Brought car in to have an oxygen sensor replaced, last October. Mechanic was not able to remove sensor. Owner of shop asked mechanic how long spent on my car. "10 minutes" was the reply. I was charged $80 for no work done, other than telling me cannot remove the sensor. Another muffler shop was able to remove the O2 sensor easily. Usually mechanic shops do not charge for zero work done. read more

awful experience my car wasn't fix properly and the guy Working on it for grease all over my seats

My car failed inspection for the exhaust so I bought it in for a repair. They looked at the exhaust system and told me that I needed a flex pipe, and that I could purchase it at Advance Auto parts. I purchased the part they told me to get, but it was the wrong part. Lou's ending up purchasing it and they charged me DOUBLE the price Advance Auto charge d me. When it was all said and done it cost me $650 dollars, but the problem still persisted because he said that there was another exhaust leak that he didn't recognize when he originally diagnosed the problem. He then got very rude and aggressive saying, just pay me and get the F*ck out of here! I have used them before and they've always done a great job, but their customer service has always been very bad. read more

I went to Lou's again last week and they told me upfront why needed to be replaced and told me the price which was less than I expected and they got me in and out quickly. It's close to Medford center and it's convenient. read more

This place is horrible. A couple weeks ago I came in with my Audi to get new mufflers and a x-pipe resonator replaced in place of the stock ones. To start off, the guy was busy, and I was understanding, however he was unbelievably rude. Unfortunately I did not get his name, but there were only two workers at this establishment. I own a 3.0 Audi s4 for about 2 years now, but I have been working for Audi for over 3 years. When he lifted my car I pointed out where I wanted to put the x-pipe, and he turns all red and says "get the f*ck out and don't tell me how to do my job" "I've been doing this sh*t for my whole life, don't tell me how to do my f*cking job" I apologized and stepped back, at this point I shoulda left! But this was the only guy willing to put these mufflers on. After he looks at my car, he says he can't put on the x-pipe, and I asked him why, and he got all angry and threatened to kick me out and call the cops because he thought I wanted to take off the catalytic converters, I have included a diagram of my cars exhaust system with labeled parts. Then he starts lecturing me about how I'm a "stupid criminal," when he doesn't know the difference between a resonator and catalytic converter??? Anyway he refused service of the resonator but put on the mufflers, the quality of the welds is questionable, but they haven't fallen off yet. The overall quality of the work done is not horrible, but the welds are not pretty for $400. I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone who is new or unfamiliar with exhausts because the guy has no idea what he's talking about either. read more

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I called ahead and the guy on the phone said i needed to bring my car in for a quote. So I went down on my lunch break. He said it would be awhile and I should leave the car, which i was fine with; however, I would not have minded waiting becasue I soon as I had ubered home he called me 30 minutes later to give the estimate. The pricing seemed fair for the city if a little pricey but they got it done pretty fast. It seemed like the number they gave me was very arbitrary however as the invoice just had a labor charge scrawled on it. When I got back to the shop to pick up my car it was still on the lift, so i said i'd like to take a look at the work. The guy seemed very offended by this, but to me it is standard procedure to inspect a job before paying. i wanted to make sure the new exhaust was routed properly as i currently have my rear bumper removed to facilitate with doing some minor work to my vehicle. Everything looked good there, hopefully nothing hits when i flex the rig out on the trails When I went to pay they said they don't take mastercard which was odd. Luckily i have another credit card but still annoying. Wonder what would have happened if I didn't? I would reccomend shopping elsewhere unless in a hurry but the pricing was in line with other estimates and i idn't have time to go out of the city. At least my exhaust is no longer leaking under the cab, will see how it holds up. read more

Like another reviewer, my car failed inspection because of the muffler and I also got a quote from a dealer for over $2,000! Lou's fixed it for less than $500! Runs so much better now and passed inspection! I left my car at 8:00 am and had it back by 11:30. I was going to pay with American Express and the guy told me that was the only one they didn't take. Great place...highly recommend! read more

