Joe's Auto Service (Dedham, MA)
8 Ames Street , Dedham, MA 02026 781-329-2388 (www.joesautoservice.com)
Features and Specialties:

Please send us any corrections or additions to the above information. If you have experience with this shop, please add your own review!

Survey results:

They are always honest
They are competent
The repair price is always reasonable
They fix the problem the first time
They complete the work in a timely manner
They respond well when they screw something up
They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs
The shop is located in a safe neighborhood
The hours of operation are convenient for customers
They treat male and female customers in the same manner
They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed)

Reviewers Comments:

THESE GUYS ARE GREAT,I HAVE A 87 CADDY BROUGHAM AND ANY THING THAT HAS GONE WRONG HE FIXED IT CHEAP AND FAST. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH NICE THINGS ABOUT THESE GUYS. I REMEMBER ONCE I SENT A FRIEND WHO HAS A VOLKSWAGON DOWN TO SEE JOE AND SHE WENT TO THE WRONG REPAIR SHOP (DOWN THE STREET) AND THEY CHARGED HER 2000.00 AND THEY ONLY DID HALF THE WORK, WELL WHEN JOE FOUND OUT HE WENT TO THAT REPAIR SHOP AND ARGUED WITH THE OWNER AND GOT HER 1000.00 BACK!!!!! i CAN"T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THESE GUYS.....REALLY!!! DON'T GO TO A DEALERSHIP GO TO JOE'S! P.S. BUY THEM A COFFEE, THEY LOVE THAT. LARRY C

Fifteen years ago my trusted mechanic was returning to Lebanon. I asked him where I could go for service after his departure. He recommended Joe and actually drove me there for an introduction. He explained that Joe specializes in VW's (my addiction) and that he was especially good in electrical and fuel injection troubleshooting as well as the usual wear item replacement. I went for a few oil changes and eventually there came the moment of truth. My Jetta was acting strangely, bucking at certain RPM and I suspected a clogged catalytic converter based on age/mileage/symptoms (the car's, not mine). I contacted the local VW dealer & they wanted about $700 for a new cat so I decided to consult Joe. I dropped it off early one morning and told Joe what I thought the problem likely was and left firm instructions to call me before doing any work. The afternoon wore on and no call. Finally I got a ride there and expected to hear that he hadn't been able to get to my car. (It's just Joe and one helper working at the shop.) He said it was all done! I was pretty annoyed and expected to challenge (OK, I'm a lawyer) some bad news about the bill. The bill: $10.00 for a cracked vacuum hose. Had he been dishonest, he could've fixed the vacuum hose AND put in a new cat and charged me $500.00 and I would've been thrilled with the money I'd thought I'd saved. But he was honest and competent and I've been going back ever since, receiving the same kind of treatment and recommending him highly to my friends, as I do to you. When you put your head down on the chopping block of commerce and there is no swing of the axe, you'd be a fool not to go back there, time and again. Over time I also learned that Joe also gave you options, depending on how long you intended to keep your car, a quick fix, used or rebuilt parts, or good quality aftermarket new parts if you were in for the long haul. He kept my 1986 Jetta GLI on the road for 185,000 miles and has done the same for its replacement, a 1999 Passat, since the factory warranty expired. To be honest, I started as an unbiased customer but over the years I have become a friend, stopping by the shop with a lunchtime pizza now and then. But the integrity of service came first and the friendship followed. It's given me a chance to see Joe start off other relationships with new customers much like he began ours.

I had been looking for a late 1960s VW bug for several months. In 1968, I purchased a new bug and had much fun with it - especially its durability. I answered ads in major magazines, drove countless miles looking at prospective purchases and found nothing. I came across Joe's website and sent an email to him describing my wants and needs. Joe quickly responded by telling me he had a solid 1969 Bug at his location and I called him to make an appointment to view it. Upon seeing the car and discussing the car's capabilities with Joe, I purchased it. Joe stated he would take care of the required work at a quoted price and I left the car there and told him to take his time as I was in no hurry. Within four months Joe completely transformed the car to an almost like-new condition! New paint, upholstery, dashboard, wheels, etc., etc., etc. All at the agreed-upon price! It's awfully difficult to find service such as the service provided by Joe and his staff at a reasonable price. He even documented the car's restoration in pictures and music on a DVD, which he presented to me when I picked the car up on April 19, 2006, and drove it home beaming with pride. I now have a 1969 VW Bug (Semi-Automatic) sitting in the garage that looks newer than my 2002 Toyota Rav4! I highly recommend Joe's Service, Dedham, MA, to any and all VW enthusiasts. He and his staff are the best! Sincerely, John A. (Jack) VanDELFT

