep it up guys. read more

I've been living in Waltham for a while now, while keeping an old, beat up car alive. Having been to a few other shops before, I can say for certain that J&L is the best there is. If you are here looking for a shop in the area, stop searching. Go to J&L. They ALWAYS have the most reasonable prices, and the turnaround time is out of control. Sometimes it seems like they can do a major repair faster than it takes the dealership down the street to do an oil change. More than once I've had my car in and out in the same day (even afternoon!). As far as the prices go, I've called half a dozen shops in the area before for certain jobs and most of the time nobody can even come close. Even if J&L was a little more expensive (which I'm not sure it has been yet), I wouldn't hesitate to bring my car in anyway. I have never been treated with more respect at another shop. I am called with updates, and they are upfront with what has to get done. Getting a car fixed can be stressful, and they do such a great job of making sure you're taken care of. I'd recommend J&L to all of my friends in the area. I mean, I'll probably keep coming even if I move away. I don't want to have to deal with another shop again. read more

This is the only place I trust with my car!! Give them your business and you will not be disappointed! Jeff is honest and he's in touch with reality. My car is 12 years old and has definitely seen better days. Unlike other places, these guys don't insist that I drop all new parts into my dying beast or fix things that are not vital to the operation of my vehicle. Instead, they're willing to work with me to find an affordable solution to my problem. Sometimes this means getting creative, like installing a toggle switch on my dash to control my air conditioner. Yes, it may look a little sketchy, but it saved me about $700 compared to what other mechanics would do. Jeff and the other guy (I don't remember his name, but he has some badass tattoos) take the time to listen to me. They don't treat me like I'm an idiot because I'm a girl. In fact, when I had to have a good portion of my brake system replaced, Jeff took the time to explain to me how the brakes work, and to show me my actual parts and what was broken. It means a lot to me when a mechanic does not talk down to me, since I am a novice repairwoman myself. As if quality work from honest guys isn't enough, if you check their website, sometimes they post coupons. Seriously, don't bring your car anywhere else. They're worth the drive or tow out to Waltham. read more

This is the most dishonest Mechanic shop i have ever been to, I called ahead of time to get a quote on labor because I already purchased the parts ( complete struts assembly, front and rear ) and was told it will be between 200 and 250 dollars, great deal right ? Not so fast, dropped my car off the next day, gentleman at the desk was nice and polite, I got a call later that day to come pick up my car, the Total was 567$ they added sway bars and charged me 280$ for the sway bar links, they go for less than 40$ online ( front & rear ) I paid 250$ for the complete struts package online, and these so called honest guys charged me 280$ for the links, they never told me how much the links would be, because they knew i would say no, and they already install them, so there is no going back, I went to this shop because I saw the great reviews online, I am not sure who's writing these reviews for them, possibly family members, I just got robbed for 367$ , this is the exact reason why people don't trust mechanics, these guys are not honest whatsoever , I want to post my bill on here so you can see for yourselves. read more

J & L Auto Repair - Here is a copy of my bill, look at the left hand side for the parts costs. - Auto Repair Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Friendly and knowledgeable. I couldn't afford to get new parts for my car exhaust so they just fixed it instead of replacing it. I know the right thing would be to get a new exhaust, but it's too expensive and not worth it really since my car is used and old. Thanks for the help fellas! read more

Most trustworthy and honest people in the business. I moved here over a year ago and was told to take my truck here whenever something is wrong: best decision ever! They take the time to see what is wrong with your vehicle, explain what needs to be done, and if a repair gets done, they do it the right way. I highly recommend these guys for anything automotive. If for some reason they don't know the answer, I guarantee they will find you some one who has it. I honk every time I drive by because they are great people and do great work! Evan M 04 Dodge Ram read more

If you are looking for a great auto repair shop. look no further than J&L Auto. I've been taking my car to Jeff Collins for 10 years. I had a beater and Jeff kept it going and saved me a lot of money. I learned the hard way the difference between service station "mechanics" and a real mechanic! Not only is Jeff a great mechanic, he's honest, trustworthy and a special human being. Now that winter is almost here, you will want Jeff to make sure your car is winter- worthy. I think you will agree that J&L is the place to go. read more