My Mazda 5 had a small Muffler leak right at the S pipe where the brackets bolt to the car. I received several quotes from local shops from $1200 to 1400 but Lou's replaced the pipe for $180! read more

I hate leaving bad reviews, but this is warranted. Not sure why everyone here is so rude. I mean, really, if you hate working here then stop working here. If you hate running a business then stop running the business. It's baffling how places like this continue to remain open. I guess it's from people like me who make the mistake of paying them once. Anyway, I won't detail the really strange interactions I've had with this place, but I'd suggest going elsewhere to get exhaust work done. The work is average at-best and the customer service is abysmal. Imagine being unable to even have a normal conversation about work that you're about to pay someone to do. That's this place. read more

Absolutely amazing. My car failed inspection because a muffler was leaking. The dealership quoted the work at $2,000+. I brought it to Lou's Medford and they took me right away, completed the work in 20 minutes, for $200. The employees were friendly and helpful. I know nothing about cars and dread any type of repair work, but this experience was a breeze. Highly recommend! read more

Avoid this place. I went there for an exhaust leak on my wife car. They identified the manifold was leaking. They had me buy the part myself and bring it to them, which I did. They installed the part and at the end of the day when I came pick it up, they told me I was also supposed to bring a gasket, which they never told me about... Instead of waiting and asking me to get the OEM gasket, they used one of them. (They also charged me 3 hours of labor at 120$/h, knowing they told me $100/h in the morning). Surprise, 2 days later, my wife reported the car smelled exhaust again.. I brought it back. The gasket was leaking...They were not even sorry about it, and told me it was my fault for not bringing the gasket with the manifold, which they never talk about... They charged me 2 more hours of labor to replace the gasket with the OEM one... and... Surprise again, 2 days later, it started leaking again... This time, I brought the car to my mechanics, and learned they did not use the correct gasket... He replaced it with the Toyota one in an hour, and the car did not have any problem since then. Conclusion, avoid this place. They are dishonest, and do not take responsibility of their mistakes. My wife, is pregnant, and because of their bad work, had to smell exhaust a couple of days (they did not care) If you have an exhaust issue, go somewhere else (Lou's in Lynn for example). read more

Avoid this place by any means. I received this recommendation from a mechanic I trusted but ended up with a headache. He fixed the muffler but now the front of the car is rattling, squeaking, and every time you start the car the muffler shakes with a sound. I went back and he told me the squeaking is non of his problem. Quote "If I fixes your muffler an you end up with a suspension problem that has nothing to do with him! " I couldn't get a word on edge wise. When I told him I let him speak and I deserve the same courtesy he just repeated the same thing, three or four times. After he took the car he ended up come back to me with the example, " If you go to get your tires changed and you end up with an oil leak how does that have anything to do with the tires". For your sanity avoid this place. read more

we needed our exhaust manifold header replaced and it was done in an extremely timely manner, and super chill staff too. Car sounds great and we will definitely return if we ever have any more exhaust problems! Highly recommend. read more

Thanks Mitch and Dennis. Nice guys. Fast work. Easy. Was lucky enough to offered some delicious looking homemade apple pie. Second time there. Very reasonable. They will fix it at a FAIR price. Thanks again gentlemen. read more

Here's my story: Took my car to the dealership with a rattling exhaust and they told me I had a hole in both my muffler and midpipe and they'll need to replace both and quoted me $1100. I trusted them, but wanted a second opinion just in case. Brought the car over to Lou's explained what I thought was going on, and Mitch lifted the car up right in front of me. No hole in the muffler or the midpipe. The flange was cracked at the junction and they needed to cut it and weld a new one in. $60 and an hour later I went back down to the dealer with flange in hand and held them to their dishonesty. These guys are honest and skilled mechanics, a breath of fresh air. Thank you for your work! read more

