I have to tell you - I HATE taking my car to the mechanic. Back when I was making more regular trips back to New York, I would let my dad take it to "his guy" so I wouldn't have to worry about it. But over the last couple of years, I've been trying out the whole "grown up" thing (overrated) and have been taking my car to get serviced on my own. I've tried a couple of places around town, though luckily I haven't needed much in the way of car repairs. Fast forward to yesterday. The annoying (but harmless sounding) whirring on my front right side turned into a GRINDING noise. Ruh roh. I checked around on Yelp and saw that Car Zone, which is conveniently located right near my office in Kendall, had some pretty great reviews. Usually I go on recommendations from friends, but I decided to roll the dice and give them a try. Wade greeted me and I let him know what was up. I asked if they could look into my tire alignment. He told me that they didn't really do that, but he'd drive it around to check it out. Murph called me two hours later to let me know that I needed new brake pads, rotors and calipers. Bummer, but pretty much what I had expected. He also let me know that he checked out my tires and was very patient while I asked him various questions about my brakes, the cost, and what exactly they were doing. I dropped the car off at 8:30am and had it back in my possession by 4:30pm - not too shabby. My car sounds great and I no longer have to listen/feel the metal on metal of my brakes. WIN! And the BEST PART? As I was driving away, one of the mechanics looked at me and said "Hey, I noticed that your license plate was being held on with wire, I fixed that for you!". AWESOME! It sounds ridiculous, but it's the little things that really make an experience positive for me. They definitely didn't HAVE to fix it. It's something that I'm sure only took a couple of minutes but that made me incredibly happy. read more

Extremely unhappy with my experience. Would not recommend under any circumstances. I brought my car into Car Zone for an oil change a few months ago (I just started yelping). I figured I'd give the place a shot considering it is around the corner from my apartment. After dropping the car off and grabbing a coffee across the street, I happily returned, paid my bill, and got into my car to drive away. Immediately upon putting my foot on the brake, I realized something was wrong. After looking under the car, I noticed a large pool of brake fluid. I alerted the staff to this issue and after putting my car back on the lift, it was determined that during the oil change process, the staff had somehow blew my brake line. While it is true that the line was old and prone to failure, I cannot understand how the staff managed to blow it in 10 minutes during an oil change, considering I drive the car to work every day without issue. Worse yet, the staff consciously decided not to tell be about the issue before I got into the car and attempted to drive away without brakes. I wonder if they would take responsibility for the ensuing accident? I doubt it. End of story, the staff offered to fix the problem THEY caused for $300 which I found even more insulting so I took the car elsewhere and had it fixed for less. I HIGHLY caution against visiting this business, even for the most trivial issues. read more

Took a few tries with some other mechanics in the area but thrilled that I finally found Murph at Car Zone. Easy to reach, easy to get appts, knowledgeable, honest, quick, and transparent with respect to billing and services needed. This place may look a bit odd as you pull onto Columbia St amidst the scrap metal shops but you'll find here the most professional and service-oriented garage and mechanic I found anywhere in the Cambridge/Somerville neighborhood. You won't be disappointed. read more

Murf and his team are great. Since I work nearby, I brought my mom's car in for an oil change and it was done in no time. The oil usually gets changed at the dealership but they make you wait for hours and I'm not waiting that long ever again. Murf told me that he doesn't usually read the reviews but I asked him to please read mine. He is super friendly, honest and will help you with any type of car needs. Other notes: -Accepts cc -Quick service -Damn near everyone from my high school brings their car here. People I haven't seen in years that swear by Murf. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Update 8/11/2015: I now bring all of my family cars here due to dishonest work being done at Mass Ave Gulf aka Junior's (see review). read more

