I came in on a Friday at 5pm after taking my car to another shop that was going to charge me multiple thousands to get work done. They people at Pleasant car care were so nice and helpful, they immediately fit me in and got my car looked at and assessed. They found several of the same things as the other shop but they were not charging their extreme prices. They created videos showing what work needed to be done and why, they had loaner cars available for me and even offered to drive me home while they worked on it. I noticed after I got the car the next day that there was a small vibration and they immediately came and got the car from my house, checked it out, and realigned the wheels at no additional cost. I will definitely be going back for all of my future car needs and highly recommend them. read more

I wanted to reiterate the 1-star experiences others have had with this place. I am a mechanical engineer with years of experience of maintaining my cars to over 200,000 miles. When I went there, they took pictures and video of my control arms and brakes and rotors and used scare tactics to tell me that I cannot drive this car as it is a safety issue. I met the owner, i have no idea why I needed to meet him. I had spoken with one of the floor mechanics who showed me a leak from my thermostat. They told me $1300 for brakes, $1700 for control arms, and $1000 for the thermostat... $4000! I drove home (even though they warned me not to), ordered the control arms, rotors, brakes, and thermostat and replaced them all myself. Here are the results: The car has 60,000 miles. The control arms look used like a car with 60k miles should, but they were not anywhere near an imminent failure. Same for the brakes and rotors. The only issue that was important for me was to replace was the thermostat housing... yes, the one that I had taken the initiative to ask the floor mechanic, and the front desk didn't even tell me about! Now, I knew what they were talking about. But I can clearly see how someone who didn't know much about cars would be terrified into hiring them for repairs that really weren't needed. The videos, etc, are all part of the credibility and selling process. Speaking of which, I can tell you that these guys use what's called a "one-call close" sales tactic. Just like at a dealership, these guys know that if a customer walks out the door, 90% of the time, they are not coming back. And, the salespeople are paid on almost 100% commission. That means that if they don't close a sale, they don't eat. They are not interested in a relationship. Here is their job description for the position so that you can see their motivations: Full job description - Automotive Service Advisor Top Tier Service Advisors | Up to $155,000/year ! (Base Salary + Bonus) Are you a certified closer with an exceptional talent for sealing deals? Do you thrive on turning opportunities into results? If you're not among the top 1% in sales, this isn't the role for you. But if you are a driven, determined, and unstoppable closer, keep reading--because this is the life-changing opportunity you've been waiting for. Why Work for Pleasant Car Care ? At Adams Automotive, Now Auto Care, Pleasant Car Care, and JB Auto Care, we don't just offer jobs--we offer a movement transforming the automotive industry. As part of the Houston-Boston Partnership, we're scaling from $50 million to $100 million in the next 24 months. This is your chance to be part of something extraordinary while building generational wealth. Why Work for a Platform Company? Platform companies like ours represent the future of the automotive service industry. Here's why: Career Growth: Endless opportunities for advancement through AutoShop Answers training, mentorship, and leadership development. Learn from the Best: Work alongside industry leaders like Todd Hayes, Joe Adams, Bill Brusard, and Charlie Zlatkos, all recognized as top performers by Ratchet+Wrench. Be Part of Something Bigger: Join a company scaling from $50 million to $100 million and beyond while redefining the industry. read more

It's hard to find an automotive shop that is honest and good, especially among convient ones with easy booking for an appointment. It was so easy for me to have them take a look at my faulty car and have them come up with a diagnostic result. They seem technically strong, but they seem to be limiting themselves fixing more than what is necessary with insistence of meeting their certification for more work and additional parts; they insist upon replacing other associated parts incurring more expenses on my part. In other word, you will surely get the car fixed soundedly, but with heavier tab for removing the issue; they don't mind the incurring financial burden over their interests in getting more cash flow...I know there are many mechanics have to be paid. I wish that they can be more consumer oriented not to have their skills getting rusted. read more

Writing this to hopefully prevent other young women from being scammed by these guys. I went in for an oil change after getting a coupon for $20 off in the mail. I live close and generally don't get concerned about trying different spots for this type of routine service. They were really showy about introducing me to the owner, etc. which struck me as a little bit odd - why do I need to meet anyone for an oil change? Two hours later I get a call and text showing me that my front AND rear brakes all need replacing URGENTLY, for $1300. I call them back and they tell me how big of a safety concern this is, even though I passed inspection 2 months ago and replaced my front brakes 2 years ago. I tell them I'm going to call my dad and will get back to them. They called me twice more over the course of a couple hours. I called a couple other places to get quotes, which seemed similar to this price for the service, but ultimately decided to get a second opinion before moving forward with such a pricy service. When I called them back I was met with a condescending attitude that came across as disappointment at not making the sale. They told me it was really unsafe to be driving and I said yep, got it, I will get it done in the near future. When I went down to the shop to pick up my car they were STILL hard selling me, showing me comp numbers on their computer and the sales rep pulled the owner back out to try to convince me. I told them I was going to try to get another price elsewhere and they started in on how obviously I'll just get it done at the place I get the second opinion. It reeked of desperation, which is not what I want from my mechanic. Seeing these other reviews of similar experiences is validating. The oil change coupons are clearly a tactic to get people in and then force them into a more expensive service. Glad I stood my ground. Even if I do need brakes replaced, I'd rather pay $200 more to people I respect and trust. I will not be back. read more