At the behest of my mechanic, I went to Lou's yesterday. First it's important to note that Lou's are independently owned and operated. This review refers to the Medford location, conveniently located a mile from my house. 30 minutes after they were to have opened, I was still waiting outside. The place was locked tight. I left a message on their answering machine, a land line that I could hear on the other side of the door. A few moments later a plow truck pulled in and two gents grumpily lumbered out. The short squat one was steaming. The other sublimating his bosses anger...They barely acknowledged me at the door. I followed them in. The little angry one went into the garage area and screamed, "F@%^&!!!" hopped in a car and peeled out. This is the grown man that owns the establishment. The other fellow shuffled back and forth and looked at his shoes. I was in the land of the invisible. Good to make extra money plowing, but not at the expense of your business. I looked at the poor bastard left behind for a few moments. I thanked God I wasn't him, and decided my money would be best spent elsewhere.. I left and drove well out of my way to the Lou's in Waltham. The experience in Waltham could not have been more disparate. Check back for that review. read more

I have a 2009 Honda Civic. A few months ago, my car started getting loud. I went to Lou's and they reconnected the exhaust pipe to the muffler. The job was done quickly and at a reasonable price. The car is still running quietly. read more

This is the first time I was yelled at by a business owner before I even entered the business. I rolled up in my car looking for exhaust work to be performed and wanted to make sure that they had space and time to do it so I put on my flashers for one second and rolled down my windows to hear a worker (or manager) yelling "!@#$ don't park there!" I explained that all i wanted to know was if they had time for some work and didn't want to park my car and then have to move it again just to roll into the shop. Horrible experience and I didn't even need to experience their actual work. I would never let anyone touch my car unless I truly needed the work done elsewhere. BMW 2000 540/6 read more

These guys are definitely good at what they do. They replaced my old, clogged catalytic converter and now the car runs like new! The only reason why I'm not giving them 5 stars, is because I felt talked down to at times. I didn't expect to be treated like royalty, but there should always be a high level of respect when doing business. Note: This review is only for the Medford location. read more

Absolutely hack job , I came in to cut my muffler and resonator off and put and straight pipe back he started off by telling me 280$ and then switched the price to 380$ when he was done, not only did he just cut my muffler and resonator off Crooked they literally put to pieces of pipes replacing my muffler and resonator so I still have parts of my original Exhaust, and to top it off there welds are a bubbly mess, and my exhaust tips werent even straight so it started melting my bumper so I had to come back 5 min after to fix that, my Exhaust also wasnt even mounted properly i can wiggle it from the tips i Won't even go back to get it fixed absolutely terrible customer service rudest in the city read more

Dennis was the man!! Really nice accommodated drop off before opening hours. I got a flow master exhaust put in on my 16' Jeep Wrangler. Needless to say I'm beyond content with the job done and was quickly throughly and faster than I expected. Would highly recommend anyone looking for exhaust systems to check out Lous shop. read more

Hi All, First of all let me say that I have been a customer of Lous Custom Exhaust for the last 8 years, and have had the pleasure of using their Plymouth location for the majority of these years. All of my experiences there have been great. Fast forward a year or two and i'm living in Everett, Ma and have a stripped oxygen sensor hole on my catalytic converter (Ford Focus SVT). I called Lous, as always, and explained the issue I was having, they told me to come right on down and they would take care of it. This was great. I arrived at Lous, to be met at the door by two of the techs working there, who then asked me if oxygen sensor was on the catalytic converter. I said "Yes, that's what we discussed on the phone". I was then told that because it was on the catalytic converter, there was nothing they could do for me, other than replace the entire system...at a cost of hundreds of dollars. Pretty terrible service, to tell me on the phone that they can take care of it, and then upon arrival tell me there's nothing they can do without even looking at the car. At no point did they leave the reception area to look at my car, at no point did they put it on a lift, they were completely useless. I left and drove to a small gas station near my house, where the mechanic re-tapped the threads on the catalytic converter for $75. Don't use this location, it's a waste of your time. read more