Car Zone is the "Cheers" of auto repair places in Boston - everybody knows your name and you're always glad you came. Well, as glad as you can be when it's car repairing time. So forgive my speech, but there is no bullshit here. And that's exactly what I need when dealing with car stuff, it's already stressful enough. For starters, everyone is so friendly and accommodating. And not in that 'oh, come sit in my waiting room and drink my coffee while you stress out knowing that with each passing second that's another dollar you can add to the cost of your repair but hey the coffee is free' way that means absolutely NOTHING to me when all I want to do is get my car fixed and leave. No, none of that. Murph and team at Car Zone let you watch, every step of the way, making the repairs and costs MUCH easier to digest. The stupid 'waiting room' wall is taken down and you get walked through the price of each part and labor cost and actually get to learn about your car. Of course, you can sit down and wait all of 5 minutes if you must... yeah, 5 minutes. These guys are masters at their trade, not salesmen looking for every possible thing they can tell you that you 'absolutely must fix' when you know you don't. No bullshit. I love it. I also love that every time I'm there, I see at least 3 or 4 different people handing their keys to Murph saying they'll be back later. The comfort -- the ease -- both things you don't associate with car repairs. At least, I don't. I normally punch holes into walls while I wait. Anyways, I figured it was time to sing my Car Zone praises after doing the exact same thing for the entire weekend -- handing my keys over and not worrying about what they'll do to it or how much it'll cost -- knowing it will be ready when I come back later. And it was, it always is. This is hands down the best place to take your car for services in the entire Metro Boston area. Hell, even if I lived in a different state, I'd probably come back here. read more

I had some rattling underneath my car that I wanted to get checked out. I'm always weary of where to go (never know what they'll tell you as I know nothing about cars). After reading reviews, decided to call and they said just to come in! Was not disappointed - he knew the problem right away and fixed within 10 minutes. 10/10 recommend, and would come here again. read more

Very, very impressed with Murph at Car Zone. My husband and I are from California and before we left on our cross-country road trip, I brought the car into a local mechanic for an oil change and inspection. He informed me that that back struts were leaking and that I needed to get the struts and strut mounts replaced. They didn't have the parts immediately in stock, so we didn't get to it before we left on our trip. We brought our car into Car Zone to have the struts replaced, figuring they must have gotten pretty bad during the 3,000 miles we put on during our trip. Murph insisted that he inspect the car and see what was wrong before ordering and working on the struts. He found that they were completely fine and told us so! The other mechanic quoted me $600 to replace struts that didn't need replacing but Murph inspected the car, was completely honest with us about what he found, and even readjusted our tire pressure for us for free. What a guy! Definitely would recommend Car Zone if you need honest car service in the area. read more

Service was super friendly and honest - came for ab inspection and they did what they needed to do and did not try to upsell me on unnecessary things. Trustworthy and I would absolutely come back. read more

Worse than nothing I came here based or personal recommendations from multiple coworkers about the honesty and quality of work. I dropped my working car off for routine maintenance of brake pads and oil change. Car was returned broken. Now it stalls at every stoplight. I took the car back next working day, explained the problem. They were unable fix it. I now have to go to another mechanic and pay them to fix what these guys broke. On top of that my wife's Iphone disappeared from the car while they had it. Of course, they never saw it and don't know anything about it. Needless to say, I'm very frustrated with these guys and won't be back. read more

***ADDRESS CORRECTION*** 486 Columbia St Somerville, MA Every now and then you meet someone who restores faith in humanity again, Murph is one of these people I had an oil change done a month ago but my car has a record of leaking transmission oil so I went to Murph for an oil change. His team spent 30-45 minutes: -Cleaning out the rust from the metal pipe -Refilling it with transmission oil -Tightening my steering wheel Murph himself assured me that nothing was leaking by showing me the mechanics of the car. He said a car is only supposed to get a oil change every 30,000 miles so he did it all free of charge. You really can't find a mechanic more honest than Murph. read more