I brought my car here to have a flat tire replaced, since they were the only shop open early in the morning. The one star is because they were able to get the right tire and replace it same-day, for about what I expected it to cost. We stop at one star because of the inappropriate upsell tactics used after the fact. That afternoon, the mechanic gave me a call saying that my rear brakes were out and URGENTLY needed to be fixed AS SOON AS I HUNG UP THE PHONE because it was INCREDIBLY UNSAFE. The fact that my (pretty new) car had just passed inspection a few weeks prior and the concern of why they were even checking that on a tire change in the first place raised red flags, so I asked them to wait to do anything until I got to the shop. When I arrived, there were two male employees waiting for me in the front (I am a young woman and was there alone), both insisting I was foolish for not wanting to get my brakes repaired in the moment. It was aggressive and uncomfortable. I stood my ground as it was clearly an upsell but they didn't seem to want to take no for an answer. I'm going to have a mechanic friend take a look just in case, but if there is indeed something wrong, I'll take the car somewhere else for a fix. The false sense of urgency (textbook scam tactic!) and tag-team bullying were inappropriate and made me so uncomfortable that it's not worth it for me to go back there. Hoping if there are other young women who don't know much about cars and are looking for somewhere to go, this info can be helpful. read more

on 6/4/26 took my 2011 Toyota RAV4 to this location to have it checked for a growling, knocking noise coming from the left front . when I first arrived there I was welcomed by Charley the owner and other members of the facility , everything was cordial , easy going , expressed to Charley that I don't trust mechanics, no faith and that they overcharge for all services m he started explaining to me why the charges and so on , which I don't believe anyways, but everyone deserves a chance to express and to demonstrate their words. anyways Charley told me I would be in good hands dealing with Service advisor Ed, I explained the issue I had with the SUV, they took it in , lifted it starting looking for the issues , after a few minutes Ed wanted to show me what they found that was making the noise , he told me that the left cv axle was leaguing and needed to be replaced , that most likely this was the issue of the noise , also told me and showed me that a piece of the front part of the exaust was rotten and needed replacement , I said ok let's look and see how much is gonna cost me , he started doing what the do on the computer to maximize they income , calls me tells me that the cost was gonna be around $1400, ( 776 for axle and around 700 to replace the exaust pipe , I was very surprise at the high cost, I asked him if he could do any better and of course they tell you they are barely making any money on it , well after talking for a bit he said he could give around $100 of , ok better then nothing , at a point he said to me , let me go check with the mechanic , he went and spoke to the mechanic , he came back and told that he'll be able to solder a new 8in pc on the exaust instead of replacing the whole thing , I said , it's gonna save me some money, well instead of been $700 for a new he gave me $ 536 for a patch job, which is to cut the bad piece and solder on the new piece , after talking for a few minutes I said to Ed that I had to talk to my wife and I would get back to him , I was ready to leave , here is were the pressure started , he said well you are here now , it's unsafe to drive with a bad exaust under the seat , can you call your wife and see if we can do it right now , I can start on it now and have it done by mid morning 6/5 , he just continued to pressure till I said fine al call my wife, I called my wife and agreed to have the service done , before I left I asked if it would be done by the am and he said for sure , I'll take 3-4 hours , ok great, I left. I went home and started doing some research , calling people and different auto places , on 6/5 am I went to see a very reputable exaust and muffler only location to ask about the solder job , and other research on the whole service that they were going to do , after much research I found out that I truly got ripped off on the exaust repair , cutting and soldering about 8in of pipe $ 535 WOW M a at worst 1 hour job that much money WOW , I was very ungrateful and upset all day because I allowed Charley and company to convince me that they were honest and with reasonable prices WOW never seen anything like , I believe that there hourly rate is well above $ 250 , in many cases much more the lots of dealers , they claim because the give the3 year warranty and take care of all issues and so on , well I only blame my self for falling into believing a salesman, Charley is a good salesman , I wanted to give him the opportunity , what a mistake , is the highest I ever paid for any exaust repair , incredible . Another thing Ed told me is that the battery was dying , that my front shocks were getting to the point to be replaced , that my tires need to be replaced , and so on. Anyways on 6/5 around 3 pm went to pick up the suv , paid , got in the car went to move forward and the noise that I brought the car in for was still there and even worst , went back in and said to Ed , they noise still there , he came out checked , looked and said that my left shock was the reason of the noise , GREAT , why dint he tell me that was the reason of the noise when I brought it in ? they all see. to agree that the noise was from the axle , because the boot was ripped and it leaked all the grease out , which I truly be,I eve that the axle was not causing a noise , but its done, I got screwed big money specially for a patch job that should not have costed more the $200 , good thing I dint agree to have the shocks replaced , and the battery. After I picked up the I was pissed sitting in the car thinking how bad I got ripped off , my fault , my fault my fault , I should know better , never never trust someone that tells you trust me , there is no loyalty to people the only loyalty is to money .. After I left them , I went to Toyota to have the battery checked , and guess what , they told me the battery was perfect , in excellent condition , good thing I dint have them replace it as Ed wanted to. I will never go to this place again , or record to anyone unless is my enemy. read more