Honest, hard working, and very capable. These guys went the EXTRA MILE to get my pick up truck back on the road, working around my budget and schedule. Now my truck runs like a charm! I take all my vehicles here, and whether it's a small problem (Prius bumper repair), or large broblem (truck's transmission), I get personalized service and a detailed explaination of what was done and why. You certainly get a lot of bang for the buck. I would highly recommend them! read more

I've been going to the guys at J & L Auto repair since I moved to Waltham a little under a year ago. After years of dealing with substandard service through chains and whatever-shop-happened-to-be-closest I am more than pleasantly surprised. I thought they were too good to be true at first, but through brake jobs, oil changes and all of the ins and outs of maintaining a car throughout the New England seasons their work has not only been high quality, but also very competitively priced. I'd recommend them to anyone for day to day car care. read more

To all people reading these reviews: the strongest favorable review i can give this place is the fact that i would never otherwise have signed up for yelp, and probably wont review other places after this. That's right, I literally created this account to express to you all that this is the best mechanic i have worked with, hands down. For some clarity, I would consider myself mechanically inclined, i am capable of doing small to moderate automotive maintenance like brakes, oil changes, etc but anything else requires TIME that I dont have, so I need to have some work done professionally. Thats where Jeff and his crew come in. I have had a series of jobs done by these guys, ranging from minor suspension and exhaust work, to more complicated work like axle welding and timing belt service. I have A) never questioned the quality of the repairs (and i can tell), and B) Never been over charged (Again, I know what auto labor should cost). For every job i have had done in the past, i would call around for pricing, and the amount of money some less reputable indy shops try to charge is ROBBERY, especially if you are not financially astute when it comes to parts and labor pricing for various jobs. (no oxygen sensor should cost 700$, no matter what). HOWEVER-J&L Auto does the job, does it right, charges how much an honest mechanic should, doesnt suggest repairs that arent needed, finds ways to save money, will let you bring your own parts if you know what your doing, and gets it all done in a timely manner, (although i would recommend calling ahead because they do get busy, they have a lot of loyal customers for all the reasons i listed above) In summary.. if you need auto work, big or small... trust me and every other positive review, and bring your car here. after you do, you will never go back to the dealer, or other shops for that matter. read more

Be careful with this place. They over charge for the mechanic services. They charged me $500 for an alternator replacement today. I called other places and they charge $275. They said that the alternator costs $300. I called auto zone and they told me that the price is $150 read more

I needed to get my brakes replaced recently so I called in the morning at 7 am. The guy at the shop was super busy with other repairs planned for the day. But he still wanted to be helpful since I didnt feel comfortable driving a car with questionable brakes. So he had me bring in the car so he could check it out. He told me how much it would be for all 4 brakes replaced, and that is exactly how much I was charged. Before the end of the day my car was ready for pickup. Thank you again for same day service and for saving my day. read more

For those who don't want to read much: Please go to this place once if you don't wanna get ripped off by another mechanic. Jeff and his team are the epitome of honesty and ethics and you'll only find that out when you visit them. They don't charge for diagnostic and talk to you as if you were their best friend or brother or something. And when they tell you the price after everything's done, you will be like, that's it??? I bet you'll come home, log on to Yelp and write them another well deserved review. For those interested in my entire story: I'm a grad student in Boston and leaving in less than 20 days. I've sealed the deal for my car which is an 07 Accord that I purchased straight from a Honda dealer (Bernardi - Natick). The AC of this car stopped working one fine day (yes after I sold it). I went to the guys I usually go to in Needham and they said that there's a leak somewhere in the system and it'll cost you $600 to get it fixed. I came home, pulled out my tablet and started googling about how to recharge freon. I went to walmart and purchased a kit (r134a, hose and gauge). As soon as I put the gauge on to the low side of the system, it showed me that it had excess freon in it. I came back, strated googling about what could happen when there is excess freon in the system and the conclusion wasn't too comforting. Woke up next day and googled a few more autoshops to get a second opinion. Went to this other place in Waltham and they said that the compressor doesn't look too good and that diagnosing fee is $50 bucks and I would need to leave the car for at least a day. Luckily, the guy's son wasn't there who took care of the ACs. He asked me to come back in an hour. I drove off and went to another place which I yelped (and googled). They said the compressor would require a replacement and that it will cost me $975. Now I didn't know what to do. I was quite convinced that there was something wrong with the compressor. I had J&L opened on my yelp the whole time. I said to myself, let's give them a try as well. Went to them and met Jimmy. They were very busy when I got there. Jimmy asked his elder brother Jeff to take a look. In about 5 minutes, Jeff started working on the car and in about 30 minutes he diagnosed that one of the relays in the fuse wasn't working which is why the compressor wasn't kicking. This guy walked half a mile to get a new relay for me but unfortunately the store didn't have any. He came back and told me that I could easily find it at Autozone or Advanced Auto and started giving me directions. This whole time he didn't even mention how much I owed him. When I asked him, he said that I only had a freon recharge so he's gonna ask me for $20 bucks. I felt like hugging him. From $975 to $20 that was quite a relief. These guys are very honest. They won't lie to you for a few extra bucks. They will make sure you're treated well. Go there. You'll know what I'm talking about. This is my first and only review on Yelp. read more