Based on other reviews, when I needed new brakes, I decided to give Car Zone a try. My dealership had given me a ridiculously high quote (surprise!). Before I even walked away from Car Zone, Murph and his team took a look at my current brakes and showed me that I needed my rotors replaced as well. It's not uncommon to replace rotors alongside the brakes, but I appreciated them SHOWING me. They gave me a reasonable quote (much better than the dealership), and had my car ready for me that evening. Everyone was very friendly. My only issue was that the closing time meant I had to hustle back from work to pick up the car before they left. 5 or 5:30pm. Understandable, but tricky if you're dropping off your car just while at work. I'll definitely be back here the next time I need something done for my car. read more

Murph and Wade at Carzone have earned my trust and repeated business by providing excellent service on my Acura for the past two years. I recently brought my car in when a check engine light came on. Wade checked the computer, asked me some questions, and told me that the problem was most likely that the sensor responded to a slight rise in engine temperature on a recent particularly hot day. He turned off the light and told me to keep an eye on it, but its probably fine. No charge. Another time, my radiator was replaced by a garage in New York, but leaked when the car was back in Boston. Murph looked under the hood, noticed that some cable wasn't sealed properly, took a few minutes to fix it, and sent me on my way. No charge, he said. Don't worry about it. When they've had to do larger repairs, Carzone was fast, they communicated well, they treated me respectfully and charged me fairly. I am happy to take my car there, and enthusiastically recommend that other Honda owners do the same. read more

Murph is great! As a female, I HATE dealing with mechanics and car sales people (usually men). I brought in my 2004 Honda and told him what I needed: check on panel lights, change oil and an inspection. He told me up front he does not do inspections, but offered to take my car down the street to another shop that did! WHAT A TIME SAVER! That alone earned him 5 stars. He called back later to say that he had changed the oil and secured the inspection, but that the dealer would have to fix the panel lights (uggg). I told him I would be in later to pick up my car, but got caught up at work (and lost track of time). He called at 5:30 pm (when he closes) to check if I was still coming because he was willing to wait! What a guy! I will never take my car to another place as long as I live in Boston (except to the dealer to fix the panel light...ugggg). read more

Stopped by to get my tires rotated and have them investigate a weird buzzing noise. I left thirty minutes later a very satisfied customer. Wade and Murph walked me through what they were doing and why, and happily explained everything to me. They were quick, kind and courteous, and I will be going back the next time I have a problem. Highly suggested. read more

I took my 2004 Nissan Altima to Honda Zone after a friend recommended it to me when I needed my brakes fixed. When the local Nissan dealer told me I also needed a serpentine belt replaced, I asked Jamie at Honda Zone if it indeed needed to be replaced and he said "of course not." They did a great job fixing my brakes and I think the price was fair. I would definitely recommend taking any Japanese car to Honda Zone. read more

I cannot believe what gentlemen these guys are! I took my car there to fix a few issues that it had. Murph correctly directed me to contact where I bought the car from and also the original dealership to follow up with those repairs. He also rotated my breaks to fix a loose part on the car, and didn't charge me for anything!!! If it was anywhere else, they would have charged $200 for that! Really helpful people. read more

I went to see Murph by recommendation from a friend and I'm so glad he shared! Murph has done so many odd jobs and "check ups" on my car, asking for no compensation whatsoever. He doesn't recommend extraneous services if I don't absolutely need it which is great for anyone who can't afford investing so much $$ into their cars. Helps that there's a DD across the street - they let you hang out there and flag you over when you're all set. Perfect! read more

I would give them a million bajillion stars if I could! These guys have saved my ass over and over again. They always take my car right in and give me the best service I've ever had ANYWHERE. Just today I brought my car in with a leaky tire and they fixed it all up in about 15 minutes. I will never bring my car anywhere else. I love these guys! read more

These guys are the nicest most honest mechanics I have met. Will definitely be going to them for all my auto repairs. I tried to pay for a flat tire service but they kept insisting it was free. Not a very common experience at a mechanic shop for sure. Definitely give them a try! read more

I called the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break and even though they said they were booked through the weekend Murph asked what I needed done and said I could come in on Wednesday. I got there and they took my car immediately, showed me what was wrong, how they were going to fix it and all the steps. As someone who knows nothing about cars this was extremely kind and showed me these guys are the real deal. Would 1000% come here and again and recommend it to everyone! read more