Pleasant Care Car Before I bought the Subaru, I used this place exclusively. They'd built trust with us and we remained loyal. However, between the new car and deciding to mindlessly do what Subaru told us to (no regrets), we stopped using them. Two days ago, though, I ran over a cur and the undercarriage shield got damaged and dropped. I did my best to fix it with duct tape but it didn't work. Today, I decided to get it fixed. I know this happened before with another car and if I remember it was no big deal. I don't remember them telling me that I BARELY AVOIDED DEATH because of it. Also, there was a bubble in my passengers front tire that was INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS!! I told the guy behind the counter that I was planning on taking it to the dealership to deal with a recall on Monday. I was told, no, that I would not be doing that. He explained why and I understood. He talked about the bubble in the tire and I said I'd get that done at our tire place. "You can't just replace one of them," he told me, "You have to replace all four at the same time or you could permanently damage your transmission. I'm not a car person but logically it didn't make any sense to me. What were the psychics of that? I'd think that having to replace all four tires just because one damaged would be a major negative to buying *any* brand of car. He wasn't totally overbearing but I held up my hand to stop him. He seemed to get it and backed off. Good! We can move onto the rental paper work. He and I restated that they'd do the undercarriage and I'd take the car for a new tire once they were done. At that point, another employee who came in the waiting room to do paper said bluntly, "NO."'What you're going to do is the undercarriage and get the new tires. I cannot in good conscience allow you to leave with an unsafe car." I kind of hoped he was joking but he wasn't. Did he threaten to keep my car there until I'd followed his instructions? Because that's what it sounded like. Did I have to conform to his standards of safety? "Do you know how much the tires will cost at the other place? Why are you taking it *there*?" Oh, great. Now I have to defend my decision to this guy, as well? This, more than anything, set me off. I'm pretty laid back (I think) but when someone I don't know starts expecting me to jump on cue. That's not happening. "I'm taking it there because that's where I ALWAYS buy tires. I have relationship with them over a few decades. Honestly, I don't appreciate this hard sell at all. So please back off and stop." "So," he said seething, "what you're telling me is that MY professional option doesn't count for anything. Is that right? You don't have to listen to me." I held up my mine hand and said "Stop" but he kept talking about professional duty and safety, implying that I was calling him a liar and incompetent. I said stop about ten times until he growled, muttering something about something (I couldn't hear it) and stalked out of the waiting room. I looked at the guy I'd started with. "What that FUCK was that??" He looked kind of embarrassed and shook his head with a soft "I don't know." Was this some automotive variation on "good cop/bad cop?" Bottom line - don't go here but if you do, bring someone who knows about cars. If turned out that I only needed one new tire. read more

I brought my 2018 Subaru Forester to Pleasant Car Care in Watertown for its 70,000 mile service. It was very easy to schedule a Saturday appointment (I called them on Wednesday and was able to get an appointment three days later on Saturday). My service advisor - Curtis - was very friendly and professional. When the technician had completed his assessment of my vehicle, they sent me a video that showed the needed repairs and explained in detail what the repairs were and why they were needed. Curtis provided an estimate of the costs and promised that my car would be ready by 2PM (I had dropped it at 7AM). The service was completed on budget & on time. This was my first time at Pleasant Car Care. I highly recommend them! They are friendly, professional, knowledgeable and awesome. read more