This review is long over due as I've been going to this place for years. Their prices are so low I dont even know how they stay in business! I damaged my exhaust during this last blizzard and got a quote from Meineke for 800 dollars because they are close to my work. Lou's did the same exact job for 300 bucks and I was there for less than two hours. Plus, I didn't even have an appointment and just showed up at 8:00 in the morning. They said the job would have been finished even sooner,but they had to let my exhaust cool off before beginning to work on it. They're fast,beyond affordable and do great work! THANK YOU! read more

Went in there on a sat to ask some questions about getting the exhaust upgraded on my car the person there didnt seem interested in helping me instead of taking a few minutes to give me an idea of what i can do he told me to go do some homework and come back once i had an idea even though i told him when i first walked in there that I didnt know where to begin and i had come there for some advice read more

WILL NEVER GO THERE AGAIN! My husband and I went there last week and will NEVER go there again! Simply RUDE! The poor old Lady working in the office was soo apologetic for the lack of professionalism from one of the workers! Got back in our truck and headed to Boston to another Lou's! DO NOT GO THERE! read more

My first review got removed by Lou's, but I won't let that happen again ... If you are a female (and aren't too familiar with cars) ... do not come here. My girlfriend needed a new muffler and tail pipe so she made some calls and Lou's was supposedly the place to go They told her that she would be getting a NEW tail pipe and muffler (invoiced her for a NEW tail pipe and muffler). So what did this place do? They took advantage of her. They gave her a junk muffler with a hole in it, put it together with a poor weld, and charged her $350. Three weeks later ... she is now at another shop getting a brand new tail pipe and muffler ... spending more money. The place she went to laughed at the job that was done and told her she got taken advantage of by Lou's. Long story short ... if you want to get screwed come to Lou's. Hopefully they see this review and reach out directly to make things right. Otherwise this review is spot on accurate. read more

If your car does not pass inspection, this is the place to go. I was told by another mechanic that I had to replace most of my exhaust system because of the location of the hole in the exhaust pipe under my car. I was given a quote for $1700. Um, my car is worth about $3500. It seemed ridiculous to me that there was no possible patch for the exhaust. Then one of my friends [fortunately] told me to go to Lou's and they would "hook me up" with a patch. I have to admit that the guys who work here could use some customer service lessons. I'm scrappy, so I don't care about their attitude. After I joked around with them, they did in fact totally hook me up with a patch for $60. These guys saved me a ton of money. read more

Went upon recommendation from CarZone to fix an exhaust leak. The guys at CarZone told me it'd be around $60 and sure enough, I was quoted and charge exactly that. The whole affair took 45 minutes, and this was with waiting around 20 min for the car before me. Quick and painless! read more

Had a great experience. I went with my two year old son, and the owner was courteous to both of us , and the cost was $500 less than my normal mechanic's estimate (and my mechanic has very reasonable prices). read more

Huge appreciation for the team at Lou's in Medford. Mitch and Louie were extremely helpful in fixing botched exhaust work I had done previously. Very polite, extremely honest and professional while advising me on my options, and we shared some good laughs throughout the process. Thanks again guys! read more

I used to work as an apprentice in a custom exhaust shop when I was younger and I have to say Lou's Custom Exhaust has some knowledge workers. They may come off as arrogant at times but they know their stuff and did a great job with my exhaust. I had ordered an aftermarket system and they were very honest and forthright with information everyone should know when getting an aftermarket system put on a car. I knew most of the specifics before going in and I was pleased when they didn't lie to me or give me some BS. If the dealership has told you need to replace your catalytic converter, try Lou's first they may be able to help you fix your car and save you some money in the process. read more