Quick, friendly, quality service. (I went here to replace a dead battery.) I hung out at the Dunkin Donuts across the street as well, and Murph waved me over 15 minutes later with the thumbs-up sign. And then I rolled along my merry way. :) So glad I found this place (thanks, Yelpers)--I will take my future car issues to Car Zone! read more

First time owning a car, I went here due to the great reviews. I bought in an old volvo to for some tail lights, fog lights assembly as well as some brake fluid. Since they normally don't service volvos, I was told that I had to go and get the parts myself but in the meantime, they topped of my brake fluid for me which was great. I call back a month later to schedule an appointment to put on the fog light and they stated that they don't do detailing. The owner stated that some of the people work there will promise these things but we don't actually do them. So now i'm stuck finding another shop that will on for me. I'm glad to have called instead of actually driving my car in and getting turned down then. read more

Phenomenal shop. These guys have fixed a few issues for me and I have had overwhelming good experiences. I never have to wait long (I call ahead to be sure), they are careful to figure out the issue and then solve it well. The owner seems super honest and the price is definitely reasonable. read more

Car Zone has changed locations (moved a few blocks) and it seems the reviews did not carry forward so I am writing a second review. Car Zone/Murph and his fellow mechanics are well worth writing about for a second time. Worthy of note: there were a total of 156 reviews and a 5 STAR average! I have only had good experiences with this place. I have been taking my car there for over 2 years and I will never go to another mechanic. Murph is kind (he really cares about his customers) and straightforward. He runs his business in a professional manner and you can count on him for honest answers, reasonable prices, and high quality auto mechanic work. read more

Car Zone has been my go-to mechanic since I moved to Boston a year ago. The guys are friendly and they always get me in and out fairly quickly (there's a Donkin Donuts across the street if you want a place to wait). The oil changes are quick and reasonable. I was recently in a car accident and had to bring it in to a different shop for body work. They told me the underside of my car was rusted through and I would have to replace some thing(quoted me about $600)..so I went to Car Zone. They looked at it...,and basically they showed me the car was fine (no rust whatsoever). They are really honest and they didnt charge me anything to look at it. You will not be disappointed if you come here! read more

This is my first Yelp review EVER because the service here is THAT good! I thought I needed new tires after getting advice from another mechanic so I came in to get the tires rotated as a short term solution. The owner checked my tires. He said they were in great condition with even wear and I did NOT need new tires. He was so kind and so knowledgeable and helpful. He took time to show me what to watch for and explained things to me. He then did multiple things for the car. NO charge!!! I don't think I'll go to another mechanic any time soon. The excellent reviews of this place are NOT hype. PLEASE take your car to Carzone!! Thank you, Murph! You're fantastic!!! Appreciate your help very much. Blessings to you!!! read more

Incredibly quick service done by an incredibly kind crew. Owner is super kind. I had a little fix with one of my wheels being misaligned, and they had me in and out the door very quickly. Definitely will be going here for any car needs again read more

I've dropped by twice at Car Zone already, once for my oil change and once to check my brakes. Both times, I was greeted by the friendliest mechanics and received in depth explanations of the service. I don't know much about cars, but Murph, the main mechanic, put it in terms I could understand. He was also very honest and transparent with his all recommendations. Car Zone will be my go to service center from now on. read more

Though I know my way around cars, I didn't have the tools since I moved up North. After reading all the glowing reviews on Yelp, I tripped down to 209 Broadway. It doesn't look like much, but Murph & Crew lie within. Knocking suspension & squeaking brakes? Let's put it up on the lift. After twenty minutes tightening things up & realizing the rotors were just rusty from neglecting my baby, Murph tried to send me off without paying a dime. Knowledgeable, fair & prompt. Highly, highly recommended. read more