Absolutely untrustworthy load of scam artists. Brought my car in for an oil change and inspection. They message me saying I had all kinds of issues with my car that would prevent it from passing, and so refused to do the inspection (not really their call). I told them I was selling the car soon anyway, so I didn't want to get all the repairs. I could tell immediately the guy I spoke to didn't like this, and he started all the sales pitch B.S. I didn't trust them, so I brought it elsewhere and it passed with zero issues. I noticed after this that my heater stopped working properly. My 2019 Nissan Rogue had amazing heating, and now suddenly it was barely working. I suspected they were involved after reading some of the other reviews. I sold my car to a family member who informed me today that they brought the car in to get the heating issue checked out. This new mechanic (knowing none of this backstory) told my family member that had to order a part that looks like it was removed from the car and never replaced. He said, "...it was like the car went in for service and someone forgot to put it back on". This is why no one trusts mechanics. Because bad actors like this behave like predators. read more

I've been going to Pleasant Car Care's Newton location for a long time, but I visited their Watertown location instead for the first time today. I've always felt like Pleasant Car Care offered a good value and that I could trust them to tell me what I needed to do but not try to sell me anything unnecessary. The last few times I've had an oil change done at the Newton location, though, I've had pretty long waits before they got to my car. This time, at the Watertown location, I was pleasantly surprised when I requested an appointment for an oil change online, received confirmation immediately, and then when I arrived it didn't take long at all before they took my car in and I was back on the road in less than an hour. Great experience! read more

I recently received a flyer in the mail and needed an oil change so with $10 off semi synthetic I made an appointment. Curtis and Michael were at the office in Watertown and were very courteous and efficient. I left my car there and they contacted me informing me of a possible leak in my rear brake drums. This impressed me as I only went there for an oil change and I believe brakes are not a luxury item! I made an appointment to have this work done. Curtis offered to pay for an Uber for me but I needed the excercise Overall it was a good experience and I will be likely to do business there again. read more

I always use Pleasant Car Care to ensure prompt and reliable service. Never any issues. People are great with their repairs and service. M read more

Took my car in for annual inspection (for sticker) and also asked them to look at a tire with a slow leak. 2.5 hrs later Curtis calls and reels off a list of things that must be repaired in order for the car to pass inspection. Talking so fast I don't hear half of it. Three things I caught were wiper blades, trailing arms and brake lights. When I made him slow down and start again, first challenging him on the blades he claimed HAD to be changed bc they're a safety issue - he told me that I can't see (!) - which means it won't pass inspection. When I verified: was he actually claiming old wiper blades would cause failed inspection, he admitted it wouldn't. More similar nonsense followed then to the quote of $1916 for the trailing arms and brake lights. (I Looked up the cost range for these::$390-880. Hmm. ) I told him I'd be picking up my car shortly. Few minutes later, another man calls and starts to tell me how badly the suspension parts need replacing and what can they do to persuade me to have them do the repairs i.e. badgering me to allow them to take me for a ride. I repeated that I'd be picking up my car and suggested if they wanted people's custom and trust they shouldn't BS them. 30 minutes later, arrived to get my car - it was still in the bay w hood up. Btw the brake lights worked when they drove it out the bay. I took it in and asked for an inspection sticker and to check a tire. Instead they decided to ignore my request (did neither), thought I was stupid and that they'd try to hoodwink and bully me. "Upselling"- what these pp call what they do, is LYING. Take your car to someone who won't lie and cheat. read more

My car was towed here after an icy crash. The Pleasant team very quickly assessed the damage, worked with my insurance, and was highly communicative, responsive, friendly, and honest throughout the process. They also were very efficient in getting my car back to me over the holidays (I crashed just a few days before Christmas). As a young woman with zero car knowledge, I'm always worried about getting ripped off, but I would happily go back to this team in the future based on my experience. read more

I've been going there for years (the Newton location). They are honest, and upfront about what the car needs. Thank you :) read more

Yet another great experience with Pleasant Car Care. I needed to have the mirror in my passenger side mirror replaced. I called and was offered the opportunity to be seen immediately. In addition to replacing the mirror, they were able to do an oil change, my annual inspection, provide two new tires I needed and do an alignment. I was given a loaner for the day and the total cost was extremely reasonable for the amount of work that was done. read more

I brought my Toyota Hylander in for extensive service (timing belt, power steering leak, valve cover leaks, exhaust work) after pricing out service at several other garages and the local Toyota dealer. Ed at Pleasant Care Auto gave me a very competitive price, a summary of the work that included photos/videos of issues along with a full explanation of each service. They provided a loaner and updates on progress while my car was being worked on. The vehicle is running great and I couldn't be happier with Pleasant Care auto. You can't go wrong with Ed and his team of competent mechanics! read more

