I recently moved up to MA from RI and for a while I couldn't find a reliable place to repair my car. I brought it to Midas a few times, and although I knew I was probably getting ripped off, the repairs weren't *too* expensive, so I got them anyways. When my 2003 Mazda MPV started to sound like a lawnmower, I knew it was time for an exhaust repair. Midas told me I'd need an entire new exhaust system and gave me a quote of over $2,000. No way I was paying that. So I searched on Yelp and found Lou's. From the moment I walked in, I knew I'd gone to the right place. The guys working there are so friendly and helpful. They actually showed me what was wrong underneath the car and told me exactly what they'd do to repair it without replacing the entire thing. It ended up costing me $450. WHAT!? I was ecstatic. The guys at Lou's are honest, reliable and hard-working. I recommend them without reservation. As a side note, when my boyfriend took me in for the repair, he had a flat tire. Out of curiosity, we asked one of the guys at Lou's (I forgot his name) if they did tire repairs. They do -- they're a full service shop. He asked to take a look at the tire, and then he plugged it quickly at no cost to us. He wouldn't even accept a tip no matter how much we insisted. Won't find that anywhere else. Best place around. read more

My vehicle failed to pass inspection due to several issues with the O2 sensor and exhaust. The garage I took it to wanted to charge me $1,100 to fix all the issues and I just couldn't afford it. THEN, after I left with only half the stuff fixed, my exhaust started sounding like a lawnmower. Took it to the same garage where they put it up on the lift and told me that they would have to replace the entire exhaust system....about $1,000! I was told about Lou's Custom Exhaust and took it up to get a quote. They actually brought me into the garage and SHOWED me the leaks, which unfortunately were before AND after the catalytic converter. BUT, was told they could fix it for about $350-$450. That's a heck of a lot better than $1,000! The price came in at under $400 and I was very happy. Not knocking my original garage, as they were the ones who gave me a card for Lou's and told me that they can fix the problem by welding only the part of the exhaust that had a leak. I'm a girl. I don't know cars. I could have been taken advantage of big time, but I ended up paying one-third of the price of a new exhaust system and my car is quiet as a kitten purring. Thank you Lou's and thank you Firestone Plaistow for suggesting an affordable option! read more

Nothing but great things to say about the folks at Lou's Custom Exhaust in Waltham. Brought my car into a dealer for a recall issue, and had them check a "check engine" light issue while it was in there. The tech at the dealer said I had exhaust components that had rotted out, and that since they were a dealership, it would start at $3,000 to replace the entire exhaust system with OEM parts (on a 9-year old vehicle worth $5k-$6k). He was upfront about it, and recommended I take my vehicle to an exhaust specialist to see what could be done at a much more reasonable cost. I went straight from the dealer to Lou's (after seeing positive yelp reviews), and Mike the mechanic had it up on the lift immediately. He pointed out a couple of exhaust leaks, as well as an area of future/inevitable concern. He explained exactly what work he would perform (repair via welding in a few new sections rather than an unnecessary replacement of the whole system), and gave me a quote of $450 (parts AND labor). It was near the end of the day, so I left my vehicle with Lou's overnight, and the work was finished and the car ready to be picked up less than 24 hours later. All this with no prior appointment. I highly recommend me these guys. read more

So here's my story. I have a 2006 RAV4 that had a hole in the muffler which was growing by the day. I had it patched but the next time I climbed underneath and looked there were two growing holes on either end...sigh. Toyota wanted minimum $1,500 to do the exhaust system. Ouch. My local mechanic said he could do it after market for $900. Slightly less ouch. Then I found Lou's on line, read a bunch of good reviews, and decided to see where they would come in price wise. I made an appointment for a free estimate and brought it in the next morning. Joe put it on the lift and brought me in to explain that my pipes were all sound underneath the thin coating of rust on the outside and that it was only the actual muffler that needed replacing. I paid $350 for parts, labor, a ride home to Newton from Emory to wait and another ride back from him in the afternoon to pick up my car -- unbelievable! My car sounds great and there's a one year warranty if anything happens in the meantime. I couldn't be happier, and they're a full service shop to boot! I now have a new mechanic and someone to refer my friends to. Thank you guys! read more

