Joe's Auto Service (Dedham, MA) Mechanic(s): Joe Venuto, Joseph Magalhaes
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:

Super service at joes auto best best guys

Customer #2381 When the front end of my 74 Superbeetle rusted out about four years ago, I went to Joe's Auto see if he could solve the problem, as he had come up with a solution for me many times before. Unfortunately, the body of my car could not be repaired. But Joe had a better idea. Why not find another VW with a solid body and put the perfectly good engine from my 74 in the other car? It worked perfectly. Joe found a solid 75 VW beetle, had some welding done on it to make sure it was completely intact, then transferred the 74 engine to it. The 75 body, while it was solid, did not look good so Joe put several new fenders on it, put the doors from my 74 on it, undercoated it, and had it painted. Joe replaced the clutch and put a radio in, and without my even asking, put new seat covers on, a new carpet on the floor, and replaced two tires with good used tires. It was almost like having a brand new car. He charged so little compared to the amount of time and work that he put in, that most people would not believe the amount. I am not an easy customer to please, but I could not possibly have been happier with my car. It still looks great and runs beautifully after four years. Joe's Auto deserves the highest recommendation.

Very reliable. Especially competent on air cooled VW's

I've had my 1986 Jetta GLI serviced there since 1990 and would recommend this shop to any VW owner tired of being abused by the dealership. Joe doesn't know everything but he knows a ton about VW's. He's honest and competent and not afraid to admit what he doesn't know and to suggest a variety of options depending on your situation and how long you intend to keep your car (i.e. new parts, used parts, rebuilt parts, quick fix, long term solution, etc.)

We used to own a Chevy Corcica (?). My wife was driving the car and it blew the head gasket. A lot of smoke began to come out of the car. She thought the car was on fire. She pulled into the first gas station she saw, and she pulled up to the pumps yelling that the car was on fire. The owner of the station began yelling "You crazy lady, don't park your burning car next to my gas pumps!" My wife was very upset. She called me at work, and I got over to the station as quickly as I could. I drove the car over to Joe's and he couldn't have been nicer. He thought the whole thing was funny. He did a lot to calm my wife down. He called the next day to tell me the car was not worth repairing. A real salt of the earth kind of guy.

Joe really knows his stuff. He only fixes what needs to be fixed, he doesn't try to con you into extra repairs just to run up your bill. I strongly recommend Joe for all of your automotive needs.

I have been going to Joe's for over ten years now and he has worked on all three of my Volkswagens I've had during that period of time. He has always been able to quickly, honestly and effectively repair all my vehicle needs. His prices are always lower that competetors I've had quotes from. In addition, he has all the latest computer diagnostic equipment for the newest volkswagen models. In fact, on my most recent visit, he was able test and advise me that the faulty component causing the check engine light to illuminate was caused by a part covered under an extended volkswagen recall issue and that the dealer was responsible for the cost of repair! Now that is what I call honestly! Joe knows his stuff and I never fear leaving my car with him. His integrity is rare in these times. Keep up the good work !

Joe and Luis have done wonderful things for our cars. We have had three of our VWs to Joe's, and every repair is done in a timely manner. I ahve never had any trouble with anything done at that garage. The prices, service, convenience, attitude, knowedge of VWs, and advice far exceed that of any VW dealership I have been to, and since my wife drive an A-4 Jetta, we have been to a few with warranty covered problems that weren't fixed correctly until we went to Joe's. He has been willing to help with advice on any home repair I do. His service and support are so outstanding I bought my last car from him. I highly reccomend anyone who has a VW to get it serviced at Joe's. I also reccomend that anyone who wants a VW or who wants another VW to get it at Joe's. A satisfied customer for over 30 months.

Its a long ride from Lowell to Dedham but its worth it. I got the quick peek appointment with him on the same day for my VW Passat 2000. Nice guy and seems to know more about VW cars and looks like he is good in what he is doing. He diagnosed the problem and did a quick fix. Really understandable and I recommend him strongly Vijai, 2003

Joe is a great guy, I dont own a Volkswagon, I actually own a honda but he was very helpful in finding my problem and quick to fix it, check out his website at www.joesautoservice.com I would go back anyday!

