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

They deserve 10 Stars! My car was towed to this garage because it was leaking gasoline and had needed a fire truck to check it over for potential fire. I love my 1984 BMW and was assured by Nick the mechanic at Foreign Auto Center not to worry -- he had 3 other cars at the moment with the same problem! In 2 hours he called me to say my car had been repaired and the cost was $149.00 including a tune up. I was going to give them some Bakalava (Greek Dessert) but decided to write a true and glowing review instead -- less fattening too. Elaine N read more

Customer for life. I typically replace my own brakes but this time got deterred by extremely rust-frozen pads and rotors (hooray Boston winters). I called up several mechanics asking to see if they'd help me with the dis-lodging, and everyone refused except these guys. I dropped my car off the morning I called them - they removed the frozen parts and slapped on my new brakes that afternoon for an extremely reasonable labor fee. Couldn't be happier. read more

I decided to fix my car there after I saw all the good reviews online. I failed the state inspection first and the guy who did the inspection told me the front wheels are not stable and not safe to drive the car, then I took my car there.The mechanic treated me nice but he did not fix the car. They charged more than 1000 dollar and still the problem remained which caused the re-inspection failure. Basically they replaced the parts which was not the cause of the problem. Then I took it back and I complained a little, and the mechanic told me it was their fault, it failed the inspection because my car sucks. I was like.. what? My car is less than 5 years old with no major mechanic problems before. Nice people but poor work. That place is def. overrated. read more

I found them with Yelp and have been happily using Yelp since. Nick took great care of my BMW and was extremely careful to not do any unnecessary work on the car, and yet still find and fix any problems it had. One particular problem took several visits back to try several fixes to a generic check engine diagnostic code. He could have replaced a bunch of expensive sensors first which would not have fixed the problem, but instead found the problem by doing successively larger repairs - which still saved money. Would not go anywhere else. read more

My 1999 Toyota 4Runner with 257,000+ miles has been good to me and not much trouble at all. I found these guys on Yelp and bee-lined it to them when my car developed a terrible chugging problem. A prior garage wasn't able to diagnose and fix it, so I was expecting the worst. These guys immediately took it in with a "no problem" attitude and within 3 hours handed me my keys back with the problem solved! Extremely friendly, no-fuss, conservatively priced. I'm so glad I found them! Didn't have a local mechanic and they're right on the bus line, to boot. read more

I had a VW New beetle. Had cooling system and engine heating problems through 2008. Spilled hot coolant on my hand one time and had to be transferred to ER. Took it to the WV Dealer in Boston and they won't fix it. Took it to Hanover WV dealer he said it will cost over 5K. With no knowledge, I went to Sullivan tire. They charged me 3.5K and I was told that the entire cooling system had been replaced by their master technician. The engine temperature light came back again after 4 weeks all back to square one the same problem again. I went back to the shop, mind you that there is no post service guarantee from Sullivan tire for these. I guess they are not expert in heating and cooling of German cars. Given the mess and my necessity to everyday IS-93 commute I was about to sell my VW. I thought I will give it one more try and would search Yelp for a recommended auto shop. After reading the reviews I took it to Nick on a AAA truck. His phone manners were unlike others, precisely to the problem. He checked and gave me after market parts and labor estimate and walked me through the work that he said to perform. Fixed it in a week. All the work that he did was not looked into by others out of a 3.5K bill. This all happened in January 2009 and here I am driving the Beetle as of this day in the month of September braving 95 degrees of summer heat. No more overheating, no leaks or burning smell. Nick is a friendly guy, he understands his trade and can be relied upon for Volkswagens. I recommend him as he is the best out of three places that I had tried for this 10 year old German car. read more

i'll admit, i was wary because this place has a perfect review. i thought it must be too good to be true. but its not. this is hands down the best shop in the area. read more

I found this place with Yelp and am so happy I went there. I took my Corolla in when the engine was acting funny and Jimmy had it fixed the same day for the exact price he quoted me. He even showed me what he fixed and why it had gone wrong. All and all, the best experience I've ever had with a mechanic. read more