These guys are robbers! I took my car to them bc my wife had recommended them. I wanted to go to them because the audi dealership is typically very expensive. They said, yes, come to us and we'll be much more attractive than any dealership. The work they did was twice the dealership price! And I had to come back 2 additional times to get the work done properly. I ended up going to my original mechanic in Ashland who explained that they had given me a total snow job...hadn't done the work they said they'd done and quoted on some other work that didn't need to be done at all. These guys are not reputable at all. Stay away from them, especially Ken! read more

Car broke down on a Saturday at noon. Called them, never have been there before so I didn't have high hopes. Dropped off the car, they replaced the spark plugs and some other things and had it done by 4PM that day (on a Saturday). The two other places I called said they couldn't even look at it until Monday. The car runs really well now, and it's great. As far as the price, I'm not sure if it was reasonable or not, but it sounded pretty good. I'm not a car person, so I can't be sure. read more

Read all the warnings below about this shop now that Steve is gone! Brought my car in for an oil change and they quoted me $2200 worth of repairs, including rear brakes and a leaking steering column, that were "urgent". My husband insisted on bringing it to his mechanic for a 2nd opinion who quoted us $0.....because nothing was wrong with the car. Checked the exact things they told us urgently needed to be repaired, even showed us the rear brakes to reassure me that the brakes were fine. Stay away!!! read more

Great service! Got me up and running for yearly inspection. Always so pleasant to deal with! My go to shop!

I had a great experience here taking my car in for the airbag light, which wouldn't turn off. I was hoping it wasn't a wiring issue, but unfortunately it was. The hourly rate is not exactly cheap, but the shop was recommended to me. I let them know that I would not be able to afford much in the way of repairing the issue, but still wanted them to work on it and see how much they could do. The team was very communicative with me throughout the whole process and, incredibly, we got lucky in discovering where the faulty wire needed to be repaired. All told, only took two hours of repair time! I did get lucky, but was so glad that the team was communicating with me through the process to make sure that I wouldn't go over my budget. I'll be heading back for more maintenance work as needed. read more

Great service. Fixed a strange thing going on with the casing around my headlight, free of charge. Had the replacement part (more like a piece) in stock! Along with regular oil change and what not. Fair and honest prices. Will be coming back for my next service. read more

Needed new front/rear brake pads as well as rotors. Was quoted just under $1,000.00 (with a 50.00 coupon applied to the already high price). I told them I was going to pick my car up and I did. I drove it right down the road to a much better reviewed, much more honest, reliable mechanic ALSO on Watertown street who did the exact same work, rotated my tires, and banged out my door which was rubbing the fender for $700.00 ... even took off extra for me because I paid cash. Personally, I feel like they up charged me as I walked in there as a young female by myself. My car thanked me and my wallet thanked me for NOT having the work done here. Will not be back will not recommend unless you're looking to spend as much money as humanly possible. Go up the road and you will be better taken care off! read more

Called about my engine not starting. They sent someone over to my place (nearby) to jumpstart my car and wouldn't accept payment! Amazing customer service, will be back for sure read more

Had my CHEVY fixed up..... THEY WERE ACES all around. I asked twice "can you do this". They said yes twice. Got my truck back like new...and i mean NEW. I don't how else to say GREAT JOB. Great job and great price. I want done right, they did it right. No it was not cheap, but they kicked ass and did perfect work. When they gave me the bill it was right about where it was they said it would be. I will drive across country without having to worry about any issues. THANKYOU BIG MIKE read more

My first visit here, I needed wipers and some condensation issue.. I love my wipers and I will return to finish the job after a business trip. excellent service too... Nancy S read more

I had been to the PCC Newton location several months ago and had had a good experience. When I made my appointment online, I accidentally put in this location, but decided to keep my appointment anyway. I made it in advance for later in the week and I wrote down exactly what I needed. I got to the shop at my appointment time, but was told when I got there that they were backed up and it would be a while before they could get to my car. I asked for a phone call to let me know how things were going, expecting only a few hours' wait, and then based on what they told me I could decide what to do next (I don't live in Watertown and needed to know if I should go home to wait). Well, I didn't receive a call until close to an hour before the shop closed for the day, long after I had given up and gone home. They hadn't even gotten to the main issue I had brought the car in for, although they had done a couple of other things (though I still don't know why they couldn't give me a quick call earlier in the day to update me). I appreciate that I was told about some additional issues I might want to have addressed, including a more expensive yet critical repair. However, I would still have to bring my car back in on another day to get the original issue diagnosed. I was advised to come in as early as possible because I said I needed the car back by the end of the day. I'm not feeling good about going back if this is how things go. I have a life outside of car repairs, and I can't be constantly giving up entire days without knowing when or if what I asked for will be done. If they were really that backed up they could have told me when I made my appointment so I could decide whether it was worth it to go. I appreciate the honest assessments of my car's functioning (I did not get the sense that I was being scammed or upsold) but surely there are other places I can go that are more efficient and accurate in terms of knowing--and telling me--how long a repair or a diagnosis will take. Extra points for location, though--this shop is very close to Watertown Yard and thus accessible by bus, plus there are plenty of places within walking distance to kill time while waiting (library, Starbucks, etc.) read more