Wow. Murph is a great guy. Personable. Honest. It seems, too, that he is a great mechanic. I took my car by because it was idling roughly, but only once a day, before it was warmed up. He checked it out, told me he could find nothing. There was no warning light on or anything. He said "Pour in some gas dry (or whatever he said) and see if it gets better. I think you got bad gas. This works for 85% of people. I can't even suggest you do anything, cause I can't find the problem." Great. So what do I owe you for doing nothing? "Nothing. I don't fix something, I can't charge for something." Fa real? Hot dang! So two weeks later my warning light comes on. Turns out it was some jacked up EGR valves and the car needed a tune up. Which he did. Came in at only 7% more than the estimate, which was surprising, because he had to change the coils (an extra $200). So I think that man took a hit on the labor price because he didn't want to blindside me. Since then, the car has been running fine. The airbag light has since come on, unrelated, and I just called him. "I thought I told you I didn't want to talk to you for a looooong time." A mechanic who doesn't want to see me often is my kind of mechanic. read more

I cannot say enough positive things about Murph and Honda Zone. My wife and I have been faithfully going to him for the past 4 years with our 1998 Honda Accord which has now reached over 170,000 comfortably because of his great care of our vehicle. On a number of occasions I have gone to Murph about getting various things looked at -- he is always eager to take short drive with me and check out things that are rattling or making weird noises -- and he will give me his honest opinion about whether i should get anything done. No joke -- 8 out of 10 times he will say things like "I would love to take your money, but I don't think you need it done." or when i took it in last week to check out my rear suspension -- "It will cost you about $800, but If it was my car, I don't think I'd get it fixed. It will be fine as it is." On a number of occasions, as he is working on my car, he will lend me a rental car to use for the afternoon -- and then he will call me when it is time to come back and pick up my car. I refer all my friends to Honda Zone and they have the same experience!!! You won't regret going there. read more

I hate to be boring and repeat the same glowing praises for Car Zone and Murph - but this place rocks! I've definitely felt taken advantage of by other mechanics (who shall remain nameless), but with Murph, I always get just the work I need done and not the work I don't. Usually, I see Murph when there's an obvious problem (loud muffler, overheating radiator) so there's no mystery as to whether I need auto work. What I appreciate is that he never pushes "extra" work on me. I drive a '99 Acura and I intend to drive it as long as possible because I don't have a car payment. Murph seems to understand this. I have an old car. Things are going to break. He doesn't have to squeeze extra maintenance out of me. Every time I leave, he says "Hope I don't see you for a long, long time." And Murph, I love ya, but I don't want to see you again for a long, long time either! read more

Having just driven my car across the country from California, suffice it to say it needed an oil change and a full "look over" to make sure it was in good shape. I did some research and was happy to find such a highly rated (and local) mechanic right near me. I called and the folks over at Car Zone said I could bring my car right over. I've had bad experiences with mechanics in the past (one mechanic not installing brakes properly will make you skeptical of all mechanics lol) but the employees at Car Zone were very kind and patient with me and reassured me that they would change the oil and double check my brakes (and everything in between). They even suggested that my Fiance and I walk over to a nearby chocolate factory while we waited for the car to be serviced (also a great place btw!). I love when local businesses support each other like that. After going to the chocolate factory, we made our way back to Car Zone and my car was already taken care of. The price for the oil change was very reasonable and the mechanics answered all of my questions. Fast forward to a week ago, I go to start my car and it's not turning over. I had someone come give me a jump but it was hard to start (didn't seem like a battery issue). Since it was a Friday before the long weekend, I really wanted to have the car looked at to make sure everything was okay so it wouldn't break down somewhere and have to wait until Tuesday. I took it over to Car Zone around 5pm, feeling bad because they close at 5:30pm. A manager talked to me about the issue and found a mechanic to come out to the parking lot and test everything out. The mechanic tested the battery and alternator finding no issues but ran a scan and found one of my sensors had gone awry (causing the car not to start and the check engine light to come on). He simply cleared the code and voila! No check engine light! To top it off, they didn't charge me for any of this! What a relief! My car is still having some issues starting, so I will definitely be back in to Car Zone for any repair that needs. Thanks guys! read more