Jimmy has been servicing the cars of my whole family since I was a kid. I feel so lucky to have such an honest mechanic. I live in NY but if I can, I wait to do my repairs with Jimmy when I visit. He once sold me a beater that lasted so much longer than I ever thought it would. I drove it down down into the ground. read more

I recently took my 1987 BMW to Foreign Auto Center to see about a strange noise it was making. Nick took the time to diagnose the problem, show me what was going on, and gave me a good estimate for the repair. I had gone back to Foreign Auto Center, where I had my rear brakes fixed two years ago, after getting ripped off at Meineke Brighton for a muffler. The team at Foreign Auto Ctr did the repair quickly, at the quoted price, with a thorough explanation of the outcome. Nick knows old BMWs! A good mechanic is hard to find -- after trying shops all over the greater Boston area (many in Allston), I may have finally found a good one. read more

I took my '96 VW Cabrio to FAC based on the yelp reviews. Thanks so much. My normal mechanic was not comfortable cleaning or replacing my throttle body. I took my car here and had it replaced for less than $600. Nick was explained everything too me, never talked down to me and even showed me the old part. I will continue to take my VW here and cannot say enough about this shop! read more

After years and years of horrible experiences with auto mechanics in the greater Boston area, I got to say, finally there is someone trust worthy in the industry. I brought my BMW in couple days ago with a long list of issues (had been putting off fixing them given the bad experiences of dealing with other shops), Nick immediately gave me some clues on what may be happening that leads to these chain of issues. To make a long story short, I came out of Foreign Auto Center with a bunch of new parts (two new disks, brake pads, controls, one new tire, oil change, new fog lamp, etc.) with very reasonable costs. The best thing was, Nick showed me what he changed and went for a test drive afterwards to make sure all my problems were indeed fixed before I leave the shop. This was easily by far the best experience I've had, and my BMW now drives like the first day I got it. As long as this shop exists, I will never let other mechanics other than Nick touch my car again. So let's all hope Foreign Auto's business continue to flourish. It's about time that honest and hard working people get something for a change. read more

Highly recommend this shop, I had a slow leak in my tire and they fixed it for free. Feel very comfortable having them service my BMW 328xi wagon (used to only take it to the dealer) and have been back twice for routine items. It also helps that they are super friendly and reasonable with labor rate -- highly recommend!!! read more

Amazing and Knowledgable! Nick saved me a ton by diagnosing and fixing a potentially major problem quickly and easily. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

I have been going to see Nick for many years now. He is just a great guy - fun, friendly and honest. And I have picked up a few Greek words from my regular trips to see him. Nick has kept my old Audi going strong for many years. I heartily recommend Foreign Auto Center. read more

My favorite auto shop. They are prompt, professional, on time, and very clear about what they've done and what they would like to do. Before starting new work, they check in and provide options. Pricing is very reasonable. I own a BMW and prefer taking my car here over the dealership. read more

Very friendly and knowledgeable. I took my Audi A3 in to get the front wheel bearings replaced. They ordered original parts overnight from their special supplier, I dropped it off in the morning and picked it up that night. They charged about 60% what all the dealers wanted, and provided excellent follow-up descriptions, diagnostics and service. Nick is a skilled, friendly, and I would definitely bring my car in again. read more

What would I do without Foreign Auto? My 2006 VW Golf has spent a lot of time here and so have I. Nick is a great guy, always kind, always real and always willing to explain what the issue is and what my options are. The mechanics are top notch and the vibe is friendly. I trust Nick, he is my car guru, which is something money can't buy. It's important to me too that the place is very relational - my car broke down on Christmas Eve and I had it towed here. In the craziness of the day I got home again only to realize I'd left my apt. keys inside my car. I raced back on the T to find Nick, Jimmy and all their guys sitting at a long folding table they had set up in the garage having Christmas Eve dinner. Nick invited me to stay and eat with them. I had to run to catch the train, but that image has stayed with me and affirms for me that this is a local, family place that does excellent work. read more