Best repair shop around! The day after feeling overcharged by a tire/auto-care chain up the street, our other car developed problems. Being in not such a great mood and not wanting to go back to the chain, I was lucky that a coworker who lives in the area had a tip for me and referred me to Pleasant Car Care. I am so glad she did! Not only did he find and fix the problem the same day, but when he found that one of my pipes broke because it rusted through, he actually E-MAILED ME PICTURES of it before asking for authorization. Who else does that? I've been back with both cars several times since; he's always been able to turn the jobs around quickly and doesn't try to up sell anything. He even offered me advice when my car broke down on the highway and was too far away to bring to him. Again, who else does that? I've referred quite a few people to bring their car here, all of whom made a point to come back to tell me how happy they were with the work. In short, it's a great shop run by great guys who do great work. read more

Very happy with the service performed. Pleasant was able fix an issue my previous shop wouldn't even look at. Upon agreeing to have them to look my vehicle over, they found several other issues my 11 year old Subaru needed to have repaired. The car drives great, I'm very happy, will be back, and will recommend to my local friends. read more

Beware! Steve is gone! This is not the same trustworthy Pleasant Car Care without him. We have been taking our vehicles to Pleasant Car Care for over 5 years. Steve and his team always took great care of them, from routine oil changes to brake jobs and other minor repairs. I never felt pressured into services or repairs that I didn't need. We were treated well and I recommended them to everyone I knew who was looking for a good, honest mechanic. I trusted them completely. In 2014, the check engine light came on in my 2007 Scion and I brought it in. Steve said that it was an emissions code and that all I probably needed was a new gas cap since they tend to wear out over time and not provide a good seal. He changed it and I was on my way at a very minimal cost. Problem solved. Fast forward to 2018... my car is running fine, but the check engine light is on and since I need an oil change anyway, I take it in to Pleasant Car Care. Only this time, I find out that Steve is gone and the owner is now managing this location himself. There are 6 random engine codes, some related to emissions, some not. They tell me that they will reset the codes and if the light comes back on, I should bring it in right away so they can narrow down the problem. But oh by the way, I need front brakes TODAY for $450. I tell them that I am thinking about getting rid of the car soon since it is almost 12 years old, but was hoping to get at least another few months out of it and ask them if I really need the brakes done. Even though I was having no issues with the brakes and the car is running fine, they insist that I need brakes now. Not really knowing what else could be wrong (check engine light problem was still unsolved at this point), I reluctantly agree to do the brakes that day. A day later, the check engine light is back on, and I stop at Pleasant Car Care on my way home from work. This time, I'm told that the codes are emissions only, but I need a new charcoal cannister, purge valve and gas cap. Cost to fix it will be $770!! I reiterated what I had previously told them about my plans to only keep this car until maybe Spring. I asked them if it really needed all of that work done, and was told yes, definitely. At this point, I am just considering moving up my search for a new car rather than put another $770 into the old one. I am annoyed that I had just wasted $450 on the brakes, but was willing to move forward rather than keep spending money on the car. I figure it is partially my fault for not being more assertive and insisting that we figure out what else is wrong first before spending the money on the brakes. Who is to say that the light wouldn't come right back on after the emissions repairs, especially since not all of the original check engine codes were emissions related? I tell them I really don't want to spend that kind of money on my 12-year-old car and say I will have to get back to them. As a last-ditch effort, I decide to go to Toyota myself and buy a new $25 gas cap. Sure enough, a couple of days later the check engine light has gone off on its own, and has not come back on. I saved myself $745, and Pleasant Car Care has lost a long-time customer. Because I specifically said that I'm not planning to keep the car for much longer, I'm sure that Steve would have recommended replacing the gas cap again before we did anything else, (including the brakes) just to make sure that the check engine light didn't end up being a major/costly issue. But apparently, his ways did not bring in enough revenue and honesty and integrity are no longer a priority at Pleasant Car Care. On a side note, if anyone knows how to find Steve, please let me know. I will drive to wherever he is now to have him work on my car! read more