I've heard that Joe has been known to do some magic tricks in his spare time. Though I've never seen for myself, and so cannot comment on the tricks themselves, I can say that Joe is a highly skilled magician when it comes to fixing Volkswagens. I have zero complaints when it comes to Joe's, and 100% satisfaction. A little about myself, I am a Virgo, and so criticize everything. I have no negative criticism for Joe's whatsoever. The first time I took my VW to Joe's, I had taken it to THREE different mechanics prior for the same overheating issue. Joe fixed it in one shot. If I had brought it there initially, I would have saved myself a great deal of money. What I would consider to be the best thing about Joe's is that they are extremely knowledgeable and precise. One time my car was stalling fairly frequently. I took it to Joe's and rather than assuming it to be a big fix, something that would have cost a lot of money, they found the problem in one wire that cost 50 cents. I have never stalled since. About a month ago I lost my muffler while on vacation in New Hampshire. I could have easily brought it somewhere up there to be fixed, but I refuse to bring my car anywhere other than Joe's. I drove home on Easter weekend sounding like a mac truck, but it was worth it because there's just no sense bringing your car anywhere other than Joe's. Of course they are hospitable, speedy and honest, but the level of expertise is what sticks out in my mind. If you've ever wondered 'where are all the honest and proficient mechanics in this world?' well I will tell you, they are right over there on Ames St., Dedham. And furthermore, they even have a cool blinking VW bug on their roof. Thank you! Catherine

I have a 2002 Passat Wagon with 125,000 miles on it. I was sick of dropping $1K every time I took the car into the dealer. I brought it over to Joe (and Bob) and have been very happy. Recently I needed a Tie Rod which the dealer quoted me >$300 to have done. Joe did it for less than half that and I had it back in hours. I plan on running this car up another 100K miles and with Joe working on it, I am confident it will (and it won't cost me an arm).

Five years ago, I bought a '96 Jetta from Joe for my daughter, at a Blue Book price. He made sure everything worked before handing over the keys. She still has the car today. A month ago (June 2008), I went back and bought a '99 Jetta for myself. Same thorough service. When the brakes got noisy a few weeks later, he replaced them (a $400 job) under a warranty agreement which limited my costs to $100 for the first 60 days. He also discovered and replaced a slightly leaking weater flange, at no charge at all. He and Robert always have time for a friendly word, and explain freely how things work, or why they don't work. They really like to see customers happy, and they just want to make an honest decent living, not a killing. It's about the best small repair shop I've ever seen, and I'm 75. Check 'em out!

Having purchased a used 1998 Passat several years ago with already high miles, we found this shop which did all of the routine maintenance and any major repairs at a fraction of the dealership price, within a more reasonable timeline and with honesty and care. The car now has nearly 200K on it and runs like new. Joe and his crew always make sure that you know your options when they are present, they tell you whether a repair needs to be done today, or if you have time and what the risks are. I will only buy a car that Joe's Auto Service can work on now as I have never seen a repair service with such fairness and integrity.

I actually found Joe's Auto on your website. I consider this place a miracle. They treat me very well; always answering my questions and helping me to figure out how to take care of my 2003 Passat Wagon. Joe did an overall evaluation just after I got in February and helped me prioritize the repairs it would need. For a while I had problems with my check engine light and it seemed I was in there every other week, but they stuck with it until it was fixed. I feel very comfortable at Joe's. They treat me with respect and have even given me a ride to work on occasion. I have had no trouble with their repairs. They are skilled professionals. Having dealt with other mechanics who have talked down to me and made me feel like a dunce, this is real joy. I feel very lucky to have found Joe, Bobby and John.

Joe's Auto Service is FABULOUS!! I found out about it from a mechanic at Sears -- took my car there, and they diagnosed the problem quickly, explained it in a straightforward manner, and gave me a quote 1/2 of what a dealer would charge. They even drove me where I needed to be! I'm so happy to have found a reliable, competent, reasonably priced mechanic!! And Joe's funny, to boot -- I can't recommend them highly enough. Thank you!!!

I took my car to Joe after I had spent over $600 and two months and three mechanics trying to diagnose the problem with my car. The car was stalling out and the engine light would come on and then it would be all better the next day. This made the problem really difficult to diagnose because nobody was able to recreate the stalling. I finally took it to Joe, and he was able to look at it and examine it fully before diagnosing the problem. It took several days to diagnose the problem due to the difficulties in recreating the problem, but Joe would always take my phone calls and always took the time to explain what he was doing to fix it. He also took the time to diagnose the problem properly and only charged my for the time that it actually took to fix the problem. The problem was finally diagnosed as a faulty distributor and was replaced. I had to go back and have it replaced because the distributor was replaced with a refurb - as per my instructions, but when Joe replaced it with a new one, he only charged the difference in cost plus an hour labor. I can't say enough about Joe. I thought the car was done for, but I've been driving it ever since - 7 months now and it's still chugging! I highly recommend this shop. Everyone is friendly and honest and will to take the time to explain everything to you.

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