Dear Web Content Reviewer, I recently submitted content for Joe's VW Auto Repair as: reviewer #50570, September 2003. I mistakenly claimed that he "offers lifetime free oil changes with every car" sold. Can you edit my post to say "one year's free oil changes with every car"? My apologies for posting bad info. I hope your content management system allows this change so you have more accurate info on the site. Best wishes! andre rebelo 508.628.4572

Customer #2466. Long time customer (33 months +) Joe has orked on VWs (aircooled and watercooled, gas and diesel) for myself and several people I have reccomended by word of mouth. Excellent customer service, prices much better than dealerships, and experience beyond any dealership. It's not often a master level VW mechanic with three decades of experience does all routine service and repairs to your vehicle. Will talk tou you about problems and how to fix them, your options, and maintenance. My wife and I trust Joe for all of our service. His is the only honest and reliable shop around. Thanks Joe.

I am so lucky to live about 1.5 miles away from Joe's Auto Service, Dedham, Mass. He offers the rare mix of talented mechanic skill and personable customer service. We have entrusted him with the care of our 1970 Karmann Ghia a number of times, and he always delivers quality work, and is a pleasure to deal with. I can recommend Joe's Auto Service in Dedham as a great alternative to going to the VW dealer. Save money, and your patience! Although I haven't purchased a car on his lot, he always offers tempting, affordable used cars for sale, both foreign and domestic. I have pointed a number of buyers his way. I believe he offers lifetime free oil changes with every car. Anywho, he's a down-to-earth resource worth investigating within a 15-20 mi. radius...

I have had my VW for 3 years and I just recently found Joe's auto. I wish I knew about him sooner. I was paying twice the amount for repairs through another garage unfamiliar with vw's. Most recently I had Joe's do a tune up on my car. I went from doing 23 mpg to 35 mpg on the highway. This was fantastic. I trust they know what they are doing and are fair wit their pricing. I am a satisfied customer!

Customer # 2901 I have taken my 1998 VW Jetta to Joe a couple of times and he has proven to be a trustworthy person. I know a little about cars myself and I am also a good judge of people. He gives you an honest estimate and fixes the problem in the shortest time possible. When you pick up your car, he actually shows you the worn out parts so that you can see what the problem was. He squeezes you in quickly if you don't have a lot of time. My wife has dropped the car off as well and he treats men and women in the same manner - with respect. I have told numerous people how good it feels to have a trustworthy mechanic around the corner. When I bring my car to Joe, I know the price will be fair. When my coolant was leaking, he even filled it up for me free of charge. On top of it all, he is a nice guy and a quality magician if you ever need one. I watched a few of his videos yesterday and they were impressive. Overall, I am very happy with Joe and I would recommend that everyone give him a chance. You will be glad you did. -A Very Satisfied Customer (#2901)

I dont usually write comments on the internet about this or that, but in this case it is a must. I must tell you all, that if you want a reliable service for your car, take it to Joes garage. They are honest (hard to find when talking about car garages),fast and charge you the right amount for things. It sounds simple but you we all know how hard it is to find a place that has all this characteristics together. They tell you exactly what your car needs, and show you what is wrong. Taking my car to the garage is not a nightmare for me anymore.

Always been a pleasure to do business with Joe, very good experience all round.

I have a 2000 Volkswagon Jetta VR6. While I absolutely love this car for it's handling, power and interior luxury I've had lots of problems. Anyways, the latest problems were: - A/C works intermittently. - EPC light and light denoting problem with Brakes came on. Car would beep constantly while driving. I took this to a dealer and paid 200$ to learn that "Oh your compressor is broken and needs to be replaced" Price tag of 800$ for replacing this!! (other problems extra $$) Lucky for me, I came across this man, Joe. I called up early Saturday and took it there. He laughed when I told him what the dealer said and proved to me why that couldn't be the case with his debugging tools hooked up to my car. Bottom line, I paid 300$ to get ALL (A/C, EPC light, Brake warning light fixed) whilst the dealer wanted 800$ for just the AC!! I wanted to dump this car before meeting Joe. Now I know I can hold onto it for a couple years more at least (it's only 5 years old!!). Mechanics like him are rare and just wanted to share this find with others. A very, very satisfied customer.