READ BELOW! Management has changed, its not the same old shop! I have been taking my car to Pleasant Care Care for years. If you read past reviews you will see the name Steve come up a lot. He was a tremendous man and make Pleasant Car Care the place it was because he was trustworthy and gave it to you straight. Recently found out through the local grape vine that Steve was let go from Pleasant Car Care. Here is why: The owner has hired a business consultant. His advice was to get new people who were paid less and to 'upsell' everyone who came it. If you needed a headlight replaced, tell the customer their brakes needed to be replaced. If you need a new alternator, they will tell you your belts need to be changed. I recently brought my car in because it failed inspection. I was given a list of 5 things that were wrong with it.... "Oh yea... you need to belts, new brakes, the whole exhaust system." Be wary of this place now they will try to tell you you "need" work done that you don't need. read more

I purchased the car care package on groupon and I was so pleased to read all the wonderful comments about the store on google and yelp, since I just bought my first car and almost knew nothing about cars...I really need some honest advise. Charlie was not there when I first visited the store, but Ruffie(hope I spell that right) and the happy Greek guy(I am so sorry that I forgot his name.) were very helpful. I changed my radiator there at my second visit and I have to say, the service is wonderful! I came home with a healthy car, satisfactory and lots of knowledge. Highly recommended. read more

This morning I woke up to my car refusing to start. I had recently moved to Watertown and had yet to find an automotive repair shop to give my business to. Not knowing what to do I called Pleasant Car Care. I told them the situation and where the car was. Without hesitation they offered to go to the car within the hour to see what they could do. Just as promised they showed up to my house within an hour and had my car started. Told me I needed a new battery and that was that! It's nice to have people right around the corner that do great work with humanity and dignity. Thank you very much! read more

I went for an oil change today. I spoke with someone on the phone, and when I was hesitant to come in because they couldn't see me for an hour, they won me over with "we'd really like to help you out" Oil change was about $30, I waited about 30-40 minutes for the oil change and then they checked out a problem with my check engine light for free. That was really nice. They told me what was wrong but didn't pressure me to fix it right then (because it wasn't dangerous at all). Steve the guy at the front desk also politely responded to a woman who was trying to barter with him on the price for work on her car. I was a bit shocked to see someone bartering, but he smiled and handled it 100% friendly. It really was extremely pleasant as the name implies! read more

I have been a customer of Pleasant Car Care for over a decade. When I first started using them, I couldn't say enough good things about Charlie and the other mechanics. After trying to find a good, trustworthy mechanic for years, I had finally found them. Reasonable, honest, friendly, responsible and proficient. And things continued that way for a long time - until a few years ago. They started getting busier and when I brought my car in, it became common that they simply didn't get to all the work I had asked for - and they didn't always tell me. About a year ago, I brought my 11 year old Hyundai Veracruz in for some repairs. I'd been hearing a noise for a while and asked them to check it out, and told them I'd be taking a trip to Vermont and wanted to be sure everything was okay. (This was actually the third time I'd asked them to check this noise and they'd never had time to find it. ). A couple days later, just before I left for my trip, I went to check the oil and discovered the dipstick was broken. No one else had serviced the car anytime recently, so it had to have been broken there, but they never told me. Even with a pair of pliers I couldn't pull it out and put it back in all the way, but I figured I'd just had it in for service and of course they'd have checked the oil so it was safe to drive into the mountains. Well - half way back, my engine starting making increasingly bad noises. The oil light flickered once but never came on, but I pulled off and discovered the engine was nearly dry. I added 4 quarts and it still didn't register on the dipstick (as far as I could get it in, anyway). There was no way the oil had been checked. I had run it in the mountains with so little oil that the engine was now shot. I got it towed to Pleasant car care, and they were unable to repair or replace the engine for a cost that made sense for a car over 10 years old, with about 110,00 miles. It would have cost nearly $5000 for a used engine with more miles than the one I'd had. Charlie told me that it was common for cars like this of this age to burn through oil - but they'd never mentioned this, never told me I needed to be checking oil more frequently, and by the way, that I couldn't check my oil since they'd broken the dipstick. I had to essentially junk the car, and lost the trade in I would have gotten - at least a few thousand dollars. And I had to buy a new car quickly since I had no other transportation. Charlie never took responsibility for what happened - not even partially. Never mind that they'd broken the dipstick. Never mind that they couldn't be bothered to check the oil when I brought the car in for service and told them I was going on a long trip. He actually joked about having "learned a lesson" that they should warn people about checking the oil more for older cars. He also said that dipsticks get broken a lot when they're working on cars and he supposed it would be good to let customers know. I was flabbergasted at how glib he was when I had a car I'd planned to keep another year or two that now was essentially junked. But it gets worse. Flash forward, I got a new car. I brought it in to Pleasant to get snow tires put on - figured that was simple enough and I hadn't quite let go of my trust for them. When I got home, I checked the tire pressure and discovered they had not filled the tires to recommended pressure - it was low by quite a bit (8-10 psi as I recall). And a day or two later, I discovered they hadn't properly reset the tire pressure sensors, which required a return visit. (I had reminded them that they needed to be reset with the other tires out of the car, but they had done it wrong anyway). Against my better judgment, when it was time to get the snow tires off, I gave them one more chance. When I got home, I discovered they had put on the wrong lug nuts - using the ones from the snow tires instead of from the regular OEM tires and wheels. And they were not the same, so this could have caused significant problems over time. And on top of all of this, they tried to sell me on detailing my car. No time to do the job right, but they wanted to charge me to wash my car. And to put the final nail in the casket, this last visit happened in the middle of the Covid19 pandemic. When they moved my car in and out of the shop, the mechanic did not wear a mask in my car, did not wear gloves and did not disinfect his hands before driving the car. (I watched, so I'm quite sure). They (mostly) wore masks when at the counter with customers, but did not wear them in the shop - not even when inside a customer's car. So I'm done. I used to trust them completely. Charlie was always very honest. I never felt concerned about his recommendations. I still think they're honest, but I won't be going back - not even for swapping my tires, not even after the pandemic. Pleasant Car Care just isn't what it used to be. read more