Called nick at 8:30AM for a coolant leak and I was at the shop 15 minutes later - my first time here no appointment scheduled. They quickly diagnosed a faulty radiator and lower radiator pipe - showed me where the leaks were coming from - and quoted me an extremely fair price (as low or lower than repairpals minimum estimate). Picked up my car a few hours later and was shown the busted parts. Great price, very professional, and exceeded all of my expectations as a first time customer. Will come back in the future, thank you. read more

Outstanding service for my 2006 BMW-330XI. I was visiting from out of town for a reunion when my car began to run roughly. I showed up unannounced at the Foreign Auto Center door before opening time and Nick brought the car in immediately himself. He diagnosed it and they repaired it by mid morning for a nominal charge. If I lived nearby, I would go to them for everything. read more

These guys have been taking care of my cars for decades and I will go nowhere else. I took my Corolla in before a long road trip recently. Nick checked it, took care of oil, filters, etc. (Jimmy, who usually handles the Japanese cars, was in Greece) and told me I needed tires. I knew he was right on that. So got tires at another place on Saturday, those guys tell me I need brakes, they're very bad, etc. I didn't buy it, went on road trip, didn't die. Had Jimmy check them when I got back. My brakes are fine. Jimmy's charge for checking them out and not going along with the scam? $0. Not the first time he's charged me that, either, when he could have easily done unneccesary work. Also, if they say "car's getting old," it really is time to get a new one. Last car made it to 19 before they gave it the words of doom. read more

Nick was awesome, he really took great care of my V.W.!! I loved how he showed me the parts he replaced and why they needed replacing. I will take my car to him every time. read more

Well, it seems like all the reviews on here say the same thing, and I agree: Nick & the guys at Foreign Auto are AWESOME. It is so hard to know whether a mechanic is telling the truth or just bs-ing. These guys are the real deal. After leaving a dealer who gave me a $2,000 quote and told me, "I wouldn't want my wife driving this car," NIck looked at it and made a much simpler, much less expensive repair and actually took me under the car and explained everything in full detail. I also had a problem with my blinker that had been going on for MONTHS, a problem that two other mechanics failed to fix, and Nick took one look at it and fixed it on the spot. I'm taking my beetle here from now on!! read more

I was looking for a good mechanic, someone I could trust because unfortunately there are a lot of theives in this field. I read the reviews and decided to call for a quote on a 60 000 miles standard service. Verdict : Twice the price of the dealership service!!!! Plus the guy tried to explain that the dealership didn't know what he was doing. Well no thank you! I guess I haven't found a honest mechanic in this town yet. read more

Nick is honest, good at what he does, and friendly. I've (sadly) been there three or four times, and each time I was confident I got the lowest quote possible. Most recently, he was nice enough to just order me a new hubcap and install it without a fee when I busted mine up. He has relationships with other shops in the area and will help you out if he can't fix it for you. read more

I have been dealing with Nick at Foreign Auto for about a year now. I made a terrible mistake in the car I purchased and as a result have had to go in for multiple repairs over the course of a year. My experience with Nick, and his team has been nothing but exceptional. Not only do they give you a detailed explanation about what is wrong, and what needs to be done to fix it, but they also do quality work quickly. Nick has gone to bat for me multiple times with the crap warranty company I have to deal with, and has always been fair when it comes to what they won't pay. read more

This is my trusted shop for my Audi. My girlfriend now brings her Toyota here (based upon my recommendation), and has also experienced excellent service. The waiting room is the shop: they will show you what is wrong and are perfectly honest. Everything is completely transparent. It's all about communication and doing the best possible job. They are extremely competent and perfectionistic. I recommend Nick and the entire shop to everyone. Thanks for being the best. read more

I took my BMW to this shop for an oil change. Good overall. I was a bit upset at the beginning when I found out that they used Liqui Moly oil although on the phone they said they use original BMW oil. After research, it turned out Liqui Moly it's fine too. So, it's all good. read more

The only place I take my Honda to for repairs! Honest, quick, professional and a fair price.