They did the work (a synthetic oil change). However, I will never come here again. (a) I was never quoted the actual price before getting the work completed, instead I was (b) charged more than I was originally quoted (they said it's because synthetic is more than regular - sure it is...but let me know about it price difference). But the worst was (c) how poorly my wife and I were treated: - I dropped my car off the night before and they never had the courtesy to call. I had to call to make sure they saw the car in the morning. I had to call to see if they started working on it. My wife had to call to find out that it was finished. - I called the owner to complain - she essentially mocked me by saying: "What do you want...to get reimbursed? That's not going to happen". The owner spent more time talking about how she will use my voicemail, my wife's signed receipt, camera's in the front, and even customers in her shop to defend herself if I contact my credit card company to refuse or adjust payment. That's not customer service at all. My wife is pregnant and she felt like she was treated horrible by the owner (when picking up the car). Asked why my wife didn't complain about the price in the shop...well, my wife isn't one to make a verbal scene (unlike the owner of this place)...she could already tell that the owner wasn't going to be kind or accommodating in listening to the complaint. It's not about the money, it's about the customer service (communication process with clients and how they are treated). (FYI - they don't even offer the cheapest oil changes in the area anyways). However, given the treatment, they don't deserve my money either. read more

I looked at and spoke to a few other mechanics in the area. Jeff is BY FAR the most knowledgeable and honest. Don't bother checking out other places just trust and go here. read more

Being a busy Real Estate professional I am always on the road, so it is very important for me to have my car on the road with no problems running smoothly. I have to trust my auto repair shop and at J and L auto I found a home for life. They are accommodating, trustworthy and fast. Jeff the owner is awesome and has me in and out of there on my own schedule. Thanks J and L for keeping me on the road I will recommend J and L to everyone I know!!! read more

Jeff quoted me an amount and charged me significantly more, once the job was done. However the problem/noise was not fixed. He then did further fix up for fairly cheap. I am not sure if i will go again..relatively slow and reluctant for the second fixup.. read more

This is my first time using J & L. I needed brake repairs and had planned to just go to the local dealer until I read all the horrible Yelp reviews they had managed to accumulate. So after searching for shops with good reviews I settled on these guys. It was an excellent decision. For the repairs I requested, Jeff did first-rate work at a reasonable price. What he didn't do was try to sell me a bunch of stuff I hadn't asked for the way those chain places like JiffyLube try to sell you a new car one piece at a time. Elena and Jeff also went the extra mile to get my car back to me. Next time I need car repairs, I know where I'm going. read more

Fantastic service! Went in because of a weird grinding noise happening with my car and I was completely freaked out and frantic. They told me they would take a look for free and were soso nice while I was waiting. The other reviews are incredibly accurate. I'm going back with any and all car trouble I have. Also a family business. Extremely glad I went and would highly recommend to anyone in the area. read more

Excellent! No funny business...Jeff is extremely honest and will not rip you off. I highly recommend J&L in Waltham!