I recently had to find a new car repair shop after one I'd been going to for several years folded. I was apprehensive about this to say the least. After checking out Pleasant Car Care's website, I decided to give them a try. I'm glad to say that I made the right decision. After submitting an online request for an appointment, I received a reply from the owner Charlie about 2 hours later with a confirmation. I had a good feeling right away when I dropped off my vehicle. I met two of the mechanics, who seemed very friendly and professional. I even got a ride to Watertown Square from one of them, which I wouldn't have expected. Later in the morning, I got a call with a rundown of the repairs they would be doing. There were a few things that needed attention, however there was no pressure for any repairs/work that were not necessary. At the end of the day, I stopped by to pick up the vehicle, and everything was good to go same day. In summary, I would recommend this shop to anyone. They do very good work, and it is clear that providing quality customer service is high on their list, something that is not easy to find. When the time comes, I will feel very confident returning to Pleasant Car Care. read more

Steve helped me figure out what I needed to do for my subaru and he was very patient and detailed when i asked a million questions. He helped me solve an ongoing issue for way cheaper and better service than anywhere else could have. And he advised against the pricy service items the dealership said I needed, while also lowering the heat shield for me. Awesome experience. They are reliable, honest, service oriented and experienced professionals. I'll be back next time I need anything. read more

I put the below review in the Newton shop's link, but since he owns the Watertown place -- I wanted to be sure it was here as well. See below. ------ This is my first Yelp review. I've never felt (due to my own laziness to put in a review), but I felt I needed to put in a review of my visit this morning to Pleasant in Newton. I think he also has a place in Watertown too. I called yesterday and spoke with Charlie (the owner) of this shop and explained the issues I had. In fact, I had taken the car to the dealer (who had themselves diagnosed the issue) and I was looking for a cheaper alternative. Charlie told me to bring it in and he'd take a look. The problem I was having was 1) lots of noise coming from the engine when I turn on the car (I thought it was the belt) and 2) compliance bushings based upon the recommendation of the dealer to have them replaced. Well, Charlie and I took a quick spin around the area in the car, and he asked me about all of the issues. Then, he lifted the car and identified the likely problem in about 5 minutes. He was nice enough to bring me in the back and show me all the issues. Basically, the problem was the faulty work of the dealer (which I took there when there was a power steering hose recall) and quite simply it was a "loose screw." Seriously, just a loose screw. He took a look (and showed me) that the dealer's recommendations were not a problem at all. We all know it's hard to find an auto mechanic that you can trust, and I call tell you that I found that shop and person. (I also identified and confirmed my suspicions of the people at an auto dealer that was happy to do faulty work and then rip people off to fix the problem they caused....) Best part, when all said and done he gave me a bill for his time and work -- and charged me $25.00 for his time and the fluid that needed to be filled. Just to give you an idea: the auto dealer had given me an estimate of over $600 bucks on a part that didn't even need to be replaced!! I'm sure they would have charged me even more than that! Suffice it to say, I gave Charlie more than the $25. Thanks! read more

This place is amazing! Very trustworthy, honest and excellent customer service. I feel my car is in good hands with Charlie. Local and family owned this place is great. Highly recommended. read more