I've gone to Lou's twice now and both times I was very impressed with the service and price. I'm a former mechanic and this shop is one of the cleanest I've seen. Even the bathroom was immaculate. I think it says a lot about the management when the bathroom of an auto garage is that clean. Both times I've been to Lou's they repaired the exhaust in my wife's Camry. They did the repair for a very reasonable price and they did not try to replace the entire exhaust; they just repaired or replaced what was needed. In my experience as a mechanic it's standard practice to replace the whole exhaust (from after the catalytic converter to the tailpipe) and I would not have blinked if they told me that's what it needed. But I really feel that they are honest and try to save their customers money when I know they are only doing the minimum required to keep the cost down. read more

So grateful that Nick's Auto Repair pointed me in the direction of Lou's Custom Exhaust. He was able to help me for a very affordable price. I am thankful to have found them. Great job! read more

I truly appreciate professionalism of these people! They fixed my exhaust problem, it was very inexpensive. And then the mechanic tells me "you know, a free advice - you gotta replace that gas filter - it's a few bucks, but if the fuel pump goes out you'll be in for a big money". I followed his advice (at another shop) - and the car starts like new!! Nobody told me about the gas filter before!! I cannot be happier! read more

I went to Lou's (in Medford) for the first time. It was an all round positive experience ....affordable, stuck to their quote, didn't take too long... A bit hard to find, even with GPS read more

They provided me with options that I did not know were available for fixing my exhaust. And at much more affordable price than a regular mechanic/dealership could! Seriously I went to two other places before I found Lou's and I am glad I stopped by. I saved $800.00 by going here. My car was fixed within 24 hours. Safe to say I'm a fan. read more

Both times I have gone to Lou's Custom Exhaust, I have worked with Louie. He is honest, patient and fair. He takes time to explain the issues and educate me on options for repairs and how the car works, and gives extremely reasonable prices to do repairs. Once I learned that he does regular maintenance on my car (beyond muffler/etc) I have been bringing my car back to him to fix! read more

Lou's came highly recommended by a few friends in the car business. Knowing the lady's name at the front desk helps too. I walked in, name dropped, gave her my keys and walked home a mile away. 30 minutes later I get the call with the diagnosis, give the ok to fix it and an hour later I'm walking back to get my car. Not as cheap as I had hoped but not as expensive as most other places. And now my car passed inspection. YAY! Thanks Lou! Other reviews talk about poor service from the men who work there. I had no interactions with any of them, only Roberta who was very pleasant. But I do know how to speak mechanic talk and normally don't piss off someone who is doing a me a service and has my keys. So read the previous reviews with caution. Yes people have the right to "feel" like they have been mistreated but sometimes you need to get over yourself and give respect to get respect. I love when a lowly grease monkey controls the guy with a Mercedes. It just makes my day! lol... Anyway I have a beater car that needs to last me a couple more years and Lou's is a perfect place to get work done... read more

Just returned from a cross country trip in my 11 year old SUV. Heard some noise from the exaust are and went to a closeby national chain muffler shop. They found the problem and quoted me a price of $450.00. A friend sent me to Lou's Custom Exhaust. This place is great! First come first serve policy and no nonsense. In 15 minutes they diagnosed the same problem as the other shop with a quote of $325.00. I said great and within 1 hour I was out of there and saved $100.00. The place is clean and the woker was professional and courteous. read more

I did my research before I went to Lou's. I have mechanics in my family and the upcharge to women customers is an unfortunate reality. So I knew pretty much what I needed when I got there as I've done a lot of work on my car myself and have a clue what I'm talking about. The price was decent and they had the part and the lift right there. Towards the end of an otherwise positive experience, however, one of the mechanic's became completely condescending with me. I asked a very simple question about my cooling fans, and he put his hand on my shoulder and said: "You don't know enough about cars, honey. Ask your brother." This review would have been five stars, but Lou's needs to consider hiring mechanics who know their demographic and get with 2015. The entire Medford/Somerville area is full of female cosumers who don't appreciate being talked down to. read more