Jeff is the best. I know little about cars, drive an older car and move a lot, so finding someone to work on my car is always stressful. I was hearing a nasty grinding noise when I turned the corner and another mechanic told me I needed new brake pads and it would run me $200. Please. When I took it to Jeff he immediately drove the car around the block and said it was just the shield, which his partner bent back for me, no charge. A couple weeks went by, same noise from the other side, Jeff again fixed the problem, free of charge. When have you ever had a mechanic fix something for free? Most recently I went back because my engine light had been on for months and the car was due for inspection. It was throwing the EGR code but rather than just replace the tube, Jeff took the time to clean out the old tube to save me some money. He told me they ended up taking my engine halfway apart because it was so clogged and it runs so much better now. I actually enjoy driving this old car again. I can't say enough about Jeff. He's an honest mechanic and a genuine good guy. read more

I found J & L on yelp actually, and saw that the reviews were great so I decided to come in when my car had a gas leak. Jeff and his crew were able to diagnose the problem within a few hours, and when they told me they had to order a part they gave me the total cost of the part and full repair cost, along with exactly what they needed to do. They also asked what a good date for me to bring the car back in would be and put my car at the top of the list to be repaired. When I got my car back it was great! The price was exactly what he said it would be, and he turned it around fast! They even took $50 off my bill! This was a week ago, and today I got a call from J&L just checking in to make sure that everything was running fine. THAT is real customer service. As long as I'm living in the Waltham area I'm not going anywhere else to get my car repaired, and I'll be sure to tell everyone I know to go to J&L. read more

Reliable, friendly and professional. I have experienced several auto stores and decided to write my first Yelp review for J&L. They are family-own business since grandfather and will tell you how real craftsmanship is. read more

We moved to Waltham a year ago and have continued to go to my mechanic in RI. But the drive is just too much so I decided to use yelp to find a new mechanic nearby. Based on the reviews I decided to give Jeff a shot and I was not disappointed. Friendly, professional and timely. I'm willing to pay a higher price for those things but in this case, I was pleasantly surprised that Jeff's prices' were far below what I expected. read more

This place has absolutely no customer service. The woman at front is extremely rude and careless about the customer experience. Went in for an oil change which was initially communicated with the technician to be $40, then at the pick up was told it is $70 since it was synthetic type. I get oil change for that same car for 10 years and I never paid $70 for it. When tried to talk about how I felt ripped off and unfair that this was not communicated up front initially to me, the receptionist (or whoever she is) told me that there is nothing that she can do and to not come back to them again, that's fine. I would not recommend anyone to deal with this place. You pay money to get things done, and yet you end up frustrated and angry... Just to show you how retarded this place is, some of the conversation that the receptionist had with me over the phone (first of all she never even let me speak to the technician that my husband initially talked to about the oil change and the price). I called back upset and trying to let them know about how they made me feel and that it was not fair. If they cared about their customer service at all, they would have done something about it. This is what she told me: I get mani and pedi every other week and sometimes it's poorly done, I just get upset but I can't not pay. So I am sorry, it's OK, don't come back to us. She said that I am killing myself over $30. So what it ended up a bit more expensive than what I expected it to be... there is nothing that she can do and that I am making her angry and that she can't waste her time any more. HORRIBLE customer service, will have to check and see if the job itself (oil change) that was done is at least accurate... read more

I sent my VW Passat in because of a clunk was told it was a trans they got one 2 weeks later and it was the wrong on by the time they got the right one it had been a month already. They put in the new trans and said they test drove it and it was fine... WRONG it was worse. Once we sent the car back they proceeded to tell me that it needed another... bullshit. I tried to explain that the cpu in that specific car has this problem and its pretty common with them I was told I was incorrect and it was the trans. well after playing phone tag for more weeks and it turns out they sent it to a different shop because they couldn't figure it out. Now it has been months I'm still out a car and would strongly recommend against anyone giving this shop their business if they want their car back in a reasonable time without having to chase them down and call daily. read more

This is the only place I go with my car. Jeff is the most honest guy in this business and is incredibly nice and welcoming. Always does the work at the best price with great quality. Highly recommended. read more

Brought in my car with a broken power window around 3pm and got a call from Jeff that it was fixed at about 8am the next day. Very fast and friendly service. I would definitely recommend this shop. read more