Honesty, integrity, client service focused is how I genuinely describe the team at Lou's based on my first experience with them this week. My older Volvo XC90 failed inspection and the dealer quoted me an outrageous estimate for a new catalytic converter they said I needed in order to pass inspection (as well to replace struts they said the car needed). Based on a recommendation, I went out of my way to see what Lou's could do. Lou's diagnostic work revealed the cat. converter is working just fine and that error codes would be resolved simply by replacing the fuel sensor. They also confirmed the struts were working fine and I only needed new link arms which they replaced. The cost for the repairs were very reasonable. That afternoon my car passed inspection with no issues and now drives smooth with no more clunking noises coming from the front end. Brian had called me several times throughout the day to keep me informed, always maintaining a professional and pleasant tone. I'll be a returning customer and will strongly recommend to friends and colleagues. read more

After reading the yelp reviews, I decided on Lou's in Waltham. I got there early and the first question they asked was if I had an appointment. For some reason, I thought it was first come, first serve but I guess it wasn't. They were very nice and checked out the exhaust leak for me within a half hour of arriving. Joe gave me a very detailed tour and explanation of the work needed. He was very professional and you could tell this guy was a seasoned journeyman and knew his stuff. The repairs called for a re-fabrication of both flex pipes front and cat back. The price quote seemed fair and reasonable given the car was a vintage import. I scheduled an appointment for the following week. They worked on the car that day and called me early the next day to let me know it was ready. Lou's gave me a detailed receipt and a 1-year warranty on the work. I checked out the exhaust work and it was spot-on with custom welds, fits and detailing. I'm so happy with the work I may bring it back for other repairs. I HIGHLY recommend Lou's Custom Exhaust in Waltham!! read more

I have heard so many great things about this location. I actually live in medford and had a terrible experience over the phone with the Lou's in Medford. I had to come here and test the waters. outstanding service. I called and Joe answered the phone very enthusiastically. He was very polite and informative, told me exactly what he could do with my car. Then I brought my car in, he drew out a description of my current exhaust and drew out how the new one would look. I have a dodge charger V6 3.5L. He didn't make any guarantees of sounding like the V8 but man I could through on some "R/T" decals and you wouldn't know the difference. The best part was that I was able to drop off my car in the morning, Joe had one of his guys drive me to work one town over, and pick me up from work to get my car. and to top it all off, he dropped $25 off the total price! these guys are amazing and I would definitely do business with them again and highly recommend Lou's Custom exhaust, in Waltham of course, to anyone!! read more

Just got back from Lou's and this is the second time they've helped me out. The staff is fantastic at explaining what's going on, what can happen, what will happen and alternatives, just in case you're interested in something else. They're very informative, no pressure and turn around time is lightening quick! I appreciate that they're able to make a custom pipe to fit an old 1995 Honda that's been worked on before I bought it and didn't know anything about it. These guys really know their stuff. My buddy got his exhaust repaired there for an amazingly lower price than the big chain places. His girlfriend did the same, and now I can say that I've been blessed by knowing these guys, too. Lou's Custom Exhaust, every last one of you are heroes -- THANKS A MILLION!!! read more

These guys are fantastic!!! As a woman, walking into these places is sometimes intimidating. However, the staff at Lou's were great. They brought me over to look at my car and explain the "issues" (too numerous to mention here!). They showed me exactly what they were talking about and actually said that they didn't think the work was worth it, and that I should look into getting a new car. Usually this would be devastating news, however, they all had a great sense of humor and we were able to laugh about the incredibly awful condition of my car. They were respectful and forthright in talking to me about my car and that's all I can ask for in that situation. I will definitely use them for any future work I will need on my "new" car. Thanks guys!! read more

WOW...blown away by the professional service!!! I called the day before to have someone look at my high performance exhaust making bumping noises. They told me to come in the next morning so they can diagnose the problem and see what they can do. I arrived the next morning, after a friendly professional greeting, they took my vehicle into the shop. Joe and his associate took me into the shop to show me the problem. They took the time to thoroughly explain the situation, ways to correct the problem, and what they recommended. Problem solved; I was out of there in 20min. If you are looking for a reputable, knowledgeable, custom exhaust, and garage service shop, Lou's of Waltham is for you! I highly recommend them! read more

I recently discovered that I had a small exhaust leak with a mid pipe on my Lexus SC300. After getting an outrageous estimate from a local repair shop a friend referred me to Lou's Custom Exhaust and to ask for Brian. At first I thought this would be an expensive fix due to a custom shop. Brian scheduled me for an appointment the very next day to put the car up on a lift in order to inspect and provide an estimate. After receiving a great estimate the car was repaired the very next day within 45 min. Every person that I spoke to at Lou's in Waltham was very friendly and extremely customer focused. I would highly recommend Lou's Customer exhaust for a repair or new install. Tom V SC300 - Watertown read more