Joe knows wolkswagens from inside out and he is straigth forward in his answers. In addition he is creative and looks for the best and most economical solution to repairs.

I have a 2000 VR6 Jetta that's been a piece of junk and has given me problems from day 1 (hmm..wonder why VW is in trouble with quality issues and facing declining sales!) Anyways, I found out about Joe and went to him with an A/C that came on intermittently, a check engine EPC light a Brake warning light in the console and a broken hanger near the exhaust that rattled and needed welding. The dealer cited me around 2K for these. Joe fixed everything at 300$ all the while SHOWING me what he was doing and why he was doing this! (the compressor DID not need to be changed as the dealer said. It was a 50$ switch leading upto the compressor) I recommed this person very highly. I think he represents one of the few honest and knowledgeably mechanics that one sometimes thinks are a dying breed. The only problem I've had is I live in Lowell and have to drive there, but it is soo worth the drive to get your car worked reliably, efficiently and honestly that I'll make it every singly time I need anything done! S.Alexander Lowell, MA

I took this 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 recreeating 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.

Joe and his buddies are the greatest. They are so much more responsive and real than any of the 4 dealers I have used in the past. I trust them and would highly recommend them to any VW owner. Thank you Joe for being a beacon of light for me in this realm of my blindness.

Joe is an ace VW mechanic. He has the VAG computer (the one the factory and dealers use) and will hook it right up to your car, and use any information he can from it to make informed decisions (that is, if your car HAS a computer module). Joe has restored countless beetles, and had a really keen beach mobile a few years back. I have been there at least 5 times over the years, because when the chips were down, Joe was able to help. He recently worked on my 01 GTI, and previously on my 91 Passat. All of his work has been excellent. For good work at a good price, go see Smilin' Joe.

Joe's is the bees knees! They are straight forward, friendly and efficient. But, most important, they are honest. I find working with them a pleasure. Joe and his team have given me rides, negotiated rental cars, shown me my cars problems, and really educated me on my car as it tries to age gracefully. This shop is old fashioned and a hidden gem for VW fanatics such as myself. And if you are ever stuck there for a while you can have Joe do magic tricks. Does it get any better? -Cristel Lindstrom, Hyde Park

They don't come any better than Joe and his helpers Bobby and Jonathan. Joe treats every car as if it were his own, and isn't satisfied until he gets to the bottom of whatever problem (and won't charge you until then, either). He explains as much as you want, takes pride in his work, likes people unless they are crooks, and enjoys swapping jokes. Your car, pocketbook and spirit are in good hands at Joe's. My trips there for my Jetta, and before that for my daughter's Jetta, were always delightful and successful.

I have been going to Joe's VW since 2004! Since then I have purchased directly from him 4 VWs (each member of the family has one) at great prices and all in great condition. He has then kept them running in great shape. For each car I bought, he added free oil changes for a year. Joe and his employees are the best. They are always professional, polite, helpful and excellent mechanics. If you want your VW worked on - see Joe! If you need a great used VW - see Joe. He also does magic tricks! So if you need a magician for any event - SEEEEE JOOOOE!

I am so happy I found Joe's. They take such good care of my car!

GREAT GUY, GREAT SHOP. ALWAYS HELPFUL!!!!

Joe and crew, The Passat ran great all day after I left this a.m. Ran it to Brockton and back home tonight smooth as could be. I am confident all is well and am very pleased with the fine work that was done at a very good price. (plus the extras of a few bulbs and the antifreeze exchange- red carpet treatment!) I wanted you all to know really I am very, very pleased and impressed with your knowledge and skill. Thanks for checking me out this am and reassuring me.

I called Joe for help with my VW Passat wagon. He told me to come right in. He not only was right on with the fact that it was my ignition coils (had to replace all three), he explained and showed me how to tell that was my problem. He was out of my parts, but within 1/2 hour had them delivered and installed them. I was able to drive out of there feeling totally at ease and knowing that I had been treated with full on respect and kindness. I will NEVER go anywhere else.

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