I took my Honda Civic here after I tried to get inspected up the street and they failed it because my SRS/airbag light was on and told me I would have to take it to a dealer to get it fixed. I will do anything that I can to avoid taking my car to a dealership! My co-worker highly recommended Car Zone and said that they specialized in Hondas, so I figured it was worth a shot. Not only did they fix my light, no problem, and for way less than I was expecting to pay, they told me that my car should have passed and took it themselves to get it inspected for me! All in less than an hour! I will definitely be bringing my car back here! Thanks to Jamie for being so helpful! read more

I relied on Yelp to help me find a mechanic when I returned to Boston after an 8 year absence. I left behind a very trusted mechanic in California and didn't figure I'd be able to find the same in Boston. I was wrong. There have been 2 separate occasions where Murph helped me diagnose a problem with my car, gave me suggestions and didn't ask for anything in return. The most impressive part was he took the time for me, a stranger, when 4-5 people arrived at the shop looking for him. After we were done, I did watch Murph with other customers and all I could hear were a string of "thank you's" from them. If I were not moving next week, Murph would be my mechanic for life. The best I can do is pass on my countless, unbelievable experiences for anyone in the same position I was in. read more

I recently wanted to purchase a very low mileage Honda Civic but wasn't sure if the car was as good as it looked from the outside. These guys thoroughly checked the car without charging a penny. We even chatted about a fair price that I should pay for the car without any "consulting fees". Now I have a minor issue with the car and this will be the first place that I will go. Thanks guys! read more

Murph is the man. I have a weird electrical problem with the touch screen AC part in my navi unit that makes using the heating and cooling almost impossible. Read of Murph's Yelp status, holla'd at him and dropped of the Ac-right early on Friday morning. He couldnt diagnose the problem (it only happens half the time) but he changed my oil, reset a couple of lights on the dash, checked the airbags, fixed a minor cosmetic blemish- all for $30, plus he made some recommendations on what to do and not do to keep the beast running smoothly in her older age. Fast forward a couple of days, and whatever he did/didnt do to the AC seems to have fixed the problem. So, in summary, for the cost of an oil change, he solved all of my problems. Say word. read more

I have a VW - it's 12 years old and is an absolute junker at this point (4 hit and runs...and counting!)... I had some tires from my aunts jetta she bought before selling her car and never had them put on. I needed some new tires (thinking 2 but was prepared to need 4) so I brought this place my tires expecting them to say hey we will buy 2 more and put them all on and charge you a bunch of money... ...they gave me an honest answer- put these 2 on that you already own, we'll check everything and send you on your way. Articulate, patient, kind, willing to listen and explain not in a condescending way- what? I felt like I was in the twilight zone. 20.00 - total. Probably a 10 minute job but I was absolutely expecting to be charged at least an hour. I cant imagine a car place billing for less than an hour of labor. Again, twilight zone. I am absolutely bringing my car here, not because of the fact that they were so honest/cheap but because I would trust their judgement and listen to their recommendations for my car. read more

When I drove by the shop a few weeks ago I commented to my friend how the place looks so ghetto. After I saw the glowing reviews on Yelp, I decided to bring an oldschool Honda Accord to get checked for an exhaust leak. They told me that they would have to order a $130 exhaust part and the labor would be around the same too. But like one of the other reviews, they told me about another shop (Lou's Custom Exhaust in Medford) that could fix (weld) it for $60. What really touched me is that Murph didn't charge me one cent. Absolutely rock solid guys! read more

Brought my car in to get my tires changed for the summer driving season. Service was very friendly, and fast (less than 40 mins from pulling in to driving out with no appointment) and the price was half what I was quoted at other shops that tried to up charge me because of my low profile tires. I went here because of the great yelp reviews. The experienced lived up to the expectation, so I feel karmically obliged to write this review. This business provides it and deserves to be rewarded with our continued patronage. read more