Good News Garage (Cambridge, MA) Mechanic(s): Pete, Ray, Pete, Ray Magliozzi, Ray
(address unkown) , Cambridge, MA (phone unkown)
Features and Specialties:

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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:

All around great. Don't forget to bring cash!

Reliable, timely, and with a sense of humor. The cash requirement is a little bit of a pain, but I think they know they can get away with it.

I love this shop. I trust them there. Their prices are high, but they use quality parts so you get what you pay for. They have helped me through three cheap used cars (a VW Jetta, a Dodge Spirit, and my Dad's old Chrylsler 5th Avenue) when I was in college and needed reliable transportation for not much money. And they never condescended towards me because I am a woman. If you don't knowe about cars and need someone who won't take advantage of you, here's the place.

Ray is a good mechanic and a sharp businessman. He ONLY takes cash and he's not cheap so bring plenty. The first time he presented me with a bill of a few hundred bucks, I asked him for the keys to my car so that I could get my rollerblades out of the back and run down to the bank for the money. He wasn't handing out those keys though ... not without the money coming over the counter first! So he walked me down to my car and opened the back door for me. I got the blades and then the dough and then the CAR ... in that order. Once you get over that strange "I've heard that voice before" feeling .. talking to Ray is as comfortable as getting into a pair of old jeans.

Expensive, but honest. People who said the price was reasonable must be rich. That said, I'd rather pay the extra bit than get screwed over by a dishonest mechanic. These guys seemed trustworthy and honest when they explained their repairs to my car. Anecdote: I got a call a few days after I dropped my car off at their garage. "Hi, this is Good News. It's gonna be about $450.00." Needless to say, I did not think that was Good News at all.

This garage was honest and efficient in diagnosing and repairing my car's brake problem. They kept the cost to a minimum and did not recommend any extra work to line thier pockets. They also explained the options I had (none in this case), as well as the work they performed. They even apologized for the fact that the car's parts were fairly expensive (clearly not their fault; Toyota charges a bundle!) Most amazing fact of all, though, is that the head mechanic is just some knucklehead radio personality who fixes cars for fun... (Truly, Ray is as good in person as he is on the show.)

Their prices aren't the cheapest in town, but I'm always completely confident bringing my car there; their work is good, they are always polite (even when you tow them a repair job they weren't expecting) and they are absolutely reliable. The cash-only policy is a serious drawback - and has kept me from bringing my car there once or twice - but hard to fault from their perspective.

Honest and competent ... whether the news is ultimately good or bad. They are at their best diagnosing! Medical students are taught to think horses and not zebras when they hear hoof beats. Good News Garage starts with the common/simple/cheap before turning to the uncommon/complex/expensive in working through a problem. A dealer repair facility had recommended major head work and a dealer sales department had suggested we consider a new car. Pete came up with a simple hose repair that did the job. A dealer mechanic had recommended replacement of oxygen and cam sensors and major engine repairs to take care of a rough running engine. Ray found that a timing belt that had been installed by the dealer was off by two notches -- and the engine now runs beautifully. These guys also give distinctly unpretentious commencement addresses . . .

They helped my family keep a couple of cars on the road past their expiration dates. I ws so sad when I moved out of state!!!

I have had only good experiences with the folks at the Good News Garage. The first time they took care of my 98 Chevy Cavalier, a guy named Craig took the time to explain the problem to me over the phone in a way that I could understand, despite the fact that I know next to nothing about cars. He was patient with my questions, and didn't talk down to me even though I am not male! And on top of that, the final cost ended up being much less than what he'd told me over the phone, because he had made an error in his estimate. The folks at Good News could have just smiled and taken my money, and instead they impressed me with their honesty. I have gone back to them ever since.

I brought the car in just to get it checked out, because it was "feeling funny." They kept it all day, put the computer on it, test drove it, couldn't find anything, and charged me only $35.00. I was really impressed. They also said I should take it to the dealer because it was still under warranty, but I didn't trust the dealer as much as I trusted them.

Good News Garage rocks! The only thing I regret about that place is not going there 5 years ago instead of the 3 years I've been a customer. Seriously, being able to talk to the mechanic that worked on your car is SO nice it's worth whatever the inconvenience of 'cash only' or no loaner cars. I'm a woman and have never felt more comfortable in a car repair shop - they don't stick you in some isolation booth with cheap furniture, a tv blaring and out-dated magazines while they hang out in the garage and think of ways to gouge you.

I'm a woman with a young-sounding voice. I called this shop, and they quoted me $90 to flush my radiator. Come on!

Brought a car to them that needed a new fuel pump and was quoted $350. When I called another garage to ask what they charge, I was quoted $260. When I called Good News to tell them I was having the car towed to a different garage, they informed me that they charge $65 just to look at the car. They said nothing of this when the car was dropped off or in any conversation after that. Charging that much just to look at it and not mentioning it to the car owner is not okay.

I had a Ford Windstar that was basically unfixable (electrical problem). I'd been going to Good News for years, and I begged for help. I would have paid big time for this. They basically said: "If you want to do this, please take it to a dealer. Because it's unfixable. And if you're going to go through a futile, expensive exercise and hate somebody at the end, we'd prefer that you hate them rather than us..." So they went for the long-term relationship over the short-term cash. That doesn't happen very often. Only good things to say about them. And what's with the "low" survey rating on the safety of the neighborhood? That's just not right.

I don't know who "Pete" and "Ray" are, but Manny, Howie, Sean, Josh and Craig were terrific. At least that's what Manny told me. They all (?) worked on my 2003 Passat that has a shudder in the 4-Motion when turning. I requested that they confirm whether this situation was normal, as VW Brookline has told me four times. Manny, Howie, Sean, Josh and Craig said "NO, it's not normal," according to Manny. They told me what they believe the problem is, and that I should go back to VW to get it fixed under warranty. As soon as I get the car back from VW, I will answer the remainder of the questions. Regardless of who or how many worked on the car, no one could have been nicer or instilled greater confidence in a customer than Manny. Thank you, all. Stephen Farrell

Have taken my cars here for more than 10 years. Several times charged nothing (that's right) after diagnostics alone. Once they installed a rebuilt alternator that went bad a year or two later. They got me a new (rebuilt) alternator for free and only charged for labor. My old taurus failed inspection at a shyster gas station so I took it to Good News who looked it over and confirmed nothing was wrong - again for free. I have never been disappointed with their service.

They always explained the stuff before doing the work and always able to diagnose the problem. Little pricy but trustworthy so always getting business from me and friends.

I brought my vintage Cadillac to Good News after another garage did a below average job at fixing the car. These guys were professional,efficient and explained everything that needed to be done to the car. It may cost a bit more, but I am convinced that you get what you pay for! This is the only place I will take my car from now on.

All around great place. I'm so glad that I live close enough to use Good News. The prices are a bit higher than other shops, but they're really understanding about financial limitations. I used them as a student with not much extra cash, and they were great about explaining what really had to be done immediately, and what could wait. They also saved me a bunch of money by discovering that the reason the car shuddered at stop signs was because of low transmission fluid, not the 02 sensor the dealer had wanted to replace. Overall, definitely worth the slightly higher prices and cash-only policy.

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