I used Lou's Custom Exhaust for all automotive repair and maintenance for all three cars in my family. My experience with them has always been professional, honest, prompt and great pricing. My wife car which has 138K from new, is still going strong with proper and correct servicing from Brian & Joe. I have nothing but praise for their knowledge and professionalism in dealing with me and the public. I only wish all business is run like them. I have been using them for ten years, totally satisfied with their work, and have never gone to anywhere since. I have read a previous negative review from a customer, all I can say is - judge them from all their long term customer's testimonies. read more

I needed a flex pipe repair for my 2000 Volvo V40. Volvo dealer cost would have been astronomical, probably well over $1,000. An aftermarket part would have cost maybe $330 in parts plus the labor to install it. I do 98% of my own vehicle maintenance but I draw the line at fighting an ancient exhaust system while lying on my back with a face full of rust. Lou's did the job for $220 by cutting out the broken flex pipe and welding in a new one together with a new exhaust hanger. Joe in Waltham is a great guy, very friendly and easy to talk to and Lou's did my repair the same day in a couple of hours. Lou's did great work fast at a fair price and saved me a bundle. Thanks, Joe! read more

I recently had Lou's Custom Exhaust in Waltham do a major job on my Toyota truck . My cylinder one misfire turned out to be a leaking head gasket. Brian and Will at Lou's did an outstanding job. They gave me a competitive and reasonable estimate and completed the highly technical job without a hitch. Brian kept in touch with me throughout the whole process and completed it in just a few days. I appreciated his honesty and integrity. I'm an ex mechanic who understood the job and he was always professional with his recommendations and work.I can't say enough positive things about Lou's Custom Exhaust and I highly recommend their business. Thanks, Doug P. read more

The guys at Lou's were incredibly kind and helpful. They are clearly a very skilled team and they fixed my rusted exhaust system for 1/8 of what I was told I would need to pay at Honda. They also explained every step of the process to me and encouraged me to take before and after pictures to see the progress. My car was fixed in just a few hours, and I was able to connect to their WiFi and work from their office while I waited. It is a pretty awesome feeling to genuinely enjoy the time spent at a car repair shop. Each of the people I encountered at Lou's were so genuinely nice and friendly, I wish them al the best!!! read more

I went to Lou's in Waltham. Elsewhere I had been quoted *several thousand* dollars to replace the catalytic converters and central muffler on my 10-year old Audi A4. At Lou's, they cut and welded in new flex pipes for several *hundred* dollars. I went from thinking I might need to buy a new car because the repairs were more than the car was worth, to being very happy to drive my now-quiet-again car off their lot. All the guys at Lou's were very nice. They were flexible when I couldn't make the original appointment time. They even gave me a ride to and from work while they were doing the repairs. Awesome! read more

i had to drop my car off for an oil change and other routine maintenance.i also mentioned the battery indicator light was on.Joe called me three hours later and told me what happened and how he was going to fix it.it was going to take an extra day because they had to order a new alternator.I have been going to them for years so I knew the job would be done right.Joe said he waned to take the extra time to make sure the alternator would work correctly,the new belts would be okay and that everything would be done right the first time which these guys always have done in my experiences with them read more

These guys are terrific! I had taken my 12 year old truck to the dealer, and they quoted FOUR THOUSAND dollars to replace my exhaust from the manifold back... yeah, that would cure my problem... and create another one, financially. AND I had to pay them $115 to tell me the obvious. So I took the truck to Lou's and they were so nice. They fixed what was ACTUALLY wrong with my exhaust for $450... AND they gave me a ride both ways back and forth to Arlington, way above and beyond the call of duty. My truck passed inspection, and the check engine light never came back on. Thanks!! read more

Hoy pasamos uno de los peores momentos en este establecimientos, mi esposa fue a dejar el auto y la atendieron con ese tono racistas que todo Imigrante conoce Por cierto espero muchos comentarios de esos después de dejar este mensaje, Pero el punto es que hicimos la cita para que arreglaran nuestro coche pero al final unos de los encargados con un tono sarcástico dijo que no encontró el problema después de habernos dado el diagnóstico anteriormente No se ud pero eso es poco profesional espero estén satisfechos por su actuación! Att. VW GTI read more