Wooding's Garage

You won't find a more honest shop in boston (or out of boston). The first time I went there (7 years back) my 'check engine' light was on. I brought it in and they called to tell me what the problem was (oxygen sensor). They quoted me a price... then asked me a few questions... and then said "bring it to the dealer, your car is still under warranty" and so I did... they lost $900 in my potential repairs, but gained a customer for life. I'm in the market for a new car now, but won't consider purchasing anything they won't work on there!

These guys are very easy to do business with. I trusted them right away and have not been disappointed.

I had great experience with Woodings with a '92 VW Jetta, but recently had bad luck with them repairing a '90 Audi. The problem with the car was not fixed when they gave me back the car, and they weren't very accomodating about turning it around the repairs quickly (under a day) when I brought it in a second time. The total to repair it also ended up being more than double the inital estimate, because they did not fix the problem.

I've been going to Woodings Garage for about 4 years now. First with an '84 VW Rabbit (which needed repairs frequently) and now with a 95 Golf. I've always felt I was in good hands and felt secure that I was not getting any bad advice or being ripped off. As a woman, I've never felt talked down to or taken advantage of. The garage is not open on the weekends, which can be a drag, but I've managed to work around their schedule without a problem. My car is currently in the shop for a rather expensive repair (new radiator), but it has to be done and I feel confident I am getting a fair price. I've recommended Woodings to a boyfriend and he has gone there several times with his Jetta.

The guys at Woodings are great. I recently moved back to the Boston area and needed to find a mechanic for my 1998 VW GTI VR6. Lucky for me, I stumbled across Woodings. I've had my car to them multiple times in the past year for scheduled servicing, new front ball joint, new exhaust system, a new starter and miscellaneous other things. They're always up- front about the cost and come in right on or under what they've estimated. They even called to say that something was going to be $25 more than they had originally thought on a $1,000+ repair job. They communicate really well about what they are recommending and why - and about what they are not recommending (yet) and why not. I definitely appreciate that they say things like "Are you keeping the car for another year or two? If so, you'd want to go this route...." It's also great that they have given me the heads-up on repairs that I should be expecting sooner rather than later (brakes, clutch, etc). I've recommended Wooding's to everyone I know who drives a VW - they're terrific. I wish I had known about them back in 2000 when my VW came out from under warantee.

I own a 1999 Audi A4. This summer while driving, check engine light goes on. I panic and call Bill Wooding. He tells me to drop it off the next day. I receive a call from Bill that the problem is a leaky air valve. He said he would repair the current valve at half the price of replacing it with a new one. Job completed that day at an incredibly low price. Would highly recommend Woodings Garage to any Audi owner as they live and breathe this manufacturer.

This review is way overdue. I learned about Wooding's right here on the CarTalk website a few years ago sometime after purchasing a used '90 VW Golf. At first I stuck with a few shops close to work, but when they were unable to REALLY fix a recurring problem (but still charged for their "work"), I finally broke down (me--not the car) and called Wooding's. I began explaining the problem that had baffled other mechanics, had them searching the VW tech CDs, etc....before I could finish the description, Steve said "It's probably one of two things...I can't promise that I know what it is until I actually see the car, but..." He really sounded like he was familiar with my car. I went the extra couple miles out of the way, and hopped on the bus nearby for home. Later that day I got the call from Steve. It turned out to be the first scenario he proposed. It was a relatively cheap fix, too. And the finished work proved him correct. I don't know why I bothered with other garages. Now I don't own VW, but I'm probably going to take my Geo Prizm / Toyota Corolla back to Wooding's for service, since I've never had a bad experience with them...they're always honest, don't promise anything they can't do, and do what they say at a reasonable price. They understand the "real world" of owning & operating very used cars, and won't sell you a senseless repair.

I'm nursing my 1990 Audi through old age and just moved to town--so I was glad to hit upon Woodings. Judging by Bill Woodings's reaction, I'm not the only one to find him through MechaniXFiles. Woodings was extremely efficient and prompt, getting me his estimate in a few hours after I dropped the car off and repairs were done in a day. Bill seemed very forthright to me, with a matter-of-fact approach: he explained the necessary repairs clearly, discussed ALL options with me, advised me about maintainance that might need to be done in the future, and was clear on the estimate. He clearly wants to do the job right, but when he was able to make do with what I had--with some manhandling he was able to save me replacing a costly body part--he was willing to do so. I was, of course, grateful and will be heading back.

My search is OVER! Our 1990 GTI 8 valve is worth keeping now that we have found Woodings. Great Price, honest people, and above all knowlegable mechanics make this my place to bring the car. We had several big and little things fixed and now the car runs better than ever! Better than the local dealer by far. Please bring your VW business to theem. We'll be back!!!