These guys are good and fast. One of the pulleys on my BMW broke and caused the serpentine bekt to brake too. Took the car to this shop first thing in the morning. Had it back within two hours. They got the parts, fixed the car, changed oil and fixed one of my tires too. Nick has a take-no-prisoners attitude sometime but he is a really good guy and a great mechanic. read more

Foreign Auto Center is a gift from the car repair Gods. I have gone in there THREE times expecting a massive car repair bill only to find out it was a small fix costing me between $5 (yes five dollars!) $60 and $125. I highly recommend Nick not just for his honesty but also for the quality of his work as when I have had to have more work done it's always been done right. I drive a beemer and no one but nick touches her. read more

There is a reason why you see a ton of 5 stars for this place. Jimmy is a Subaru expert and is damn good. He's busy and there's a reason for that! Can't say enough good things about the work he's done on my car. Bravo, Jimmy! read more

I've been taking our 2002 Jetta to Nick and Jimmy for many years, but recently just gave the vehicle to a family member. I was kinda bummed thinking I they only dealt with the German cars, but I see they do service Asian vehicles as well. I have always been treated very well, feel Foreign Auto Center is very honest and never push me to do more service than is needed. The prices estimated have always been accurate, and always much more reasonable than the VW dealer. I also trust Nick and Jimmy will do a better job servicing the vehicle than the dealer. (For example, I had a issue draining the battery, and the dealer could never find it. Nick found a faulty part (I don't remember the part right now), and the battery drain finally was gone, Very honest, very competent, and very flexible (e.g drop your car off the night before). I highly recommend! I'm glad to start taking my new-ish Nissan next time I need service. It's just out of warranty now so back to FAC. read more

After trying by myself to open a stuck glove box in my 1994 Volvo, I asked if a mechanic could take a look and see if it could be jimmied open. In less than 5 minutes the man in charge assessed the problem and managed to open the box with a few tools. At no charge. Made my day. read more

I've been going to Foreign Auto Center for a at least 3 years with multiple cars based on good reviews. The folks there have always seemed nice and informative but I never felt like the repairs were of the highest quality. The last repair has ensured that I will never go back. After a $4200 repair and having the car for TWO MONTHS (Timing belt, water pump, crank shaft pulley, fly wheel and clutch), the car experienced significant motor vibrations. After deciding that another two months was not acceptable, I brought the car to an Audi Race Specialist (and friend) who flew back from CA for look at it. After ripping the engine down, he noticed that the crank shaft pulley was not replaced, the water pump was leaking and the timing belt was not installed properly. Because cam shaft locking tools were not used when the timing belt was installed, the belt stretched which caused the new motor vibrations. The Specialist then re-repaired all the work in two days and I was re-charged for the work (albeit at less the original repair). On top of this, I noticed pieces of glass in car on the drivers side window casing and floor along with the fact the transmitter no longer worked with that door. It was working perfectly when dropped off. I can not say to any degree of certainty that they had anything to do with this, but I have some question in my mind. See for yourself if they meet your needs. In the end, I had to move on to 'better' mechanic. We'll see how this new experience goes. read more

i read the review here, and decided to try them out, because anyone who owns a VW in boston knows that the dealership is terrible. i had AC problem (making noise), which both the dealership and another place (Leins Auto Repair, also in somerville) failed to fix and charged me exorbitant amount of money. but Nick fixed it with flying colors. they are honest, and they will treat you with respect if you do the same. now i have found the place to take my car for future problems. read more

amazing service. went in expecting a large and complex repair and left having spent $10. will come back regularly.

i needed some work done recently to get my car through inspection. the guys here are very friendly, the work was finished quickly and at a great price. i recommend this shop. read more

i love this place, but i don't want to tell you. you might then go there too and that would interfere with my ability to call and get it fixed in the same day. one time they did a little work for free and refused my money. they just asked me to come back some time, and i continue to do so. they are honest and very reasonable. read more